Golden Gate workforce housing begins summer construction “It’ll bring in millions”

Construction on a public-private workforce housing complex in Golden Gate may soon begin. Rural Neighborhoods had been managing the two-phase project for a while, but it had just obtained crucial county clearances.

The proposed site, located just off the Golden Gate Parkway, will have nine new apartment structures. The Renaissance Hall project includes 250 units and a clubhouse for working professionals such as teachers, nurses, and police officers, according to a recent article by Mahmoud Bennett of Fox4.

It is one of the county’s only two workforce housing projects at this time, and taxpayers will contribute to its funding. According to the agreement, the county leases the site to the developer, who will rent out the units at a reasonable rate.

According to the developer, the county has already awarded them leases on the site.

“Three key achievements were made in the board of county commissioners meeting, including the execution of leases for the project, an agreement on income sharing between philanthropic entities, the county, and Rural Neighborhoods, and an extension of the financing deadline until May 30th,” Steve Kirk, president of Rural Neighborhoods, said in a statement.

Financially, the initiative is expected to benefit the county in the long term. Kirk told Fox 4 that over a 40-year period, Collier County could generate between $28 and $55 million.

Kirk is bullish about the project’s timing, stating that they plan to break ground as early as July 1st.

According to a 2023 estimate from FGCU Lutgert College, 52,749 people commute to work from outside of Collier County each day. According to the data, about 30% of these commuters, or over 15,800, come from east coast counties.

Once approved, both phases of the project will take approximately 22 months to complete.

This article originally appeared on Fox4