Golden Gate Estates Is Getting New Town Center (Tampa, Orlando: real estate market, HOA)

[FLBirdwatcher]

It was recently announced by Collier Enterprises that a new very extensive town center will be built on the eastern edge of Golden Gate Estates. It will be just off Desoto Blvd S. Under the planning name of Rural Lands West new permitting to build the start of a town center which will include 150,000 sq ft of commercial space and 4,000 new homes. They will break ground no later than 2017, and will be ready for occupancy by 2018. It is only the beginning of a very expansive town center. This is the same company that did the Isles of Collier Preserve in east Naples. I believe that they also worked on Lely. It should be very fancy.

The town center will grow over the next 15 years to be about a million sq ft of commercial space and many, many more residences. There will be churches, schools, retail, medical facilities, 54 holes of golf (three 18 hole courses) and parks and recreation. The town will be renamed, but for now it is being called Rural Lands West for permitting purposes. Signs are already up at Desoto Blvd and Oil Well Rd. It has been discussed on the local news and in the Naples News. If you google search RuralLandsWest you will see their website. You can also google CollierEnterprises to find out more.

What they are going to do is extend Randall Blvd east past Desoto Blvd, and that will be the entrance to the commercial development. The 4,000 residences will likely be an HOA development with fees, but one could easily purchase some of the surrounding homes that are not included in the development, such as on or around Desoto Blvd, if they wanted to be close to this area. There are thousands of acres that are owned by this group, some of which are currently being produced by a commercial tomato farm. Other acreage that is owned by the group was previously cleared for farm land, but activity is no longer taking place there.

This town center was originally planned before the recession in 2009, but did not get started due to the downturn. The town at that time was to be called Big Cypress. It was to include way over one million square feet of commercial development. At that time a hospital was talked about as well as an easement off of I 75 that may have gone through the lands just east of Desoto Blvd. When the economy started to suffer, the town center was going to be scaled back in size a bit, but then things turned bad enough at that time to totally abandon the concept.

Now that the real estate market has made such a remarkable come back, and Golden Gate Estates east of Collier Blvd has especially been the hot trend for Naples growth, the town center is progressing with their plans to make a truly unique town center for the residents of eastern Golden Gate Estates. The Desoto Blvd area will be the place to watch for future development. Real Estate prices are still very affordable in the area at the present time. This area will be even more desirable now!

[ron e wheels]

I read this also and seen some of the plans on line. I think that it's a lot of pie in the sky in the short term. Maybe even in the long run. I do see a lot of construction (homes) in Ave Marie and I believe they are a special case. Yes, just in my small area off 47 ave , there are 12 lots being developed. Not medium size homes but small homes. I can't believe that retiring boomers are going to go that far out.

I don't know the population of AM, but they have next to nothing. Thank goodness they finally got a Publix. Has half the baby boomers retired yet? The number of houses you quoted would put that population maybe around 12,000? It is definitely a project to keep an eye on.

I do have concerns whether the entire Collier County area can support the population projections. Water quality, air quality, and enough recreational facilities to support this growth.

[FLBirdwatcher]

This project has the support of some very large investors including the Collier family. It will definitely be very large when everything is built out. The planning stage is slow due to the permitting process. There will be many more than 12,000 people moving in when it is all finished. The developers will be bringing in businesses that will provide jobs that will support the large population.

As for Ave Maria, the developers are breaking ground on another stage of development. New homes are getting ready to be built there soon. They are clearing land for that project now.

Collier County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Many northerners are moving here because they are tired of the cold harsh winters. With predictions of a mini ice age (similar to the one during Europe's Middle Ages) on the horizon in the next 15 years I'm sure more people will be moving here in the future.

[GadsdenGirl]

I just hope that they plan for increased traffic flows. Immokalee Rd is already a nightmare during commute time.

[ron e wheels]

I am not disputing you whatsoever. Thanks for the attachment,it is detailed. As far as the need for these people to west, yes they'll have to go west. There is a lack of true flowing highways to move this amount of people around. Thy don't see the need for major interchanges to I-75. I do. I see it now.

My neighbors can't see the need to extend roads, I tell them if for any reason it would be for safety. One strategic fire and your swimming across the canal to get away. Immokalee Road is already a racetrack and people are pouring west until 9:00 in the morning.

As far as jobs go, retail and light commercial. These aren't the kind of jobs that keeps your kids around. They can't afford the housing. They can't afford to raise families on this.

Water conservation? I don't see it as a political thought.

The county needed to develop a long term plan with coordination of the local schools and colleges to develop the talents needed for a diversified economy here. That has never happened. Hospitality and construction being the major employment fields leaves little room for a stable economy. In the 20 years that this town will blossom in, we'll face at least 3 recessions by history standards alone.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by GadsdenGirl

I just hope that they plan for increased traffic flows. Immokalee Rd is already a nightmare during commute time.

In season it's busy, but I wouldn't call it a nightmare. Driving the Long Island Expressway to Manhattan between 7am and 10am is more of a nightmare.

[GadsdenGirl]

I grew up doing the bridge and tunnel commute from Jersey into Manhattan for work for many years. I know nightmare traffic. But to use that as a standard for SWFL is apples and oranges. I compare what Immokalee Rd. WAS to what I see it is slowly becoming and it is not something I see as a positive thing. I'm not going to wait until it can be compared to an L.I.E. Nightmare. Some forethought & planning is not a difficult ask.

[ron e wheels]

I believe that Immokalee/Collier intersection is currently the 4th worst in Naples with regards to accidents. Most of Florida's infrastructure arteries have never been well thought out.

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by GadsdenGirl

I grew up doing the bridge and tunnel commute from Jersey into Manhattan for work for many years. I know nightmare traffic. But to use that as a standard for SWFL is apples and oranges. I compare what Immokalee Rd. WAS to what I see it is slowly becoming and it is not something I see as a positive thing. I'm not going to wait until it can be compared to an L.I.E. Nightmare. Some forethought & planning is not a difficult ask.

I grew up on LI, and thankfully, never had to commute into Manhattan.

I agree about Immokalee Rd. getting worse and worse. When I moved into my current house 16 years ago, 951 was 2 lanes north of Pine Ridge, and Immokalee was 2 lanes west of I75. And when I say 2 lanes, I mean ONE lane in each direction. The 951/Imm. Rd. intersection had a STOP sign. The speed limit was 55 on both.

The only thing on 951 in this stretch was Golden Gate Nursery, and the mobile home park just south of Imm. Rd.

This new "Town Centre" (which is anything but) does not give me a warm and fuzzy for the future. At all.

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by ron e wheels

Most of Florida's infrastructure arteries have never been well thought out.

As someone who commutes between Naples and Orlando weekly for the last 15 years, I can attest that truer words were never spoken.

It's one of the things I hate about living in Naples. You can't get anywhere easily from here, unless it's Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa, and even then, you have to deal with playing real life "Pole Position" on the interstate.