Rural Neighborhoods is the newly, selected Developer (over a strong, competitive field of experienced firms) to design and construct 350 units in the redevelopment of the Golden Gate Golf Course located on the southern edge of Collier County. Land use and zoning changes are underway for the phased, build-out of 100 senior and special needs apartments and 250+ rental apartments for local essential workers. The $75M rental community is expected to begin construction in 2022 and be completed within 36 months. “It is an exciting expansion of our mission moving us toward the urban edge in a place where we served the more rural environs for 18 years,” remarked Steven Kirk, President, on news of RN’s selection. “It greatly expands our work with seniors and essential personnel ranging from teachers to health care workers and police.”
Proposed Site Plan for GGGC Units
Local government is expected to donate 25 acres of land valued at $7M. Even more important is a new innovative financial model in which key foundations contribute $10M in equity to the planned rental community led by the Richard Schulz Family Foundation, Community Foundation of Collier County and Moorings Park Foundation. Neighborhood Revitalization Manager Dottie Cook said, “It is unprecedented to see this much philanthropic support, support that leveraged local government to offer land and will leverage even greater support from others in the future.”
The Florida Keys Community Land Trust, a land trust founded on Big Pine Key in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, became a corporate affiliate of Rural Neighborhoods in recent weeks bringing 4 nationally-recognized cottages to our growing portfolio of 1,796 unit rentals. But it means much more than numbers! This partnership merges FKCLT Founder Maggie Whitcomb’s unprecedented leadership, advocacy and post-storm success to RN’s accomplishments – much of which arose out of the Hurricane Andrew disaster in 1992. Together, our groups hope to spur an affordable housing movement throughout Monroe County. Steven Kirk, President of RN, celebrated the collaboration: “Our approach is finding local partners who truly understand the need in their communities, support their strengths and together, achieve a scale offering greater impact than can be achieved alone. The land trust offers us a proven track record, land banked to build on, and a new tool for our toolbox so we can better achieve affordability.”
Earlier in the year, members of Rural Neighborhood’s sewing group happily agreed to help their community when asked to sew face masks for farmworkers and their families in Immokalee. The group, which started approximately four years ago, meets weekly to learn sewing. Lusvi Perez is the volunteer instructor and enjoys helping members learn a skill they can use to supplement their family’s income.
RN is helping its residents in other ways. Its Homestead campus periodically serves as a COVID test site for residents and surrounding neighbors. RN also received a $60,000 grant from Collier County under the CARES Act. The funds will be used to create PPE kits for residents and purchase sanitization equipment for RN’s Immokalee properties to sanitize common areas as well as apartments at turnover.
Rural Neighborhoods was one of 11 community organizations to receive a grant from Trinity by-the-Cove Episcopal Church in February. RN will use the generous donation to further its $2.5 million renovation at its Timber Ridge at Sanders Pines apartment complex in Immokalee. Specifically, the funds will cover improvements to the newly created community garden and will help finish a sports court for children. Thank you Trinity by-the-Cove Episcopal Church!
NeighborWorks America’s Strategic Investment Fund helped support geographic expansion of Rural Neighborhood’s shared-housing model and that seed money is reaping dividends! Casa Amigos – a 96-bed, 28-unit rental community at Esperanza Place in Immokalee recently received a $5.15M commitment from Florida Housing Finance Corporation toward 2020 construction.