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Aqualane Shores is an elite 370-home community located right between Port Royal to the South and Olde Naples to the North, The Gulf of Mexico to the West, and the Naples Bay to the East, from 14th Avenue South to 21st Avenue South within the city limits of the city of Naples, Florida.

In Aqualane Shores Naples FL you will be walking or biking distance to the Naples Pier and the sandy Naples Beach, as well as the exclusive Third Street South shopping district, a well-known spot in Naples, Florida.

Aqualane Shores Naples Florida is in close proximity to Fifth Avenue South, probably the most illustrious downtown address. Fifth Avenue South, Naples FL offers art galleries, elegant dining, chic shopping, and top-class entertainment.

The Aqualane Shores upscale waterfront residences range from vintage styles to modern and majestic architecture and ideally quiet setting in tree-lined streets and deep water canals minutes to Gordon Pass, Keewaydin Island and the Gulf of Mexico, directly off the backyard dock.

Encircling nearly 300 acres of exuberant waterfront beauty, Aqualane Shores Naples FL is the ultimate neighborhood for the affluent boating enthusiast.

For Aqualane Shores listings, please go to www.aqualaneshoresestatehomes.com or call 239.261.9131.

Port Royal is, by far, the most prestigious and exclusive community in Naples, Florida, and one of the most magnificent neighborhoods worldwide.

Named after a Jamaican town of seafaring legacy and developed by John Glen Sample in the 1950’s, Port Royal Naples FL lives up to its developer’s dream of creating a true luxury paradise in Florida of sandy beaches and serene sunsets.

The select population of Port Royal Naples Florida is comprised of about 600 families. Most luxury homes have direct, no-bridge access to the Gulf of Mexico. These waterfront properties are valued well beyond the million-dollar mark and feature docks for owner’s sailboats or deluxe yachts.

Port Royal is a famous Naples Florida landmark, favorably bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the West, Naples Bay on the East, Jamaica Channel on the North and Gordon Pass on the South, and located minutes away from downtown Naples – Olde Naples – the City Marina, waterfront dining and fashionable shopping.

Galleon Drive is the sole entrance to the secluded area of Port Royal Naples FL.

Other streets are : Kings' Town Drive, Lantern Lane, Half Moon Walk, Fort Charles Drive, Green Dolphin Lane, Treasure Lane, Nelson's Walk, Admiralty Parade, Spyglass Lane, Gordon Drive, Gin Lane, Rum Row, Cutlass Lane, Sabre Lane, Short Lane, Kerry Court, Cove Lane and Bay Road. Colorfully named with island and pirate flavor, the streets of Port Royal Naples Florida are canopied by large trees, stunning natural beauty and desirable landscaping, offering the most private and recognizable address in Naples FL.

The secret to acquiring Port Royal Naples FL real estate is to make certain membership to the gracefully elegant Port Royal Club is included. The Port Royal Club Naples FL boasts a 9-court tennis center, an Olympic-size heated swimming pool, cutting edge fitness center, both formal and informal dining facilities, as well as numerous resort-like amenities expected of a world-class club.

I will select articles from NaplesNews.com from time to time that reflect what is happening in Naples, Florida with regard to The Naples Florida Real Estate Market, the Naples Florida Lifestyle and just about anything that sounds interesting to ponder about.

NAPLES — Twenty something doesn't sound old.

At least in people years. But it's different in retail.

The Village on Venetian Bay off Gulf Shore Boulevard is more than 20 years old, and to keep it looking as good as its younger competitors around town, the shopping center is getting a multimillion-dollar makeover.

The work got under way a few weeks ago. That's when the "Pardon Our Dust" signs went up and the hard hats of construction workers became partof the shopping scene at the upscale, waterfront center.

The center — owned and developed by The Lutgert Cos. in Naples — will remain open throughout the renovation, with the more extensive work being done during off hours to try to avoid disruptions for shoppers.

Most of the work is expected to be finished before the end of the year.

When it was built, the center's Mediterranean architecture was unique. That won't change, though now the look is widespread throughout Naples.

What's changing? The flooring, the color of buildings, the railings and the lighting. A new gathering spot will be added with "interactive fountains" shooting out of the ground. There will be more landscaping and more outdoor seating at restaurants.

