SUB S CRIBE TODAY F O R L O C A L S, BY L O C A L S
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M A Y 3 0 - J U N E 5 , 2025
3A | GETTING A LIFT
6B | PURR-FECT PLACE
5B | Q&A WITH BEN ALLEN
elevated against flooding through state grant
street cats survive
and his unforgettable time on “The Voice”
Naples Park home will be first in city to be
Tim Aten Knows Tim Aten
Purradise Gardens helps Collier’s
The local musician talks music, challenges
Blow for workforce housing?
New restaurants, retailers coming to Shoppes at Vanderbilt Q: What is being built next to CVS at Airport and Vanderbilt? Thanks. – Michael Dean, Naples A: Buildings under construction on the north and west sides of CVS pharmacy will be home to more restaurants and retailers in the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt on the northwest corner of AirportPulling and Vanderbilt Beach roads in North Naples. Building 1000 is the smaller, single-story structure being built immediately to the north of CVS. Building 1100 is the two-story building going up west of CVS. “Between the two buildings it will be over 20 units — over 20,000 square feet of total leasable space,” said PJ Hill, leasing manager for the Shoppes at Vanderbilt. “We’re working with a variety of concepts. We’re excited to see new tenants coming into the center. We’re welcoming retailers, restaurants, service concepts, office concepts, any and all types of uses for both of the buildings, and we’re excited to see it get full.” Construction is on schedule and pre-leasing is underway, Hill said, but he doesn’t have tenants to announce yet for the new buildings. Negotiations are in the works with a few potential new tenants. “There are some exciting opportunities there for the right concepts. We have the end caps currently reserved for restaurant
James Whittaker, head of the River Park East homeowners association, looks over the water behind the Stillwater Cove community. Whitaker is against new development in the community and is hoping for more funding to elevate homes in the future. Photo by Liz Gorman
Naples shelves plan to buy Stillwater Cove apartments By Aisling Swift aisling.swift@naplespress.com
After seven months discussing options, the Naples Community Redevelopment Agency voted against partnering with a nonprofit developer to purchase and renovate Stillwater Cove apartments — relinquishing its hopes of retaining the longtime workforce housing. The May 21 vote came after months of River Park East residents urging the CRA not to purchase it, and the realization the city has too much debt to consider a partnership in which the CRA would put up $9.8 million in equity and a loan as part of a $22 million purchase by the Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation. The former Gordon River Apartments, 95 units on 4.6 acres in the his-
torically Black neighborhood of River Park East, is prime city real estate because it’s near the Gordon River and the Gulf. It was built in 1969, when the area was developed to house Black workers in a segregated community. The CRA hired CBRE as a consultant to research affordable-housing options. It brought on partner Trinity Commercial Group. Dan O’Berski of TCG advised the CRA that if it didn’t move forward with the proposal, Corridor Ventures would market its property and it likely wouldn’t remain workforce housing. “In this price range, the most probable outcome that we believe would occur is a demolition and … mid-luxury-style housing would occur with the waterfront property,” O’Berski said of up to 56 homes allowed under new codes. See STILLWATER COVE, Page 5A
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 4A
FWC recommends bear-hunting season 0
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By Aisling Swift aisling.swift@naplespress.com
Despite strong opposition, commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved changes to allow a highly regulated, 23-day black bear-hunting season in December and will finalize their vote in August. During the May 21 meeting in Ocala, commissioners voted 4-1, with Vice Chair Steven Hudson voting
nay, to approve amendments to state bear hunting rules. They’ll undergo a final hearing Aug. 13-14. If approved, most would take effect during a hunt Dec. 6-28, with a cap of 187 bears in 31 counties — 55 in the southern area that includes Collier County. Pending further studies, bear hunting is expected to be Oct. 1 through Dec. 1. “The resurgence of the Florida black bear is not just a victory for conservationists, it’s a win for all Floridians,” FWC Board Chair Rodney Barreto said after the vote, which
followed statewide protests opposing a hunt, and the May 5 death of an 89-year-old man and his dog in Jerome, in rural Collier. “Hunting is a biologically sound method to slow population growth, resulting in a healthy and well-managed Florida black bear population for the future.” The changes include baiting stations to lure bears on private lands; allowing archery weapons; permitting out-of-state hunters and children to participate; and allowing
packs of hunting dogs to chase bears into trees, a change that won’t start until 2027. Next year, private landowners with 5,000 acres or more would be allowed to offer a “bear harvest program.” The vote came after 170 hunters, wildlife advocates and residents signed up to speak, with only 52 supporting it. Opponents said there were other ways to control the population, which is estimated at 4,050 See BEAR HUNT, Page 5A
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