Gulfshore Playhouse complex to further Ronto's vision for Naples Square

Submitted by Caffrey & Associates
The 56,000-square-foot theater and education complex planned by Gulfshore Playhouse will serve as an anchor for the Shoppes at Naples Square The Ronto Group is developing on the eastern edge of Naples Square.

With Gulfshore Playhouse poised to close on its purchase of a three-acre tract within Naples Square at the corner of Fifth Avenue South and Goodlette-Frank Road in downtown Naples in mid-August, The Ronto Group’s vision of a community that not only enriches the entire Downtown District, but also provides its residents with a truly walkable lifestyle, has taken on an added dimension.

As planned, Gulfshore Playhouse will build a multimillion-dollar 56,000-square-foot complex that will include two theaters and an education wing to support programming for children, adults and families. The complex will be at Goodlette-Frank Road and First Avenue South on the northern end of Ronto’s 300-unit Naples Square condominium development. Two of the development’s four residential buildings have been completed and are occupied. Construction of the third building is expected to start in fourth quarter of this year.

The presence of the Gulfshore Playhouse complex will put a regional theater at the doorsteps of Naples Squares’ residents and be easily accessible to residents of downtown Naples and beyond. The complex will serve as an ideal anchor for the recently announced Shoppes at Naples Square, a combination of retail and restaurant space that Ronto is developing on the eastern edge of Naples Square.

With zoning of up to 150,000 square feet of commercial space already approved, Ronto envisions The Shoppes at Naples Square as a project that will compliment and complete Naples Square’s walkable lifestyle. The Shoppes are expected to provide residents with choices of both casual and full service upscale dining, all with outdoor seating, literally within steps of their residences. Plans for the Shoppes at Naples Square are being developed and Ronto anticipates retail openings in 2019. 

The combination of the Shoppes at Naples Square and the Gulfshore Playhouse complex will have a positive impact on the overall vibrancy of the downtown district. For the residents of Naples Square, the impact will be even more significant. With the introduction of the Shoppes and the theater and education complex, the entire Naples Square project will become a self-sufficient neighborhood within downtown that offers residents immediate, walkable accessibility to dining, shopping, convenience retail, and fine arts entertainment. That combination of connection and accessibility is at the heart of Ronto’s vision at Naples Square.

“The addition of Gulfshore Playhouse to the Naples Square development helps in meeting our vision of a vibrant, walkable neighborhood that offers a great place to live, shop, dine and, now, even attend a high-quality theater production,” said Anthony Solomon, executive vice president and owner of The Ronto Group. “This cultural asset will be an outstanding benefit to all of Old Naples and is the perfect anchor to the Shoppes at Naples Square.”

“We’re really excited about being at the gateway to downtown, within walking distance for a lot of people in Old Naples, and being able to help extend Fifth Avenue and to enliven the things that are already there such as Bayfront and Tin City,” said Gulfshore Playhouse founder and producing artistic director Kristen Coury. “We think we’re going to be a great addition to what Naples Square has got going on in terms of shopping and dining. Having a world class professional theater and education complex right there is going to be incredible. We look forward to being part of the community and to creating original theatrical works that ultimately make their way to Broadway.”

In addition to creating a walkable downtown lifestyle, Naples Square’s landscaped streetscapes lined with palm trees and native vegetation, roundabouts, and water features have enhanced the overall look and feel of the downtown district. A dedicated public linear park lines Goodlette-Frank on the extreme eastern edge of the Naples Square site. As planned, the Gulfshore Playhouse complex will be designed as a community landmark with public areas that can be visited without buying tickets to a performance.

The theater and education complex will cost an estimated $45 million, including the land. Patty and Jay Baker have committed to a $10 million matching gift and fundraising is underway. Coury anticipates groundbreaking will be in 12 to 18 months.

The Ronto Group and Gulfshore Playhouse have enjoyed a long and positive relationship. Ronto Founder A. Jack Solomon and his wife Cheryl have been longtime supporters and the company’s TwinEagles development in North Naples will host the Gulfshore Playhouse golf tournament fundraising event for the fifth time on Oct. 23.

To support the effort, Ronto provides use of TwinEagles’ Talon golf course, the same course that will host the 2018 Chubb Classic PGA TOUR Champions Golf Tournament that will be held next Feb.12 through 18, lunch and dinner for the tournament participants and sponsors at TwinEagles’ 47,000-square-foot clubhouse, and merchandise that can be sold to enhance the fundraising effort, all at no cost to Gulfshore Playhouse.

“Cheryl and Jack have been supporters in every way,” said Coury. “They come to so many of our events and shows and have really shown up for everything. Four years ago, they offered to totally sponsor our golf tournament. What that means is they actually donated Twin Eagles on a particular day in October for us to have our golf tournament there. The tournament is certainly a key part of our fundraising efforts. It’s our oldest ongoing annual fundraiser. This year will be our 13th annual. It’s really our signature fundraiser and it’s a really big deal for us.”

In addition to Naples Square and TwinEagles, The Ronto Group is developing the Seaglass high-rise tower within Bonita Bay, and Orange Blossom. A new project on Central Avenue in downtown Naples is in development.

The Naples Square Sales Gallery, at 100 Goodlette-Frank Road S., is open daily. Visit NaplesSquare.com.