Bridge project revives vision for Bayshore arts center

The ribbon cutting for a new bridge between Bayshore Drive and Avalon Park on Feb. 15 could serve as a symbolic groundbreaking for the neighborhood if long-discussed dreams of a “theater in the garden” concept move forward. 

The footbridge and boardwalk from Bayshore Drive mark a major milestone for residents seeking easier access to Sugden Park, which is separated from Bayshore by a small lake. Neighbors have pushed for a decade or more for the bridge and walkway to link them more directly with park amenities and nearby retail and dining areas at U.S. 41 and Lakewood Drive. 

Performing arts dreams 

One organization in particular has been waiting for this moment. Theater in the Garden views the 17 acres surrounding the new walkway as an ideal site for its proposed performing arts center. Working with Opera Naples and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, the group last week released plans for a multiphase project featuring either an amphitheater with a performing arts center or an amphitheater that could evolve into one. 

The yet-unnamed center would seat about 700 and would be designed so its entrance connects seamlessly with the county’s boardwalk. Plans also call for a museum-style exhibit showcasing memorabilia from the famed tenor, with the possibility of a dedicated exhibition building. Although Pavarotti never performed in Naples, he regarded Florida as the state that welcomed him to the U.S., and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation holds its annual competition here with Opera Naples. The 2026 finals are scheduled for March 15 in Baker Park. 

Architect Tim Ronalds, known for his efficient and cost-conscious design of the Grange Park Opera House in Great Britain, produced the conceptual drawings. Livio Ferrari, spokesman for Theater in the Garden, said costs have increased since the group first envisioned a $22 million structure. 

“We’re looking at a facility that could cost $30–35 million now,” he said. 

The building would occupy one of two parcels flanking the boardwalk. Parking arrangements remain unresolved, but Ferrari said the group hopes to negotiate for needed space. 

A PAC déjà vu 

The 17-acre site was once considered for a similar cultural project. CAPA, a group promoting a cultural and performing arts center, previously proposed building one there. But its developer lost funding for the mixed-use plan, which included retail and housing, and the effort stalled as the county sought to recoup more than $5 million paid for the land during the 2006 construction boom. 

The property’s value has not returned to that level. The Collier County Appraiser’s Office set its 2024 market value at $3.11 million. 

Emphasis on transparency 

Nothing will proceed immediately. John Dunnuck, executive director of Facilities and Community Redevelopment Areas for the Bayshore CRA, said he does not want to advance proposals for the surrounding parcels until the boardwalk and footbridge officially open. 

After that, he told The Naples Press, the CRA will move carefully. 

“There are parcels on both the south side and the north side alongside as part of that 17 acres that we’ve cleaned out, and our intention is to do what we call an invitation to negotiate, to put it out on the street, to get the best product that fits within the redevelopment plan of the CRA in terms of compatibility,” Dunnuck said. 

That plan, he said, “has a lot of flexibility to it. It can be workforce housing, it can be mixed-use development. It can be something … like the Pavarotti museum, and the opera house. Those kinds of concepts are all fantastic.” 

He projects advertising the land for proposed uses in the first quarter of next year, with an emphasis on ensuring all potential interests are aware. 

“We’re required to advertise for 45 days, and one of the things we’re probably going to do is leave it open longer,” he said. 

Dunnuck said a land-use agreement could take many forms. 

“It could be a sale. It could be anywhere from a commitment that [requires] deposits are done, where there’s fundraising done for the project that whoever’s looking to do it does,” he said. “There’s lots of different ways of dealing with it. But I want to make sure there’s competition in all of that.” 

A longer version of this story appears in the Dec. 12 Naples Press.