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M A R C H 2 1 - M A R C H 2 7, 2025
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Center will extend its weekday hours
victory over Forward Madison
mermaids in English-language ‘Rusalka’
To satisfy growing demand, Baker Senior
Tim Aten Knows Tim Aten
Prime Social Reserve rooftop restaurant plans October launch Taking an elevated experience to a new level, Prime Social Reserve rooftop restaurant and lounge plans an October launch on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples. Construction is underway at 837 Fifth Ave. S. to create the exclusive high-end venue that will be for VIP access only. Bridging two buildings that are home to Chops City Grill restaurant and Compass Real Estate of Naples, Prime Social Reserve is being built by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which already operates Del Mar and Ocean Prime on Fifth Avenue. “It’s an engineering and a construction feat, for sure,” said Naples entrepreneur Christopher Shucart. He owns the real estate where Prime Social is being built and is a partner in the new restaurant, which will be accessible via a new elevator and valet parking on the north side of the building. The venue’s dining footprint is more than 7,300 square feet, which includes the outdoor space that comprises about 35% of the restaurant’s seating. From a total gross area, the restaurant is closer to 9,000 square feet when figuring in stairwells and common area features, Shucart said. The 175-seat restaurant with about 25 seats at its two bars will have distinctive areas created with a luxurious ambiance. The rooftop spaces are designed with lush greenery, refined natural woods and yacht-inspired details. “You have a whole restaurant
FBI joins probe into massive permit fraud in Collier County By Aisling Swift
Retired architect Gene Cravillion hasn’t practiced architecture since August 2022. He suffers from dementia and lives in a North Naples assisted-living facility. Yet more than 400 plans bearing his state-registered architectural seal have been submitted to the Collier County Building Plan Review &
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Inspection Division since then; he ostensibly wrote letters to the county last November and December affirming his work; and his license was renewed in November for two years. Seemingly fraudulent Cravillion letters were typed on letterhead using his seal — and someone posing as him inspected work on homes and attended a county hearing. “With his dementia, he has no idea this is going on,” Cravillion’s son, Tom, a design professional, said in an interview, adding his father had
worked in the past with James D. Allen and Octavio Sarmiento, not with others who were cited by the state. “All these ended up being faked … It’s ridiculous. He’s been in assisted living since 2022. “Sometimes what they’d do is, he’d either get transported over to their office to review it or they would bring a plan in to him and he’d look at it. We saw that he no longer had income. No one was coming,” Tom Cravillion said. “His demenSee ARCHITECT, Page 4A
AIRPORTS
See ATEN KNOWS, Page 8A
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Gulfshore Opera brings moon,
FC Naples gets in win column with 2-0
The view from an elevated area of a structure at Everglades Airpark. Photo by Ed Scott
Residents, pilots urge Collier to keep Everglades Airpark open By John L. Guerra
Everglades City residents and general aviation pilots are urging the Collier County Commission to keep Everglades Airpark open. The commissioners have not decided to close the airport. They, however, agreed to ask the Federal Aviation Administration and Flor-
ida Department of Transportation what steps need to be taken to deactivate the tiny airport that abuts Everglades National Park. In response to citizen comments at the March 11 meeting, the Commission also agreed to form a committee to study potential uses that could save the airport. Everglades City sits on Chokoloskee Bay, which makes it susceptible to storm surge. The Collier County Airpark Au-
thority operates Marco Island Executive Airport, Immokalee Regional Airport and Everglades. Of the three, only Everglades consistently operates at a loss, according to county staff. The following factors will ensure the airpark will suffer continued financial losses: The FAA has designated Everglades Airpark as “unclassified,” which means it does not receive any
guaranteed annual funding from the FAA or FDOT. According to county staff, without that funding, “it becomes quite burdensome to fund any significant capital improvements.” The 2,400-foot runway cannot be extended without filling in wetlands; the short runway limits the size and number of aircraft that can be accommodated, and thus, how much See AIRPARK, Page 5A
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