After a long, two-year legal battle between the City of Bonita Springs and Bonita Grande Mine, a settlement has finally been approved. 

The Settlement

In 2016, Oakbrook Properties purchased the active mine, located off Bonita Grande Drive, just North of the Terry Street intersection. One year after the purchase, Oakbrook Properties filed a lawsuit against the city in hopes of expediting their development plans. 

Under the new settlement, the 1,268 acre mine would be redeveloped into a 700-home community. 400 acres of lakes and 480 acres of wetlands take up the majority of that land. In addition, Bonita Springs would purchase 278 acres of the property for $5 million. Of those 278 acres, 30 would be turned into a lakefront, public park. The remaining 248 acres would be used for storm water improvements. Oakbrook Properties would also remove 4.5 million cubic yards of topsoil to create berms around each of the 3 massive lakes on the property, further assisting in flood prevention. 

North of the East Terry Street intersection, Bonita Grande Drive becomes very skinny with no road lines. Bonita Grande Drive is the only entrance to the planned community. Under the new settlement, Oakbrook Properties would not be required to pay any impact or construction fees related to widening and fixing that road. 

Oakbrook Properties History

Oakbrook Properties has been involved in numerous large projects  both locally and nationwide. Some of the most notable include: San Carlos Estates, Coconut Point Mall, Marina Bay Club and The Brooks.

What’s Next?

According to the settlement, the City of Bonita Springs has until March 31st, 2020 to approve or reject the building plans. If approved, the city would then make the $5 million land purchase. Construction would begin shortly after that. 

Check back in the months to come, and keep an eye on our monthly e-newsletter for updates on this project!