Center of Hope Campus - The Salvation Army of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties

$7.5 million will help the Salvation Army of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties strengthen the resilience of low to moderate income households by constructing new, storm-hardened facilities for sheltering, feeding, social services, and addiction recovery programs at 2400 Edison Avenue, Fort Myers. 

City of Everglades City Emergency Operations Center

$13 million will fund the design and build of an emergency operations center to serve as a place for first responders from the Greater Naples Fire District, the Collier County Sheriff, the Collier County EMS, and other local government personnel from Collier County and Everglades City to work together in preparation, response and recovery phases of an emergency.

City of Naples, FL - Cyber Security Expansion

$828,000 will expand the cyber security program in Naples by establishing a robust disaster recovery program.

Collier County - Aquatic Plant Mechanical Harvesting Equipment

$110,000 will fund the purchase of a Weedo/Truxor workboat to allow the Collier County Stormwater Maintenance Section to control vegetation in canals and waterways throughout Collier County using mechanical harvesting methodology in lieu of chemical spraying.

This workboat will allow staff to help maintain critical stormwater infrastructure and improve stormwater flow while improving water quality.

Collier County - Four-Point Roundabout

$1.05 million will fund the realignment of Camp Keais Road and the installation of a roundabout within the project limits at the Camp Keais Road, Immokalee Road, and South 1st Street intersection in unincorporated Collier County.

Traffic efficiency and safety at the three-point intersection will greatly improve with the addition of the four-point roundabout, providing a safer, more efficient traffic pattern for the county-approved residential subdivisions to be built to the east of the project.

Collier County - Golden Gate City Stormwater Outfalls

$2.81 million will fund the Golden Gate City Stormwater Outfall Pipe Replacement Project. This multi-year phased project will replace a total of 147 outfalls over approximately 8-10 years.

These funds will improve stormwater drainage and reduce the potential for roadway, residence, and sidewalk flooding in the Golden Gate City area.

Collier County - Oil Well Road (CR 858) Shoulder Improvements - Segment 3 & 4

$1.12 million will improve safety on Oil Well Road (CR 858) - Segment 3 and $1.01 million will improve safety on Oil Well Road (CR 858) - Segment 4 by widening the existing traffic lanes from 10 feet to 12 feet, and providing five-foot-wide paved shoulders with incidental drainage work on both sides of the road.

This narrow roadway is heavily used by residents and visitors, and for commercial activities. Currently, there is no street lighting or paved shoulders for driver safety during vehicular breakdowns nor does it allow law enforcement to safely perform traffic stops.

This roadway does not allow cyclists to operate outside the travel lane. Unpaved edges of the road can also settle and erode, creating dangerous drop-offs.

Collier County - Palm River Area 4

$3 million will fund septic-to-sewer conversions for residential properties abutting the Cocohatchee River, a waterbody included in the listing of "Special Waters" in the state's DEP "Outstanding Florida Waters" water quality standards program.

Funds will replace asbestos cement water mains and fire hydrants at the end of their useful life, construct a new wastewater pump station, and install backflow prevention devices and sewer cleanouts for residences.

Collier Housing Resilience Project

$4.9 million will help the Community Foundation continue to partner with other nonprofits to mitigate future damage to homes in Everglades City and Naples.

In Collier County, 47 trailer courts and many homes in low elevations in Everglades City are in the flood plain. These funds will help replace and lift mobile homes to mitigate future flooding of these homes.

David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health - Hope Home 2

$3 million will help construct an 18,000 square foot recovery residence to house 24 individuals in early recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.

Hope Home will be a two-story structure with 24 warm and inviting residential apartments and one senior resident apartment on each floor. The design includes indoor and exterior meal preparation areas, laundry, and common areas for living, recreation, study, and group interaction.

The grounds will be designed for recreation, gardening, and reflection. Hope Home will offer a home-like and comfortable environment that supports wellness, safety, and recovery. Private funds provide a 1:1 match for the $3 million in state funds.

Estero River Heights & Cranbrook Harbor Utility Expansion Project

This project will expand utilities (potable water & sewer) to two communities within Estero that were impacted by Hurricane Ian's storm surge. Estero River Heights and Cranbrook Harbor currently use groundwater wells and septic tanks.

A study prepared by Florida Gulf Coast University indicates septic tanks are a source of nutrients and bacteria to the Estero River and Estero Bay.

