Super 8 in Naples to become apartments for local workers

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Bryanna Sterzenbach
Published: Updated:

A Super 8 Motel in Naples will soon look slightly different; it will become an apartment building with fully furnished units.

The apartments are mostly reserved for Moorings Park Senior Living Community employees.

It will also include a few dozen units strictly for low-income families.

WINK News reporter Asha Patel went to the hotel, where they knew more affordable housing was needed for seniors in Collier County.

Moorings Park bought the motel a few days before Hurricane Ian, and Dan Lavender, the CEO, said that about three months ago, it was 100% occupied by people who had been displaced from their homes.

Now, they’re ready to renovate it and start renting it out.

Lavender said finding service workers in Collier County is a challenge.

“We are standing at what’s going to be a future workforce housing site,” Lavender said.

He hopes to change the Super 8 Motel and bring more workforce housing to the county with this first-of-its-kind project.

“We saw increasing challenges where they drove a long way, 2 hours in the car, affordable housing real problem. Here, they’ll be able to get in a place for about $1095 a month, $1295 a month with utilities, cut down on the commute, and increase their quality of life,” Lavender explained.

This portion of the motel is transforming into 108 furnished studio apartments; Lavender said the goal is to make housing affordable for his employees.

“That would be nice; there is a nice pool there. You’ve never seen anybody in it; maybe get some more people in here, a nice neighborhood, nice class of people,” said Naples resident Donald Huelse.

We met Huelse on Monday. He said he searched for six weeks for an affordable place to live.

“Went through some life changes; this was nice and close, only one mile away instead of 12 miles, so, works out for me,” he shared. “Accessibility, bus route all right here; it’s good if you have a car or don’t. Cracker Barrel is 500 feet away if you want a nice dinner!”

Lavender said renovations will start early next year.

The number of people in each apartment will be limited to 2.

The CEO said things would look totally different once renovations are complete. He also said that if there are vacancies, Moorings Park will have long-term leases with employers in the area whose eligible employees can lease the units.

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