Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 4041 this week, creating the independent Corkscrew Grove District, paving the way for two new Collier County villages with 9,000 homes.
The bill, signed June 23, creates an independent special district responsible for the construction, operations and maintenance of community infrastructure in eastern Collier County, where Corkscrew Grove Villages — Corkscrew Grove East and Corkscrew Grove West — could begin construction in 2028 or 2029, pending public hearings and approval by the county Planning Commission, Board of County Commissioners, South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corps of Engineers.
It’s the same process Ave Maria went through before construction began in 2005.
In a statement this week, Fort Myers-based Alico Inc. President and CEO John Kiernan said they were grateful for the support of DeSantis, the state Legislature and state Rep. Lauren Melo, R-Naples, who sponsored the bill.
“Their approval of the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District is not only a key milestone in implementing Alico’s strategic transformation, which thoughtfully converts select properties to well-planned communities, but also in executing Collier County’s Rural Lands Stewardship Area plan,” Kiernan added.
In March, Alico Inc. announced it would be creating the district, spanning about 4,600 acres at the northwest corner of Collier County on the border of Lee and Hendry counties. It plans to build two 1,500-acre villages — about 4,500 homes per village — surrounded by more than 6,000 acres of permanent conservation area.
The RLSA was approved by county commissioners in 2002 and spans about 185,000 acres in eastern Collier. The intent was to create a land-use plan to protect agricultural areas, natural habitats, wetlands and flow-ways, while directing growth away from those areas. The RLSA plan provides an incentive-based approach to planning and implementing long-term growth in rural regions.
Alico Inc. intends to build about 280,000 square feet of commercial space per village, a mix of retail, dining, office, medical and light-industrial opportunities. Roughly 70,000 square feet per village will be devoted to civic uses, such as schools, churches, county services, fire and emergency medical services facilities, and there will be many amenities, including a village green, trails, lakes and preserves.
HB 4041, which became law this week, allows ad valorem taxes to be levied after a majority vote by a five-member district Board of Supervisors. It will collaborate and communicate with local, state and federal agencies and community stakeholders — including partnering with the Immokalee Water and Sewer District on the planning, design, construction and delivery of potable water and sewers.
The district will help Alico to effectively finance infrastructure, help restore and manage natural areas and oversee administration of the master planned communities and lands.
Among its provisions, the act provides for elections, membership, terms, meetings and duties of board members and transition of the board from landowner control to the district’s resident electors. It also provides for a district manager and employees, a treasurer, budget and financial reports, and required notices to homeowners.
