Naples’ Fifth Avenue South is the site of new restaurant and hotel plans.

In the heart of Naples, new plans for a three-story mixed-use structure have surfaced.

But they no longer resemble what they did a few years ago, according to a recent article by Laura Layden of Naples Daily News

On Wednesday, the city’s Design Review Board received the initial look and approved the improvements while requesting a few more.

Four condos that will function as hotel rooms and be rented out by the night are also included in the building, along with a new restaurant.

The location of the new structure is 472 Fifth Avenue S. The Del Mar and Osteria Tulia restaurants are now housed in a one-story building that is surrounded by newer, taller buildings.

The initial proposal called for 16 smaller hotel rooms.

However, the city reviewers raised a number of objections and concerns, which prevented the applicants from getting that “bad boy” through the site development process, according to Mark McLean of MHK Architecture at the hearing.

“No way, no how,” he said.

In order to better represent the owners and developers, MHK started over.

Less hotel rooms, but larger rooms The most recent design depicts a structure with parking and two large hotel rooms, more equivalent to luxury residences, on each of the upper stories. These rooms have own balconies. The condos would have two bedrooms and a den and would be larger than 2,200 square feet.

McLean informed the review board, “We anticipate visitors staying for a week.”

The restaurant and the hotel lobby would both be on the first floor, but the hotel lobby would have a separate entrance.

The changes include reducing the amount of outside sitting so that it is less intrusive and more appealing from the street, as well as adding comfortable seating options for “small plate” meals and mingling, such couches and sofas. There would be no seating on any public space.

Board member Lindsey Bulloch said that the previous design’s density and intensity “kept me up at night.” She was grateful for the substantial reduction from 16 to 4 hotel rooms, or 25% of the initial request.

Bulloch stated, “I think it’s going to be way more successful this way and it looks great.”

Member Luke Fredrickson praised the balconies and the ground floor’s combination of a contemporary architectural style and natural elements like wood.

He remarked, “I really like the warmth.”

More plantings are recommendedSabrina McCabe, a council member, favored incorporating more mature plants into the landscape. She recommended the use of raised planters rather than the portrayed row of short bushes to make the building’s front entrance feel more welcoming.

Other than that, she praised the idea of outside dining as a “great concept,” adding that she could see it developing into a lively gathering place.

The new design, in the chairman Stephen Hruby’s opinion, is a significant improvement, but he also suggested a few changes, such as adding more plants to soften the appearance of the building all around, concealing the trash can in the backyard, and prohibiting unauthorized individuals from sleeping or loitering on the restaurant’s couches or sofas after hours.

He suggested that roll-down shutters be installed to deter loiterers from the outside dining area after the restaurant closes.

Along with a few minor adjustments, Hruby also requested a stronger connection with the nearby structures.

While MHK’s McLean said he wasn’t opposed to more plantings or architectural changes, he said he didn’t think the building should add shutters to Fifth Avenue South for security concerns, as this could give the incorrect impression that the street is hazardous.

Fredrickson made a motion to accept the conceptual design. Bulloch and McCabe both seconded it at the same time.

The building’s owner, Stefano Frittella, intends to use it to introduce a brand-new fine-dining concept to Naples. He has ownership interests in Bice, Caffé Milano, La Trattoria, The Bevy, and Vergina, thus he is no stranger to the downtown Naples restaurant industry.

The veteran restaurateur also owns restaurants in Monaco and Miami Beach.

His new restaurant will take the place of La Pescheria, which specializes in seafood-centric Italian cuisine.

Frittella could not be reached for comment right away.

The new fine-dining establishment will be called Avenue 31 and, according to partner Antonio Rizzo, will include a menu that is similarly influenced by Italian cuisine as one with the same name in Monte Carlo.

It will have a fresh design, he declared.

The contract for the current tenants was recently extended by a year, so the restaurant is not expected to open for a few years, according to Rizzo.

According to property records, a business connected to Frittella paid $5.25 million for the structure in 2017. In the later 1950s, it was constructed. In October 2021, he delivered his initial site development plan to the city.

Next actionsThe proposed development is still far from being approved in its entirety.

It will need to go through a site plan review by city personnel, which hasn’t started yet.

The project will also need to be reviewed by the Planning Advisory Board, and in the end, City Council permission will be needed.

The council would have to approve the outdoor eating for the restaurant as well as conditional uses for lodging and parking.

According to the plans, the development would have eight parking places, but it would actually need 12. As a result, the owner would have to buy the extra spaces from a city garage.

The final site plan would require approval from the Design Review Board before building permits could be issued.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News

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