TPI development plan changes course
An off-island development project has shifted gears with the need for off-island parking as well as “attainable housing” for people who work in the hospitality business.
John Gucciardo, consultant and spokesperson for TPI, spoke at the Affordable Housing Initiatives in Southwest Florida symposium at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers last Wednesday and gave an update on the Beaches Gateway Village project.
Gucciardo said the plan is still a work in progress, but he wanted some help from the outside and wants to call the project “attainable housing” because of the connotations associated with using the word “affordable,” and added he wants to target the service industry workforce.
“The actual number of residential rental units and their configuration and style is still a work in progress,” Gucciardo said. “We have an aspiration of rentals of $700 to $800 a month, but that was based on the original prototype, which is changing.”
Originally, the plan was to have a dormitory-style project, with several lock-out bedroom and bathrooms with a common kitchen and living area. Gucciardo said that feedback from the community they sought in December has led them to believe the community is not ready for that, with expectations for privacy.
However, Gucciardo said this approach is gaining some steam, especially out west.
TPI has shifted gears since the beginning of the year and will allow people with a little more expertise in the area to partner with them so the project can have the best chance to come to fruition.
Gucciardo said the story does not have an ending yet and probably won’t until they find someone who can bring the concept to market and make it work.
During his presentation, Gucciardo said the genesis of this came in 2016 while they were working on the on-island Margaritaville resort after speaking with fellow hotel and resort owners, and everyone who services tourists. A universal theme arose.
“These companies were having trouble hiring and retaining their workers. A part of that was the housing situation,” Gucciardo said. “We determined if we got approvals for the project we wanted, we would be faced with the same problem.”
Margaritaville was passed by the Local Planning Agency and town council last spring, with the condition that TPI find a location for off-island parking. They found 15 acres on San Carlos Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road, with a portion of it to go toward parking.
TPI also found it as an opportunity to address the housing issues and have it conveniently located for service and health care workers and even teachers.