Premier Properties of Cape Coral and Majocka Enterprises plan to breath new life into the defunct Calusa Ridge community project in Bokeelia.
Recently the group acquired controlling interest of the property, located next to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church on Stringfellow Road in Bokeelia.
Back during the building boom, the large tract was prepped for a new high-end housing development, but the project came to a screeching halt when the real estate market began to plummet and has remained untouched for the last several years.
According to Roger Schutt, managing partner of Calusa Ridge with Premier Properties, all of that is about to change.
“We are excited about Calusa Ridge’s natural setting and nature preserve areas,” he said. “The development has one-acre home sites nestled among the pines and a six-acre lake. We also will be installing underground utilities to maintain the natural feel of the area.”
According to Schutt, home sites are available from $39,000-$59,000 and include the underground installation of waterlines, electric, phone, cable and irrigation.
The Calusa Ridge property is subdivided into 45 lots that were originally planned for development in 2006. With the exception of a model home, no houses were built on the property and, with the decline in housing prices, Premier Properties is set to offer buyers a new home for a fraction of the original price.
According to Schutt, his company purchased the Bokeelia property for $475,000, a small sum when compared to the $4 million that was paid in 2005 by the previous owner.
“We will be able to provide a home for a cost equal to what some of those homesites were being sold for in 2006,” he said. “A potential homeowner can now purchase a lot for $39,000, and the homes we have designed specifically for this property start as low as $179,900.”
The construction of a new model offered by Premier Properties is scheduled to be constructed later this month. The new designs called “island-style” homes were developed with Pine Island’s laid-back lifestyle in mind, according to project manager John Majocka.
“We are very excited about becoming part of the Pine Island community and we will do our part to keep the area looking nice to be good neighbors,” he said. “Our floor plans for homes are very flexible and fit well into the island surroundings. We also will be leaving as many trees as possible as we view this property and the lake as a nature preserve and intend to keep it that way. Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the preserve.”
The preferred builder for the project is Southwest Florida Homes, which offers both Old Florida and island-style homes ranging from 1,800 square feet to 2,600 square feet with prices ranging from $199,900-$299,900. The home designs call for metal roofs and front porches, and many of the materials used in the construction are recycled.
The starter home design for the Calusa Ridge gated community is the Boca Grande. This three-bedroom, two-bath home has 2,233 square feet of living space with a total area of 3,200 square feet, including a two-car to three-car garage and spacious lanai.
The floor designs can also be altered to fit the owner’s needs, but those who prefer to use another builder must have designs approved by the architectural committee prior to construction.
Each lot will be sodded and landscaped to meet Cape Coral landscape codes. Many of the available lots surround a large lake located in the middle of the property, while others are nestled into small cul-de-sacs.
There is no time restriction as to when a person purchases a lot and must build on it.
“Many of our buyers are several years away from retiring and are purchasing lots now while the prices are reasonable,” Majocka said. “We have no intention of pressuring anyone to develop a lot, and even if they don’t plan to build for another 10 years, it’s not a problem.”
According to Schutt, Southwest Florida Homes has been in business locally since 1976 and have built more than 1,200 homes in Lee County, including Pine Island.
For more information, call the Calusa Ridge sales office at 887-1200 Friday-Sunday, from noon-5 p.m., or visit online at: calusaridge.com.