Single-family drinking water wells are becoming a less reliable water source due to reduced water volumes and decreased quality. $7.4 million will help improve water quality in the Estero River and Estero Bay, improving public safety, recreation, and fishing. The project will also benefit the Koreshan State Park, Mound Key Archaeological State Park, and Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, all located along the Estero River and Estero Bay.

Florida Lions Eye Clinic, Inc. - Free Eye Care for Florida Residence

$100,000 will support this program, which works to prevent blindness by providing exemplary state-of-the-art eye care, free of charge, to those individuals in the State of Florida who do not have health insurance and are at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Services provided by the Florida Lions Eye Clinic include comprehensive eye exams and medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases including retina, cataract, and glaucoma conditions which if left untreated, can lead to blindness.

This grant will help provide the means to increase the number of hours for paid doctors, Ophthalmic Technicians, and professionals, which will increase the number of patients seen and conditions treated at the clinic. My Dad, Dr. Alfonse Cinotti, age 100, is a retired Ophthalmologist who worked closely with the Lions during his career, and through volunteer work later in life. This is really a great program!  

Florida SouthWestern State College - Bldgs. E & F Collier Campus

This $7.5 million remodeling/renovation project will accommodate changes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. The undergraduate research and classroom space for Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, and Oceanography programs will be reconfigured to accommodate additional student stations and improve space efficiency. Building system upgrades necessary to support programs include electrical, mechanical, plumbing, life safety, data/communications, security, and energy management. Increased power consumption and cooling requirements will be considered to properly power the building environment and support learning.

Fort Denaud Swing Bridge Rehabilitation (Hendry County)

The Ft. Denaud Swing Bridge, owned and maintained by Hendry County, requires major structural, mechanical, and electrical repairs that Hendry County, a fiscally constrained county, is unable to fund.

Hendry County Road & Bridge staff continuously perform necessary repairs to keep the bridge functioning. During repairs, the bridge has to be shut down and closed to vehicle and boat traffic. This bridge is one of only two bridges in Hendry County that crosses the Caloosahatchee River.

These closures pose a public safety concern as the LaBelle bridge is also often closed to cars to allow for boats on the river. When both bridges are closed to cars, motorists must travel 13+ miles west or 24+ miles east to access the other side of the river. The current weight restrictions on the bridge prevent emergency vehicles and school buses from utilizing the bridge. $1.2 million will pay for the design and engineering phase of the budget rehabilitation.

Healthcare Network - Orangetree Primary Care Facility

$1.75 million will help construct a primary medical care facility in the heart of the Orangetree community. This center will provide services such as behavioral health, well-child check-ups, dental cleanings, drive-through pharmacy services, and many more.

Immokalee Reuse/Reclaimed Water Treatment

$5 million will help upgrade the wastewater treatment plant with new filters, high-level disinfection, new monitoring and process control technology improvements, and upgrades to the existing laboratory. Piping improvements will extend reclaimed water service to customers.

Immokalee Smart Utility

$3.5 million will replace existing water meters, and install and retrofit ultrasound sensors, instrumentation, and monitoring equipment on existing wellfields, water /wastewater treatment plants, and distribution/collection systems.

Immokalee Water Softening Treatment

$9 million will fund water softening treatment improvements at three plants, serving all of Immokalee’s residents.

Water softening helps eliminate discoloration in drinking water and improves water quality. The treatment reduces ammonia, converting it from chloramines to free chlorine in water.

In addition to improving drinking water quality, softening reduces the deterioration and staining of plumbing fixtures.

LaBelle Drinking Water Improvements

$2 million will help improve water redundancy, pressure, and quantity within the existing service area by adding looped lines, water production equipment, elevated storage, and water main upgrades. The City has only a single functioning water supply well. Without that source, the City will be without water. The project addresses critical redundancy and current and future demands while upgrading aging infrastructure.

LaBelle Hardened Fire Station and Fire Ladder Truck

$6 million will cover the design and construction of a new storm-rated, hardened fire station and obtain a new fire ladder truck in and for the City of LaBelle.

Lehigh Acres Natural Sink-hole Preservation Project

$1.5 million will help the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District preserve a natural geological feature from a bygone era for future generations to enjoy before it is destroyed or contaminated.

This 19.95-acre property has a sinkhole proven to be 200 feet deep. The investigation indicated the sinkhole connects to the Sandstone Aquifer. This sinkhole is not only important to historians as it is the main potable water aquifer for an area larger than Lehigh Acres. Divers have noted a very thick layer of silt on the bottom that needs to be explored.