The outdoor flooring will be a mix of porcelain tile imported from Italy and stone Quartzite from China. The first shipments recently arrived.

The idea is to give the center a more contemporary, elegant look. The project is costing nearly $5 million, said Dougall McCorkle, a senior vice president for commercial real estate for the Lutgert Cos. He describes it as "a major freshening up."

The design work and planning took more than a year. There will be more changes made to the center than there have been in a decade.

"We don't take it lightly," McCorkle said.

One 1,500-square-foot building will be torn down to make way for the new and improved public gathering area with the fountain.

A few new tenants are coming in too. A new waterfront restaurant will

replace Marie-Michelle's, whose owner decided to retire and close the doors after 14 years in business. "We're always on the lookout for great new shops and restaurants," McCorkle said.

The new Waterfront Grille, formerly known as Maxwell's on the Bay, is scheduled to open Oct. 14 after a six-month renovation. The restaurant has a new executive chef, Brian Roland, who comes from Cru, Lush Wines and Pure Food in Fort Myers. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., he's known for his "cutting-edge Continental cuisine."

Roland had an internship at Maxwell's more than a decade ago.

"The menu has completely changed," offering more local products and organic foods, said Gina Lucia, marketing director.

The restaurant has gotten rid of its Old Florida-style.

"It's really kind of a big city feel in there now, with a contemporary look," Lucia said.

Every surface in the restaurant is new. The new furniture arrived last week and workers were putting the final touches on the decor.

Now there are five waterfront restaurants at the Village. With the renovation there will be room for one more.

Nearly half of all the waterfront restaurants in the Naples area are at the center, a big part of its appeal.

The Lutgert Cos. is committed to keeping it "a premier shopping destination."

The Venetian Village started out as more of a neighborhood shopping center, but now it has more of a regional draw, McCorkle said. Most of its shoppers and diners are local residents, though it gets its share of tourists too.

The center, which opened in 1987, has mostly locally owned shops, galleries and restaurants. It is almost fully leased, with nearly 60 tenants. There is 115,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space.

"Reaction has been good," McCorkle said. "Many tenants have felt it's a timely move to refurbish the Village."

Over the past few years, new shopping centers have sprouted up all over Southwest Florida. Coastland Center mall in Naples recently underwent a major renovation of its own, adding more national retailers and restaurants, new entrances, more contemporary flooring and furniture, valet parking and a children's play area.

"Competition is always strong. You have to be aware of it and deal with it, regardless of your business," McCorkle said.

The Lutgert Cos. is also co-developing The Mercato off U.S. 41 near Vanderbilt Beach Road. Described as a "lifestyle center," the project will include nearly 330,000 square feet of main street-style retail and restaurants, 140,000 square feet of Class A office space and 175 luxury homes and villas. Early next year, a grand opening for the entire project is planned.

The Mercato has primarily drawn national tenants, including Whole Foods Market, clothiers Coldwater Creek and Jos. A. Bank, and Books-A-Million.

"We are trying to limit our overlap, to have each of our projects have its own niche," McCorkle said.

Over the years, rumors have floated around town that the Venetian Village might be knocked down or sold.

The investment in the renovation should put those questions to rest, McCorkle said.

"Rumors are just that rumors," he said. "We wouldn't spend the money we are if we planned to sell it."

Ryan Chiodo

www.chiodoproperties.com

I just thought I would share this article, which was published in the Naples Daily News. :

In a brutal market slump, Ginn Cos. is struggling to pay off the debt it owes on four high-end resort communities, including Quail West in North Naples.

Ginn-LA, an affiliate of the highly successful development company founded by Bobby Ginn in Celebration in Central Florida, failed to make interest and principal payments last month on $675 million in bank debt.

As a result, Standard & Poor's recently lowered its credit ratings on Ginn-LA, and its ratings on the loans.

Ginn is actively negotiating with its lenders, who have agreed to delay their right to foreclose on the loans for 30 days.

"This is not a default yet," emphasized Ryan Julison, a Ginn spokesman.

The debt_ led by Credit Suisse_ backs the development of another Florida community, the Tesoro in Port St. Lucie, and projects in North Carolina and the Grand Bahamas.

