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In the Know: What’s going on with open lot on U.S. 41?
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Q: What’s going on with the lot on U.S. 41 just north of Park Shore Drive? It’s been cleared out for a while, but the only thing changing is the billboard advertising.
— Jeanne Obermeyer, Naples
A: As you may know, development of that 3.86-acre lot at 4067 Ninth St. N. was tied up for years after Naples city officials said the vacant commercial property was covered by endangered vegetation known as coastal scrub, or sand pine scrub.
The environmental concerns were mitigated a few years ago when the owners of the land, the North Trail Land Trust investment group, agreed to pay the city thousands of dollars an acre. The city used this money to help create and protect the Naples Preserve at U.S. 41 and Fleischmann Boulevard.
Naples attorney George Langford, who serves as trustee for the investment group, said he is contacted constantly by prospective buyers of the lot adjacent to the Inn of Naples. The investors are able to sell it now, but choose to sit on it, he said.
“They are holding it for investment purposes,” Langford said.
The land value of the nearly 4 acres is more than $5 million, according to the Collier County Property Appraiser’s office.
“It’s worth a heckuva lot more than that,” Langford said, although he would not say how much more.
Langford said the investors purchased the land in 1970 and receive regular revenue from the billboard on the lot.
Q: There used to be an Olan Mills photography studio in the Kmart in Golden Gate. An Olan Mills employee told me that it was going to reopen but the location hadn’t been determined. I also heard a rumor (from a Kmart employee) that Olan Mills is going to open a location at the Coastland Center mall. Can you find out where Olan Mills is moving? Or if they are gone for good?
— Leigh Tahirovic, East Naples
A: It appears the Olan Mills portrait studio in Collier County is gone for good, at least for now.
Because the Golden Gate location didn’t have enough business, the Olan Mills franchise was relocated to a new Fort Myers studio, which opened Monday and has its grand opening set for Sunday in the Kmart store at 15271 McGregor Blvd., said Shanna Moody, an Olan Mills trainer in South Florida.
Restaurant update
Two East Naples restaurants recently relocated.
The former owners of Au Paradis, the French Floridian cuisine restaurant that was located on U.S. 41 East, opened a new cafe and tea room called Bistro Paradis at 5411 Airport-Pulling Road N., the previous North Naples location of the Bear E Patch Cafe and Victoria’s Secret Rose Coffee and Tea Room in the Bed Bath & Beyond Plaza. The new menu is French and English, or “Franglaise,” owner Maria Grand-Clement said.
Also, Amador's Bistro Italiano, previously located on Bayshore Drive, has re-opened as Amador's Italian Restaurant, 3310 U.S. 41 E., the former location of Donna's Silver Dollar, Donna's Sports Pub, Trattoria Dino and Roberto's Italian Grill in the Courthouse Shadows shopping center.
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Tim Aten is chief online editor of the Daily News. E-mail questions with your name and city of residence to intheknow@naplesnews.com.
Find a complete archive of “In the Know” at naplesnews.com/intheknow/
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The land value of the nearly 4 acres is more than $5 million, according to the Collier County Property Appraiser’s office.
“It’s worth a heckuva lot more than that,” Langford said, although he would not say how much more.
County Property Appraiser must love hearing people say this. Makes it so much easier to re-assess the property for its appropriate taxable value.
#1 Posted by naplesregular on June 4, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My thoughts exactly naplesreg. I hope Abe can revisit the lot soon.
#2 Posted by micirisi on June 4, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a great piece of real estate. Likely worth $10-15 Million. If, I had the cash I would buy it now before the tax appraiser wakes up.
#3 Posted by LGoldstein on June 4, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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