Lehigh Acres - ROBUST - Rehydration of Bedman (Creek) Utilizing Storage & Treatment, Phase 1

$250,000 million will help Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District purchase a 15-acre parcel adjacent to the floodplain in Bedman Creek.

This parcel will be excavated and submerged to provide water quality during the wet months. The adjacent flood plain will provide storage. Water control structures will regulate flows downstream on Bedman Creek. The additional flow will be diverted to the Carlos Waterway.

Maintaining Independence for the Blind

$150,000 will serve Florida residents with blindness or vision loss who want to maintain independence in their homes. The funds would enable the Lighthouse of Collier to hire a full-time instructor to provide one-on-one instruction to enable clients to function independently within their homes.

Marco Island Canal and Channel Aeration Pilot Study

The aquatic life in the city's waterways has diminished due to low oxygen levels. This pilot project will help identify a solution to help restore the health of the local aquatic environment.

$300,000 will cover the installation and monitoring of tracking equipment and engineering services for the design, implementation, and monitoring of surface water quality by collecting water samples and tracking the return of aquatic life.

Marco Island Generator Storage Building

$600,000 will pay for the construction of a generator storage structure to house portable emergency generators used to power the city's sanitary sewer lift stations and groundwater wells. This project will allow the city to maintain water and sewer service during power outages.

Marco Island High Water Fire Suppression Vehicle

$212,500 will help pay for a high-water capable fire suppression vehicle for maintaining emergency response to fire rescue incidents during flooding events experienced during a hurricane storm surge.

Marco Island San Marco Road Dead-End Canal Interconnect

Marco Island has numerous dead-end canals with impaired stagnant oxygen-depleted salt water and diminishing marine life. $400,000 will help pay for interconnecting large-diameter culverts to connect the canal waters north and south of San Marco Road, which bisects the island. Construction of the interconnecting culverts will allow tidal flushing to eliminate the dead-ends and restore the water quality.

Naples Bay Red Tide/Septic Tank Mitigation (Phase 2)

The Naples Bay Red Tide/Septic Tank Mitigation Project is a joint partnership between the City of Naples and Collier County to convert 930 failing septic tanks to a centralized sanitary sewer system while enhancing the stormwater system to improve water quality to reduce nutrient loading in the sensitive impaired water of Naples Bay.

It is a multiyear project with a total estimated construction cost of $45 million to install a centralized sanitary sewer system and replace the existing potable water system. $10 million in this year’s budget will help cover the next phase.

Naples Botanical Garden -Southwest Florida Center for Healthy Landscaping and Ecological Restoration

Hurricane Ian’s impact on Southwest Florida’s landscape was severe, and our entire region will have to be replanted, from beach dunes to neighborhood trees. The Garden is becoming a living laboratory, outdoor classroom, and research station, and $800,000 will help support efforts to introduce healthier landscaping options that will be more resilient and have a positive environmental impact for generations to come.

Naples Senior Center Dementia Respite Support Program

$75,000 will support efforts at the Baker Senior Center Naples, which manages the only Dementia-Respite Support Program in Collier and Southern Lee Counties for seniors with a medical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) residing at home.

The program is recognized as evidence-based and innovative, offering the highest standard of care to clients with dementia. The program provides socialization and wellness with a holistic approach to everyday living and challenges using activities focused on connection when primary verbal communication and interaction abilities are altered.

NCH Healthcare System: System Operations Center

$1 million will help build a centralized communications and operations center for NCH, Collier County Emergency Management, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, integrated with the Collier County Public Safety radio system.

Port LaBelle Utility System Wastewater Collection System for Unit 1,2 & 3

Port LaBelle is one of the fastest-growing areas in Hendry County, with 281 homes built in 2022 and 682 homes having active permits and applications for 2023.

$1 million will help fund the expansion of the Port LaBelle Utility System potable water treatment plant. $7.5 million will construct a wastewater collection system and wastewater force main pumping system to serve approximately 370 customers within Unit 1. 

$4.3 million will cover the design and permit of a wastewater collection system and wastewater force main pumping system to serve approximately 1,115 customers within Unit 2 of Port LaBelle and 1,212 customers within Unit 3 of Port LaBelle.

This funding will help eliminate private septic tanks, preventing potential runoff to the river, estuary, and adjacent canals.

UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center Expansion

$1.4 million will help fund the expansion of the UF/IFAS Southwest FL Research and Education Center. This expansion includes increasing the auditorium capacity from 100 to 160 people to accommodate stakeholder education, replacing the HVAC capacity, electronic capabilities, and storage, and providing additional space and equipment to expand access to online learning.