Ave Maria in eastern Collier County has sold more than 5,000 new homes to date, reaching about the halfway point of its eventual buildout of 11,000 residences. With 15,000 residents today, the need for further commercial development increases, creating an opportunity for local, regional and national businesses to become a part of the growing community.
“We’ve established a critical mass of a population base in Ave Maria,” says Cee Cee Marinelli, vice president of commercial real estate for Barron Collier Companies, the developer of Ave Maria. “There’s a lot of pent-up demand for commercial services, and it gives businesses an opportunity to establish themselves and grow with the community.”
Several businesses are doing just that at the new 21,000sf Midtown Plaza in Ave Maria. Ledo Pizza, Sunshine Ace Hardware, Dunkin’, Cold Stone Creamery and Ave Nails are already open at Midtown Plaza, with Umami Ave Restaurant and the NCH Immediate Care Center opening in the first quarter of 2025.
Efforts were made to ensure a good tenant mix at Midtown Plaza. “We have such high demand for retail space that it involved sifting through who had inquired to see what services we needed to fill,” says Marinelli. “It was about filling those gaps and seeing who was going to be a good fit and provide additional services to the community.”
Sunshine Ace Hardware opened a small prototype store of 8,000sf at Midtown Plaza. “We have been looking at opening a store in Ave Maria for quite some time,” says Michael Wynn, president of Sunshine Ace Hardware. “The timing finally aligned with our current expansion, and it is a great location on Ave Maria Boulevard that was perfect for us.”
Though smaller in size, the store still offers essentials and merchandise from national brands as well as a home repair service division to help residents with their to-do lists. “We feel truly blessed to be joining this remarkable community that has received so many accolades over the years,” says Wynn. “This community sets high expectations and standards, and it is within this environment that we thrive.”
For Marinelli, Sunshine Ace Hardware is showing its commitment to establishing itself in the community and growing alongside it. “We look forward to watching their success and growth and are committed to working with them for future needs,” she says.
She sees the same kind of potential for the popular coffee and donut franchise Dunkin’. “They’re kind of getting in on the ground level, and I wouldn’t be surprised at some point if there might be a second Dunkin’,” says Marinelli. “Ave Maria is a community that is going to grow for another decade, and they wanted to get in early and get the upside of that.”
The Ave Nails location at Midtown Plaza is actually the business’ second location in the town. After moving to Ave Maria with his family from Minnesota, owner Danny Dang opened the first Ave Nails shop near Publix. “When I came here there was no nail salon, and I’ve been in the business for over 20 years,” he says.
That location has proved so popular and consistently busy that he was happy to have the opportunity to open another outpost at Midtown Plaza. “The town is growing,” says Dang, who runs Ave Nails with his brother Tony. “The town is very beautiful and has lots of opportunities. When my wife and I came down here for the first time, we fell in love with it, and I guess for a lot of people it’s the same thing.”
THE NEXT PHASE OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Midtown Plaza marks the start of a second wave of commercial development in Ave Maria, something other businesses should see as a chance to make their own entry into the community. “We have a lot of commercial space, both land and future projects available,” says Marinelli. “So, as brokers are looking for space or land in the future to build new projects, Ave Maria is a viable option.”
If you need a refresher on the master-planned community, Ave Maria is located at the intersection of Oil Well and Camp Keais roads in Eastern Collier County. It’s been named a Top 20 Selling Master Planned Community in the United States and a Blue Zones Certified Community. In addition to its 11,000 residences at buildout, the community will eventually have 1.8 million sf of retail, office and business park uses across its 5,000 acres.
Businesses that choose to locate in Ave Maria benefit from the fact that the community’s residents are hungry for more retail, restaurant and service options. And residents of other growing areas of Eastern Collier County would also make use of Ave Maria businesses.
“The growth past County Road 951 is remarkable,” says Marinelli. “If people haven’t driven out to Ave Maria in the last two years, I think they’d be shocked at what they see past 951, down Oil Well Road and at Randall Curve. It’s just kind of connecting all the pieces. For a while Ave Maria was out on its own, but the gaps have been filling in over the last few years. So, it’s servicing all of those residents too.”
There are also folks who come to Eastern Collier County for their jobs at sites like Arthrex’s manufacturing plant in Ave Maria (which has 2,000 employees) and the future U.S. headquarters of Dialum, a Chilean glass manufacturer that will be located within Arthrex Commerce Park. These workers also need places to eat and shop.
And Ave Maria hopes to see more companies like Arthrex and Dialum opening offices and plants in the community. “We have opportunities for the gamut of business, not just retail and restaurants,” says Marinelli. “I think it’s a great opportunity for companies to expand their footprint, and because a lot of their employees might live out east, it’s more convenient. It’s worth it for companies to look at establishing themselves near their employees.”
Barron Collier Companies has started the preliminary design of its next 20,000sf commercial building just south of Midtown Plaza. “There’s so much demand for retail space that we’re going to just kind of flow right into the next project,” says Marinelli. “And we do have outparcels available for freestanding restaurants.
“In the next few years, I think it will be a combination of us developing projects and offering land we have for land leases,” she continues. “There’s really a great amount of opportunity for businesses. We’re also almost at a point with the university and a growing town for a boutique hotel.”
She also sees the need for more entertainment options, especially for families. Ave Maria is about equally split between families and retirees, and Collier County Public Schools is opening a new elementary school there in 2026. “So, it’s not just retirees,” says Marinelli. “There’s energy there; there are a lot of young families.”
Ave Maria’s inland location (it’s about 30 miles from Naples’ Vanderbilt Beach) proved beneficial during the recent hurricane season, when power losses were kept to a minimum thanks to the fact that power lines were installed underground. “I think the businesses appreciated that lack of disruption,” says Marinelli.
Another benefit for businesses? The fact that both the community and Barron Collier Companies are invested in their success. “When you’re a tenant in Ave Maria, you’re part of the Barron Collier Companies,” says Marinelli. “We have on-site property managers; we’re involved. We care about our tenants. We really want everybody to be successful, and we’re there to help in any way we can.
“Their success is our success,” she continues. “Businesses that come to Ave Maria are an extension of our family company and our community, and we want to make sure they’re successful.”
As it considers the future of Ave Maria’s commercial sector, Barron Collier Companies is both fielding inquiries from businesses and reaching out to companies that would be a good fit for the community. “We’re open to speaking with anybody and partnering with people that are interested in expanding to Eastern Collier,” says Marinelli.
But when it comes to entering into those partnerships, it’s all about what’s best for Ave Maria. “We have the ability to choose what we feel is going to best benefit the community as a whole,” she says. “It’s for the long run; we’re not just trying to sell land and generate cash. Every decision we make is looking at the long-term benefit to Ave Maria and Eastern Collier County.”
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