CHADDS FORD, PA – North American Land Trust today announced that it has joined the City of Naples, Florida, and The Athens Group in permanently protecting 105 acres along the Gulf Coast of Florida for recreation and open space. The property, belonging to the Naples Beach Club, is being developed by The Athens Group in partnership with BDT & MSD Partners.
“NALT has a long, proud history of partnering with municipalities across the country to help achieve their local conservation goals,” said NALT President Steven Carter. “We were pleased to assist the City of Naples and The Athens Group in permanently protecting this treasured community resource from future development.”
In 2021, Carter said, the City of Naples contacted NALT searching for an experienced land trust to work with City Council and the developer on a conservation easement. The Athens Group had agreed to create a perpetual easement as part of its redevelopment plan for the former Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club.
The conservation easement, which was recently recorded, will protect approximately 84% of the 125-acre property. In addition, the conservation easement will include a new stormwater system that will exceed the standards and requirements of the City of Naples and the State of Florida.
“The City of Naples is pleased to accept this historic grant of a Conservation Easement in the heart of two of our beloved neighborhoods, Old Naples and Coquina Sands, that will preserve much of the Naples Beach Club golf-course property as recreation and open space forever,” said Jay Boodheshwar, City Manager. “This incredibly generous action, which will preserve precious greenspace, should serve as a model for other redevelopment projects in Naples, Southwest Florida, and the country for that matter. The City of Naples is pleased to continue to be at the forefront of environmentally responsible and resilient development that preserves the character and integrity of our community.”
Jay Newman, COO of The Athens Group, said, “This conservation easement represents a milestone achievement for the City of Naples and North American Land Trust, as we continue to focus on environmentally sensitive and responsible development. This collaborative process, which began with representatives of six Naples community homeowner associations, culminated with the grant of this landmark Conservation Easement.”
Newman added: “BDT & MSD and Athens are proud of this accomplishment, which affirms our on-going commitment to the City of Naples and its residents. We hope that other responsible development projects will follow our lead to preserve natural resources for recreation and open space in perpetuity.”
As a national land trust, NALT partners with municipalities across the country to permanently protect environmental, historic, agricultural, and scenic conservation areas. For each easement, NALT’s field biologists and conservation experts study the land to establish and record the environmental qualities. After an easement is recorded, NALT’s conservation experts monitor the conservation areas to ensure that the conditions preventing development are being honored.
For more information on NALT and its conservation work visit the NALT website.
About North American Land Trust
North American Land Trust is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that conserves and stewards more than 138,000 acres at 574 conservation areas in 24 states. Based in Chadds Ford, PA, North American Land Trust is proudly Accredited under Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations and as such is recognized as having met all the requirements of The Standards for Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. For more information, go to our website.
About The Athens Group
Founded in 1988, The Athens Group is a full-service real estate development company specializing in the creation of luxury resorts and urban hotels, branded and non-branded luxury residences, home sites and communities, as well as golf courses, spas and related recreational amenities. Prior developments include the Montage Deer Valley, Four Seasons Hualalai, Montage Laguna Beach, Montage Palmetto Bluff, Montage Beverly Hills, the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, and the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. The Athens Group specializes in the development of environmentally conscious hospitality assets and many of its hotels and resorts are LEED Gold or Silver. The company is based in Phoenix, Arizona with offices in California, Florida and Utah. For more information, please visit The Athens Group website.
About BDT & MSD Partners
BDT & MSD Partners is a merchant bank with an advisory and investment platform built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. The firm is distinguished by its decades of experience advising at the intersection of founders, families, and businesses, as well as by its differentiated capital base and culture of aligned investing. Its funds are managed by its affiliated investment advisors, BDT Capital Partners and MSD Partners. For more information, visit www.bdtmsd.com.
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