After announcing in January that it will get out of the citrus business, Alico, Inc., said Thursday it has filed a development application for the first of two villages in what will ultimately be a 3,000-acre community in Collier County.
Fort Myers-based Alico has been a major citrus grower but announced in January it will “wind down” citrus operations and focus on more-profitable uses of its land.
The development plan envisions two distinct 1,500-acre mixed-use villages, known as “Corkscrew Grove East Village” and “Corkscrew Grove West Village”, that will create a new residential and commercial hub near the intersection of Collier, Lee and Hendry counties. Initial development is planned to begin with Corkscrew Grove East Village and construction is expected to commence following completion of all required permits by 2028 or 2029.
According to information from Alico, the Corkscrew Grove Villages represents a key component of Alico's strategy to monetize four strategic assets in four separate counties totaling approximately 5,500 acres, or 10% of its land holdings, within the next five years through higher-value development opportunities. Management estimates the total value of these 5,500 acres of near-term developable land could be approximately $335-380 million. These four strategic assets are:
- Corkscrew Grove Villages in Collier County
- Bonnet Lake in Highlands County
- Saddlebag Grove in Polk County
- Plant World (LaBelle) in Hendry County
In addition to the planned 3,000-acre community, Alico said Thursday it will set aside an additional 6,000 acres in Collier County for conservation.
“This filing marks a transformative moment for Alico,” John Kiernan, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “When we announced our strategic transformation in January 2025, we committed to repositioning Alico’s extensive land holdings to create greater shareholder value. Today’s application, following two years of careful planning and stakeholder engagement, demonstrates we are executing on that vision.”
In its January announcement, Alico pointed to issues such as Florida’s decades-long fight with deadly citrus greening disease and damage to groves from hurricanes.
The company said it will not spend additional money on citrus operations after the current crop is harvested. It said about 3,460 acres of its citrus land will be managed by other operators through 2026.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.