Collier County discussing land swap with Barron Collier Companies

The Collier Board of County Commissioners voted to continue negotiating a land swap with Barron Collier Companies.

Questions are being raised regarding whether or not the swap will benefit the community, but one commissioner said the plan would have to be a good deal for taxpayers or else they would not do it.

The Collier County Fairgrounds lease expires sometime in the 2030s, and while they’re secure in their current location …

“They want to relocate. They want to have a piece of property that they own themselves,” said Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel.

In 2021, Collier County bought approximately 500 acres of land that would be dedicated to the fairgrounds.

“We have a memorandum of understanding with both the Swamp Buggy board and the Fair Board to sell them 100 acres on the land that we own there, Camp Keais,” said Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel.

Barron Collier Companies, one of the largest commercial and residential real estate developers in Southwest Florida, wrote a letter of intent to the county upon realizing the use of the land would interfere with the development of their exclusive retreat.

“All of a sudden, they woke up and realized that some of our proposed uses weren’t conducive for their development plans to the lands that they own to the east,” said McDaniel. “So, they came back to us and said, ‘Hey, how would you consider either selling us this land, that 500 acres that you’ve already bought from us? Would you sell it back to us?’ And we said yes.”

The discussion has resulted in a proposed land swap, in which the two areas being negotiated will be separated by six miles.

According to McDaniel, negotiations could take up to six months before the swap is made.