Bonita Bay Group Celebrates Silver Anniversary
09/15/08 During the early 1980s, a small corner of Southwest Florida was undergoing a transformation that would reach well into the next millennium and ultimately prove development and nature could coexist harmoniously. It was 1983, and Bonita Bay Properties was about to launch a new community that would become a role model of sustainable development.
Headed by David Shakarian, founder of the GNC chain, the company's vision for those 2,400 acres was Bonita Bay, a natural community with onsite golf courses and an enviable location bordered by Spring Creek, the Imperial River and Estero Bay. During the next 25 years, Bonita Bay's master plan would be changed several times, evolving to include fewer homes and additional golf holes while never wavering from Shakarian's environmental commitment.
Today, Bonita Bay Group has grown to a diversified company with more than 1,300 employees involved in the planning, development, sales and management of master-planned communities, recreational amenities and commercial facilities. In addition to the flagship Bonita Bay community, the company is currently developing Sandoval in Cape Coral, Verandah in Fort Myers, and Mediterra and TwinEagles in Naples, along with 14 golf courses and two marinas. And like Bonita Bay, many of these projects have pioneered new markets in Southwest Florida.
The company is still privately owned by the Shakarian family, with David Lucas serving as chairman for 23 of the company's 25 years in development.
Lucas credits the example set forth by his father-in-law Shakarian as the foundation upon which the development company has built its reputation and its brand. "We have created places where people want to live by striving to do the right thing in every aspect of community planning and development, from caring for the land to caring about our residents' quality of life through community involvement," said Lucas. "Our success has everything to do with staying true to these founding principles."
Renowned as a leader in sustainable development, Bonita Bay Group's communities and its development and business practices have been recognized on the local, state, national and international levels.
"Bonita Bay Group is in a very fortunate position because we are a privately held, family-owned company, and our owners are not so much interested in quarterly results but in the long-term success of our communities and the company," said President and CEO Kitty Green. "That has allowed us to successfully pioneer new geographic markets, build long-term value, and stay true to David Shakarian's environmental ethic and commitment to integrity."
At the same time, Green said, "The slowdown in the economy has given us the opportunity to step back and refocus on the future of Bonita Bay Group. We're looking forward to the next 25 years!"
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