Q: What is going in next to Carlisle retirement community where they are clearing the large parcel? – Kathy Pope, Naples 

A: Land is being cleared by Naples-based developer Stock Development for The Henley apartments adjacent to The Carlisle Naples senior community on the western side of Airport-Pulling Road south of Orange Blossom Drive in North Naples. 

“We’ll probably start vertical construction in the fourth quarter by the end of the year. We’ll be complete maybe the summer of 2027 — an 18-month build time,” said Keith Gelder, president of Stock Luxury Apartment Living. 

The property was introduced two years ago as The Haven apartments, but Stock purchased the property from South Carolina-based Johnson Development Associates, which originally had planned to develop the multifamily housing project there. 

“They didn’t proceed and we picked it up,” Gelder said. 

The income-restricted workforce housing components that were approved for The Haven will remain for The Henley. “It’s the same zoning approvals,” Gelder said. 

Of 336 total apartments in two four-story buildings at The Henley, 38 units will be leased at 100% of the area medium income and another 38 units will be at 80% AMI, Gelder said. 

The Henley will have many hotel-inspired amenities, Gelder said, including a four-story clubhouse with a fitness center, men’s and women’s saunas, a coffee bar and a private clubroom with a bar. An expansive resort-style pool deck will include private cabanas and grill stations. 

“It will be a beautiful project. It will be very similar to the finishes and quality of Magnolia Square,” he said. 

Stock’s other luxury apartments in the Naples area include Allura off Livingston Road in North Naples and Inspira at Lely Resort in East Naples. 

Auto focused 

Near The Henley, Naples Auto Vault luxury vehicle and storage condominiums are proposed at 6985 Airport-Pulling Road N., between The Carlisle Naples senior community and the Naples Italian American Foundation on the southwest corner of Airport and Orange Blossom Drive in North Naples. The project is being built by Lutgert Construction from a design by David Corban Architects.   

When the project was initially submitted years ago, it was proposed as a 75,000-square-foot Lutgert Medical Center. But plans changed following Hurricane Ian when local residents sought more storage space to protect vehicles from future storm surge.  

Plans for Naples Auto Vault show an initial phase of 24 units in two buildings with two future phases. The majority of the “Elite” units are nearly 75 by 25.5 feet with 16-by-14-foot garage doors. Seven smaller “Classic” units are available at more than 53 by 20.6 feet with 14-by-12-foot garage doors.  

All of the units will be air conditioned and feature a mezzanine, a private full bath and a storage room. The larger units also have exterior balconies, and some have private patios. Owners will have 24/7 access to their units, and the complex features 8-foot privacy walls, electronically controlled gated entrances and surveillance cameras. 

Fees are $3,135 per quarter and $12,541 per year. Sales are pending on 15 of the initial units, its website shows, noting that “demand has been strong from the outset.” Delivery is anticipated in 2026. 

Customization and personalization of interior units are encouraged. 

“At Naples Auto Vault, your space is more than just storage; it’s a canvas for your imagination,” the website says. “Designed to reflect your passions, it’s an opportunity to create a personalized retreat that goes beyond safeguarding your vehicles. Whether you envision a sleek media lounge for cinematic experiences, a high-tech gaming sanctuary for immersive play, a sophisticated gathering space for entertaining or a private workspace that blends productivity with inspiration, the possibilities are limitless.”  

McDevelopment 

Q: I noticed construction fencing up near the Wawa on Radio at Livingston Road, so it looks like they might be getting ready to prepare the lot next door for some sort of commercial building. Any idea what it is? — Dave Elliott, Naples 

A: McDonald’s plans to build a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru on the vacant commercial lots immediately behind the Wawa on the northwest corner of Radio and Livingston roads in East Naples. 

Development plans filed with Collier County show that the company proposes to build a 3,859-square-foot fast-food restaurant with two drive-thru lanes for placing orders on two parcels totaling 2.15 acres. The project is still in county permitting. 

This location will be nearly 20% smaller than the 4,480-square-foot restaurant McDonald’s USA opened in April 2024 at Winchester Center near Orangetree in Golden Gate Estates. While the Immokalee Road restaurant has 61 dine-in seats, the new East Naples restaurant will have only 32 seats inside, plans show. 

McDonald’s has been experimenting with various restaurant designs and concepts nationwide to better serve more orders originating in the drive-thru, online or with the company’s digital app and delivery services. Some new smaller stores have replaced dine-in space with ordering kiosks, pickup queues and McDelivery lockers. McDonald’s recently abandoned plans for its CosMc’s specialty beverage spinoff that it rolled out in test markets in 2023.  

Plans show the new Collier store will be McDonald’s “4584 prototype” but construction managers for the Florida region of McDonald’s USA would not share any details about the future store or its target opening date. Some of the company’s newer stores have been opening after less than three months of fast-track construction. 

Before McDonald’s came to the table, Tire Kingdom considered a store at this location in 2020 but abandoned those plans. The adjacent lot, of course, was Wawa’s first location in Collier County for its fanatically popular convenience store and gas station. 

Andrew Saluan, the owner and managing broker of Naples-based AJS Realty Group, who signed McDonald’s to a land lease, said the fast-food giant will nicely complement Wawa, which has been successful at that location on the corner of an industrial park. 

“It’s got that unique mix of industrial, daytime people and all the residential going down Radio Road. There’s a lot of residential there,” Saluan said. 

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim. aten@naplespress.com.