After years of legal and permitting battles, the massive Kingston project in eastern Lee County is moving forward with federal approval in hand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the final wetlands permit in April, clearing the way for construction on the controversial 6,676-acre development near the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and CREW lands, which serve as key habitat for the endangered Florida panther.
“We’re really excited to be moving forward. We’re already underway with construction on the project, and we’ve got a tremendous amount of sitework activity already occurring," said Nick Cameratta, developer with Cameratta Companies.
Kingston is expected to bring up to 10,000 homes, 700,000 square feet of commercial space, a hotel, and a K-8 school to eastern Lee County, adjacent to the Collier County line. Full buildout could take 25 to 30 years, developers said.
"This is a win for all of Lee County," Cameratta said.
Since 2021, the project has drawn fierce opposition from residents and environmental advocates, who warn it could accelerate habitat loss and harm water quality in a region already under pressure from growth.
“I felt sort of throat-chopped, like a lot of people did in the public. We’re talking about the panther no longer having a home in Lee County,” said Marsha Ellis, who lives along Corkscrew Road.
Environmental groups sued to force the federal government, not Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, to take control of the Clean Water Act permitting. A 2024 court ruling agreed, sending Kingston’s permit back to the U.S. Army Corps for review under the Endangered Species Act.
"The approval of the Kingston development permit is deeply concerning for our community, wildlife, and the Greater Western Everglades ecosystem. This decision comes despite significant deficiencies in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological opinion on this project. The biological opinion, completed under the Endangered Species Act, is meant to safeguard imperiled species. However, the Kingston biological opinion contains serious flaws that would set a troubling precedent for Southwest Florida wildlife, one of the very reasons people choose to live and visit here," said Rob Moher, the president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
The project sits on more than 3,300 acres of panther habitat. Vehicle collisions are already the leading cause of death for Florida panthers, with only an estimated 120–230 remaining in the wild, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission.
Cameratta said the company is investing millions in mitigation efforts and prioritizing wildlife and conservation.
“We’re spending $11 million on panther mitigation. We’re also putting up $20 million for road improvements and wildlife crossings. In addition to that, we are setting aside 50% of the property—it will be completely restored with millions of trees and plants and create wildlife habitat all throughout," Cameratta said.
According to the developers, construction of model homes will begin in spring 2026, with potential move-ins starting in early 2027. Construction is already underway.
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