New bridge brings linear park at Naples Reserve closer to completion
Life at Naples Reserve, iStar’s 688-acre community of Southern Coastal-inspired attached villa, single-family and custom estate homes, is all about connecting with the environment. And now residents will find it even easier to make that connection with the completion of an important section of the community’s 2-mile linear park.
A new bridge now takes the loop trail across the point where Naples Reserve’s centerpiece 125-acre Eagle Lake meets the water leading to a 1-mile-long rowing lane located along a stretch of the Picayune Strand State Forest. The fourth-largest state forest in Florida, the 78,000-acre Picayune Strand includes protected pinelands, cypress swamps and marshes, and is home to a variety of wildlife, including many threatened and endangered species.
"With the opening of the bridge, Naples Reserve residents can now take full advantage of the linear park to explore their community and enjoy the natural surroundings,” said Don Mears, vice president of land and development with iStar. “Plus, the bridge offers a prime vantage point for taking in the community’s scenic beauty.”
Ideal for hiking, biking and jogging, the loop road that circles Naples Reserve provides an alternative mode of transportation throughout the growing community, which is nearing the halfway mark in terms of sales in the first phase. The linear park includes a fitness course. Stops along the course are accented with different plantings for variety, part of the community’s overall landscaping plan that uses native, drought-resistant, low-maintenance plants in layered combinations of color and texture for a natural, tropical look.
"Naples Reserve doesn’t have the traditionally manicured landscape that residents of Southwest Florida’s gated communities are accustomed to,” said Mears. “Here, the landscaping evokes a sense of discovery and plays a critical part in establishing the sense of place that makes the community so unique."
The new bridge is near the community boat ramp and marks an important milestone in the completion of the linear park. When finished, the 2-mile loop can be used by residents to access many of the community’s other outdoor amenities, including the lakefront Match Point tennis and pickleball complex and the Walk & Wag dog park.
Created among 22 lakes, Naples Reserve is focused on life along the water. Its $7 million Island Club, located on the shores of Eagle Lake, includes a 5,160-square-foot clubhouse and adjacent 3,500-square-foot fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment and a movement studio for spinning, Zumba and yoga classes. Residents can relax at the resort-style, zero-entry pool, grab a drink at the Chat n Chill tiki bar or gather around the lakeside fire pit.
The Outrigger Center offers access to canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and recently added Hydrobikes. Cruises on the community’s two electric boats depart daily from the center’s floating docks and travel to Kontiki Island.
With more than 300 homes spoken for within six of its neighborhoods, Naples Reserve offers a selection of residences ranging from 1,519 to more than 3,500 square feet of living space, including move-in ready homes with limited-time builder incentives.
The community offers 15 fully decorated models available for viewing, built by Southwest Florida’s premier homebuilders, including Ashton Woods, D.R. Horton, Florida Lifestyle Homes, KTS Homes, Lundstrom Development, Marvin Development, McGarvey Custom Homes and Stock Signature Homes. Homes are priced from the high-$200,000s to more than $1 million.
Naples Reserve is off U.S. 41, 2 miles southeast of the Collier Boulevard intersection. The community is at 14885 Naples Reserve Circle. Online at www.naplesreserve.com.