New restaurant, condos approved for Fifth Avenue in Naples

A three-story, mixed-use building with a new restaurant and condominiums received its final approval to redevelop a one-story retail space on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples. 

The Naples Design Review Board voted unanimously Oct. 22 to approve Avenue 31 at 472 Fifth Ave. S., planned to be built between the Del Mar and Osteria Tulia restaurants on the south side of the upscale avenue. 

The real estate is owned by Stefano Frittella, a prolific restaurateur who also owns Bice, Caffe Milano, La Trattoria and Vergina restaurants on Fifth Avenue South. Naples-based MHK Architecture designed the new building, which will replace the building that has been home to La Pescheria, an Italian seafood restaurant since December 2018, as well as two retail units.  

“I’m going to open a super high-end restaurant like I have in Monaco — Avenue 31,” Frittella said. “We’ll do three spectacular apartments on top.”  

The new Casa Avenue 31 will have indoor and outdoor space on the ground floor. Two luxury condominiums will occupy the second floor with a penthouse residence on the third floor of the new building.  

It took Frittella years to get approval to redevelop the one-story building. He expects to obtain building permits in January or February, allowing the three existing tenants there to stay until the end of May and then start demolition and construction next summer. “I’m hoping to start in June or July. A maximum of 18 to 20 months, it should be ready.” Frittella said. 

Plans to redevelop the site with rental units initially started in 2021, said Mark McLean of MHK Architecture. 

“We went through preliminary DRB, a nine-month site plan process, then PAB and Council said we couldn’t do a transient unit building, transient lodging on this site, so we started over,” McLean told the DRB during his presentation to the board. “Now we are at the end of the fourth year to try to get this project approved, and we do have site plan approval, PAB approval, CRA approval for the parking. We have outdoor dining approval and we have City Council approval, so you guys are the final steps and we’re just really happy to be here to get this thing going.” 

The 4,507-square-foot condo on the third floor will include four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two powder rooms, two dens, eight walk-in closets and an abundance of additional storage space. The two condos on the second floor each have two bedrooms, two full baths, a power room and four walk-in closets, architectural plans show. 

Both floors of condos have outdoor living spaces with balconies at the both ends of the units. The second floor condos are split so that one overlooks Fifth Avenue, while the other one overlooks a small lake behind the property. Parking spaces, two for each condo unit, are planned at the rear of the property.  

“So, there are six on-site parking spaces for the condominium owners and then one space that is the handicapped space for the restaurant itself,” McLean said. “The remaining parking was bought out of the parking garage, so we made a contribution to the parking garage and bought the parking that does have Council approval on that.” 

Avenue 31, a restaurant that will blend Mediterranean flavors with international flair, is named for the address of Frittella’s luxurious Monte Carlo restaurant at 31 Avenue Princess Grace near the Monaco Grand Prix racing circuit. Avenue 31 will be the third restaurant in downtown Naples that has a sister restaurant owned by Frittella in Monaco. Caffe Milano is on the corner of Fifth and Eighth Street South, while La Salière is set to open soon in the former space of The Bevy on 12th Avenue South. 

McLean said the Casa Avenue 31 in Naples is a play off of Frittella’s restaurant in Monaco, between France and the Mediterranean Sea. “We’re trying to bring that level of sophistication to this space here in Naples,” he said. 

The restaurant will include 70 seats in an indoor dining area, 10 seats at a full bar and 66 seats in a more than 1,600-square-foot covered open area. The restaurant’s outdoor dining will abut Fifth Avenue along the front of the building.  

“A key consideration of this outdoor dining is that it’s under the building and it’s 100% on private property. We’re not going out on the street. We’re not going out on the sidewalk. This outdoor dining is carved into the building,” McLean said. 

The outdoor dining space will feature lighted trees, a mosaic tiled wall, rustic beams, ceiling fans, overhead heaters, cushioned seating and perimeter planters. 

“I love the outdoor dining space underneath. I love the look and feel of it. I love the tile on the walls and the wood accents and the lighting, the trees — all that has a great feel to it,” said DRB member Doug Haughey. “It brings character to Fifth Avenue that is definitely warranted and desirable. I appreciate the look and feel of all that, for sure.”  

Casa Avenue 31 will continue a longtime local restaurant tradition at that location. La Pescheria replaced La Bazenne on Fifth in a restaurant space that formerly had been La Villa on 5th, Island Pizza & Dogs and Uncle Louie G's Italian Ices & Ice Cream. After La Bazenne French restaurant closed in 2017, Frittella had plans to open La Trattoria there, but La Trattoria ended up replacing Kitchen about four blocks east on Fifth Avenue instead.