New $63M Workforce Housing Project in Naples Targets Local Workers

The people who teach your kids, treat your patients, and serve your meals are being priced out of the very community they help run.

Naples just took one of its most meaningful steps yet to change that.

⚡ Fast Facts

• $63 million total project investment

• 160 apartment homes

• 30%+ below market rents

• Completion: Q2 2027

🧠 What Just Happened

On March 4, construction officially began on Ekos Creekside — a $63 million, 160-unit workforce housing community located at:

📍 6360 Collier Boulevard, East Naples

This marks the first project in Collier County to break ground under Florida’s Live Local Act, a major piece of legislation designed to accelerate affordable housing development.

This isn’t just another apartment complex — it’s a signal that Collier County is starting to fully deploy every tool available to address the housing crisis.

🏗️ Who This Is Actually For

Let’s be clear about what “affordable housing” means here.

Ekos Creekside is designed for households earning between:
👉 30% to 80% of the area median income

That includes:

• teachers

• first responders

• healthcare workers

• hospitality employees

👉 The people who keep Naples functioning every day

🏡 What the Units Look Like

This isn’t low-quality housing — it’s built to compete with market-rate product.

Unit Breakdown:

• 1-bedroom (767–900 sq ft): 98 units

• 2-bedroom (up to 1,100 sq ft): 48 units

• 3-bedroom (up to 1,287 sq ft): 14 units

Included Features:

• Stainless steel appliances

• Granite countertops

• Kitchen islands

• Walk-in closets

• In-unit washer & dryer

Amenities:

• Resort-style pool

• Fitness center

• Business center

• Clubhouse overlooking Henderson Creek

• Direct proximity to Rookery Bay

🧠 How This Deal Actually Came Together

This project only works because of a layered public-private structure.

Here’s how it was built:

• Collier County purchased the land (7.43 acres) in 2024 for $3.75M

• The county entered a long-term ground lease with the developer

• The property remains affordable long-term

Developer: McDowell Housing Partners (Miami-based)
Contractor: DeAngelis Diamond (Naples-based)

💰 The Financing Angle

Funding came through:

• Florida’s Live Local Act

• State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program

• Tax-exempt bonds

👉 Key advantage:
The Live Local Act allowed zoning preemption, which significantly sped up approvals and got construction moving faster.

This is the first project in Naples to use that provision.

📊 Why This Is a Big Deal

Naples already has a track record with the Ekos brand:

• Ekos on Santa Barbara (2024)

• Ekos Cadenza Phase I & II (160 senior units)

👉 Creekside is now the largest and most impactful version yet

📅 Project Timeline

• 2024 — County acquires land

• Fall 2025 — Site work begins

• March 4, 2026 — Groundbreaking

• Q2 2027 — Expected completion

🌴 The Bigger Picture

Naples is in the middle of a major real estate run:

• Pending sales up ~56%

• Inventory tightening

• Prices holding strong

That’s great for homeowners.

👉 But it also widens the gap for the workforce.

Ekos Creekside won’t solve the crisis alone — but it proves something important:

The model works.

• Public land

• Private development

• State-backed financing

• Local construction

All aligned.

🧠 Bottom Line

This is one of the clearest signals yet that Naples is starting to take workforce housing seriously — not just in conversation, but in execution.

And if this model continues, eastern Collier County could become the front line of that shift.

📍 Project Details

Ekos Creekside
6360 Collier Boulevard, East Naples
Expected Opening: Q2 2027

Developer: McDowell Housing Partners
Contractor: DeAngelis Diamond

🧾 Source Note

This story is based on development filings, Collier County data, and project announcements.