Motorsports club proposed for eastern Collier County 

A pair of Naples entrepreneurs are seeking county approval to transform a longtime automotive testing facility in eastern Collier County into a private motorsports club that would add driving circuits, resort-style amenities and up to 100 residential units while preserving the site’s decades-long automotive use. 

The Hyper Club LLC filed applications with Collier County and Army Corps of Engineers to redevelop the 542-acre Florida Evaluation Center, a secure testing facility near the Alligator Alley leg of Interstate 75 and Desoto Boulevard South that began operation in 1985. The proposal would amend the property’s planned unit development, originally approved for Ford Motor Co.’s Vehicle Evaluation Center, to allow new residential, recreational and club uses and expand the site’s existing performance driving facilities. 

The property at 5301 34th Ave. SE was purchased by Naples Racing Resort LLC in March 2024 for $10 million, Collier County property records show. 

County planning records identify the proposal as the Naples Racing Resort Planned Unit Development Amendment. The county’s Growth Management Community Development portal shows the request seeks approval for up to 100 residential dwelling units, up to 20 transient lodging units, a private membership club, individual vehicle storage units and redesigned track facilities while retaining the existing cell tower and updating the property’s master plan. 

The property was originally developed by Ford Motor Co. and has served as a secure automotive testing facility for manufacturers and racing organizations, including Harley-Davidson, Chrysler and IndyCar teams. 

Founded by Naples businessmen and automotive enthusiasts Bruce Bond and John DeAngelis, Hyper Club is envisioned as a private club where members can drive, store and enjoy their vehicles while offering amenities for families and guests. 

“For more than four decades, this property has played an important role in automotive testing and innovation,” Bond said in a statement. “Our vision is to thoughtfully build upon that legacy by creating a private destination where enthusiasts can enjoy their vehicles in a safe, professionally managed environment while respecting the property’s history, maintaining the natural environment and remaining compatible with the surrounding community.” 

Plans call for two interconnected performance circuits designed by Apex Circuit Design, the firm behind the Miami Formula 1 circuit, and preserve the property’s existing 2.1-mile straightaway. The development also would include vehicle condominiums for storage, a private clubhouse with dining and wellness amenities, pickleball courts, a swimming pool and “limited residential opportunities” available exclusively to club members, including 10 lodging casitas designed to accommodate manufacturer testing activities.

Developers are also proposing a 35,000-square-foot public safety facility on about four acres that could include K-9 training areas, an indoor shooting range and other public safety resources. 

A Hyper Club news release states more than 70% of the property would remain as open space, including wetlands, lakes, native vegetation and natural buffers. The existing perimeter fence would remain in place. 

“Our vision is to create a private club where automotive enthusiasts and their families can gather, learn, relax and build lasting relationships around a shared passion,” said DeAngelis, co-founder of DeAngelis Diamond construction company. “Every aspect of this project has been thoughtfully designed to respect the property’s history and natural surroundings to create something truly unique for Southwest Florida.” 

The proposal has already drawn opposition from environmental advocates. 

The South Florida Wildlands Association recently submitted a petition and comment letter to the Army Corps of Engineers that had gathered nearly 8,900 signatures as of Aug. 4, urging the agency to deny the project’s federal wetlands permit. 

In its letter, the group argues the proposal would affect approximately 142 acres of wetlands and threaten habitat for the endangered Florida panther and other protected species. 

“The permanent loss of more than 142 acres of wetlands within a landscape specifically protected for the recovery of the endangered Florida panther ... far outweighs any private benefits associated with this development,” the letter states. 

The organization also argues the property lies within a network of protected conservation lands surrounding the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. It contends that additional development, traffic, noise, lighting and human activity would degrade wildlife habitat, displace panthers and other species, and undermine decades of public investment in conservation and ecosystem restoration. 

The project must undergo reviews by Collier County, the Army Corps of Engineers and other state and federal agencies before any approvals are granted. The Army Corps is evaluating potential impacts on wetlands and wildlife in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.