"Due to the unpredictable near collapse in the real estate market, it became clear that it would not be possible to meet the homesite sales objectives necessary to make the loan payments. We have worked for months to restructure this loan," said Rob Gidel, president of Ginn Resorts, in an e-mail.

Within the 30 days given by its lenders, the company expects to reach an agreement on a restructuring of the debt that "will permit each of the communities to be completed as planned," he said.

"Even though sales throughout our industry have been lagging, almost all development work has been completed at Quail West," Gidel said.

Ginn Co. purchased Quail West in April 2005 for $63.5 million from the original developer, based in England, and since then has invested millions in the community. Early on, improvements included a $3.5 million overhaul of the sales center, new landscaping and purchasing land for a beach club.

To date, Ginn has sold 66 lots for $72 million in the community, Julison said.

News of the missed payment comes as Ginn faces other woes, including several lawsuits brought by disgruntled investors.

In a federal lawsuit, nearly 100 Michigan investors have accused Ginn and his company of tricking them into buying overpriced home sites in a number of developments (not including Quail West).

Ginn has strongly denied the allegations.

Naples broker Ross McIntosh said he's not surprised to see Ginn Cos. struggling financially.

Bobby Ginn, he said, is known for making his developments "more flamboyant and over the top."

Whatever luxury amenity comes along, he wants to do one better_ and that costs a lot of money, McIntosh said.

"He made bigger promises. Bigger promises are more expensive to deliver on," he said.

Joe Ballarino, president and CEO of Amerivest Realty Inc. in Naples, said Quail West has only had one or two sales a month for the past two to three years.

"They are an inland community. So they probably experienced more of a slowdown than other communities," he said.

Quail West_ on the edge of Bonita Springs, just east of Interstate 75_ spans 1,180 acres on the Lee-Collier county line. At build-out, it will have fewer than 650 single-family estate homes surrounded by its fairways, lakes and preserves. There is still a long way to go, as sales have lagged.

Collier County records show that the Ginn-LA Quail West affiliate stills owns more than 300 lots in the community.

The Naples area Multiple Listing Service shows 79 homes and lots for sale in Quail West. Asking prices for homes go as high as $9.95 million for a six-bedroom, eight-bathroom, 11,933-square-foot home built in 2000.

Most of the purchasers in the community have been second-home buyers or investors.

More than a few investors hoped to buy property and flip it, but are now stuck with it because of the market turn.

Some sellers have been forced to drastically reduce their asking prices because of the real estate slump. At least a few of those sellers are trying to avoid foreclosure.

On the MLS, one vacant lot_ about two-thirds of an acre_ is selling as a possible "short sale" for the "once-in-a-lifetime price" of $289,000. Short sales are sales made for less than the bank is owed to avoid foreclosure.

In December 2005, Ginn unveiled its new vision for Quail West and hosted a by-invitation-only event that drew nearly 1,000 interested buyers to town, who filled up 850 hotel rooms in Lee and Collier counties.

The weekend event included helicopter tours over Quail West, a mini-carnival for kids, and a feast under a sprawling tent.

Company officials hoped to generate $200 million in sales by selling 266 lots. They ended up selling 40 lots for $36 million.

"We sold a lot more than that. But a lot of them kicked -- a lot of them backed out," Ginn spokesman Julison said.

Some have questioned what will happen if Ginn is unable to restructure its debt, and whether its Ginn-LA affiliate will have to file for bankruptcy. Asked those questions, Julison said, "We don't speculate on the what ifs. We will provide information as soon as we know it."

Lubert-Adler, a Philadelphia-based private-equity firm, has an 80 percent interest in Ginn-LA. A representative for that company couldn't be reached for comment.

Recently, Lubert-Adler invested another $5 million in Ginn Cos., but it's not meant to cover the missed loan payment, said "Toby" Tobin, a Realtor on the Palm Coast of Florida. He closely follows the Ginn Cos. and publishes information as he gets it on his Web site, GoToby.com LLC.

"I think that any property owner in any of the Ginn communities would have some concerns now. Obviously, Ginn has cash flow problems, as all developers do," he said.

Ryan Chiodo

ChiodoProperties.com