Plans for new restaurant, hotel resurface on Fifth Avenue South in Naples

Plans for a new three-story mixed-used building on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples have resurfaced.

But they look much different than a few years ago.

The city's Design Review Board got the first look on Wednesday, embracing the changes, but asking for a few more.

The building will include a new restaurant and four condos, which will operate as hotel rooms, rented by the night.

The proposed site for the new building is at 472 Fifth Avenue S. It's now home to a single-story building, flanked by newer, taller ones that house the Del Mar and Osteria Tulia restaurants.

The previous plan included 16 smaller-sized hotel rooms.

The applicants couldn't get that "bad boy" through the site development process, however, with city reviewers raising a host of objections and concerns, said Mark McLean, with MHK Architecture, at the hearing.

"No way, no how," he said.

So, MHK went back to the drawing board, on behalf of the owners and developers.

Fewer, but bigger hotel rooms

The latest plan shows a building with two expansive hotel rooms on each of the upper floors, more akin to luxury homes, each with private balconies, and parking. The condos would span more than 2,200 square feet, including two bedrooms and a den.

"We think guests will come here and stay for a week," McLean told the review board.

The hotel lobby would share the first floor with the restaurant, but have its own private entrance.

The revisions include pulling back on the outdoor dining, making it less obtrusive, and more inviting, from the street, with casual seating, such as couches and sofas, for "small plate" eating and socializing. None of the seating would be on public property.

Board member Lindsey Bulloch commented that the previous design was "keeping me up at night" because of its density and intensity. She appreciated the significant reduction from 16 to four hotel rooms – equating to 25% of the original proposal.

"It looks great and I think it's going to be way more successful this way," Bulloch said.

Member Luke Fredrickson complimented the balconies, and the mix of a modern building design with earthy accents, such as wood, on the ground floor.

"I really like the warmth," he said.

More plantings suggested

Member Sabrina McCabe wanted more mature plantings mixed into the landscaping. She suggested the addition of raised planters to create a more inviting feel at the building's front entrance, instead of a row of small hedges, as depicted.

Otherwise, she described the outdoor dining plan as a "great concept," saying she could see it becoming a fun social spot.

Chairman Stephen Hruby saw the new design as a big improvement, too, but suggested a few changes, including more plantings to soften the look of the building all around, to hide the trash bin out back and to keep unwanted visitors from sleeping or hanging out on the restaurant's couches or sofas after hours.

He brought up the idea of having roll-down shutters to keep loiterers away from the outdoor dining area at night after the restaurant closes.

Hruby also asked for a better tie in with the neighboring buildings, along with a few other small changes.

While he didn't object to more plantings, or design tweaks, MHK's McLean said he didn't think the building should introduce shutters to Fifth Avenue South for security reasons, which could give the wrong impression of an unsafe street.

Fredrickson motioned to approve the preliminary design. It was seconded by Bulloch and McCabe, at the same time.

Stefano Frittella, who owns the property, plans to launch a new fine-dining concept for Naples in his new building. He's no stranger to the restaurant scene in downtown Naples, with ownership in Bice, Caffé Milano, La Trattoria, The Bevy and Vergina.

The long-time restaurateur also owns eateries in Miami Beach and Monaco.

His new eatery will replace La Pescheria, which serves Italian cuisine with a focus on seafood.

Frittella could not immediately be reached for comment.

Partner Antonio Rizzo said the new fine-dining restaurant will be known as Avenue 31, modeled after one by the same name in Monte Carlo, with a similar Italian-inspired menu.

"It's going to be a new design for it," he said.

The restaurant is not expected to open for a few years, with the lease recently extended by a year for the existing tenants, Rizzo said.

Property records show a company tied to Frittella purchased the building for $5.25 million in 2017. It was built in the late 1950s. He submitted his first site development plan to the city in October 2021.

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Next steps

The proposed development is still a long way from final approval.

It will require a site plan review by city staff, a process that hasn't begun yet.

The Planning Advisory Board will have to review the project as well, and it will ultimately require City Council approvals.

Council would have to grant conditional uses for lodging and parking, and approve the outdoor dining for the restaurant.

As proposed, the development would include eight parking spaces, but it would require 12, so the owner would have to purchase the remainder of the spaces from a city garage.

Before building permits could be issued, the Design Review Board would have to sign off on the final site plan.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Plans resurface for mixed-used building on Fifth Avenue South in Naples