New affordable housing is coming to Collier County as crews broke ground Tuesday to transform the old Quality Inn & Suites Golf Resort along Golden Gate Parkway into 200-plus studio apartments.
The community, called The Teale Golden Gate, aims to help service workers, healthcare employees, or anyone struggling to find housing in the Greater Naples area.
Instead of building from the ground up, developers are repurposing the existing hotel structure to create workforce housing.
Of the 215 units, about 50 will be reserved for people earning 80% to 100% of the area’s median income. Rent prices will follow The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development workforce housing rules.
With one-bedroom apartments in Collier County averaging $2,000 per month, The Teale Golden Gate will offer units starting at $1,349 to $1,399.
“Our goal is to have enough of a differential in that price point between the average studio and bedroom so that people have some more cash in their pocket. And we have an opportunity for savings,” said Julie Tuttle, a partner at Styx Companies.
Unlike many affordable housing developments located farther inland in Immokalee, this project offers a more central location in Golden Gate, with easy access to I-75 for commuters.
Collier County Commissioner Daniel Kowal hopes the project will serve as a stepping stone for residents.
"It's been our marching orders to create more affordable workforce housing in Collier County because of the struggle it is to keep good, retain good employees and keep people within the county that work in the county."
The development will include a clubhouse, business center, on-site laundry, dog grooming stations, and a yoga studio.
Some units are expected to be ready for move-in by summer.