Developers have formally filed applications with Collier County to build The Hyper Club, a motorsports and club community, on the edge of the Everglades.
The companion applications didn’t come as a surprise to many, as word had already spread about the proposed project.
As part of the design and planning process, the developers had already submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for federal review and a permit to build on wetlands, bringing public attention to it.
The Army Corps advertised that it was accepting comments on the project up until Friday, July 24, prompting alarm and action by some environmental groups. The Corps later extended the deadline for comments to Aug. 7.
Meanwhile, the developers are becoming more proactive by sharing more information about — and defending — their plans, insisting that they will not harm the environment.
One of the two partners in The Hyper Club characterizes the environmental concerns as a “bit overblown.”
Several environmental groups have written letters of opposition to the Corps, including the South Florida Wildlands Association, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Audubon Western Everglades. Among their biggest concerns: The development’s impact on wetlands and wildlife, especially on the Florida panther.
On June 30, project representatives had a pre-application meeting with county staff, sharing their intent to file for a Planned Unit Development Amendment (PUDA) and a Growth Management Plan Amendment (GMPA), which they’ve now done.
The developers have expressed their desire to build a world-class lifestyle destination that builds upon the site’s “established automotive history, while maintaining its low-density character and natural landscape.”
The project would transform a testing center, originally developed by the Ford Motor Co. in 1985, into what the developers describe as a “purpose-built environment where members can safely drive, store and enjoy their vehicles while connecting with others who share their passion.”
The concept is inspired by private clubs for golfing and yachting. The project is envisioned as a community centered not only on driving, but also on family, hospitality and camaraderie.
The developers of the Hyper Club are local
The Hyper Club is the brainchild of Bruce Bond, a Naples businessman and car enthusiast, and John DeAngelis, a co-founder and co-chairman of DeAngelis Diamond, a major construction management firm headquartered in Naples.
In a statement, Bond said: “For more than four decades, this property has played an important role in automotive testing and innovation. Our vision is to thoughtfully build upon that legacy by creating a private destination where enthusiasts can enjoy their vehicles in a safe, professionally managed environment while respecting the property’s history, maintaining the natural environment and remaining compatible with the surrounding community.”
Located near Interstate 75 and DeSoto Boulevard South, the 542-acre property has operated as a secure, fenced automotive testing site since 1985, serving manufacturers and performance users, including Ford, Harley-Davidson, Chrysler and IndyCar teams.
The developers seek a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates wetlands.
In its opposition letter to the Army Corps, Amber Crooks, a senior environmental policy advisor at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, said: “The site includes and is neighboring to wetlands, water resources, and listed species habitats that are critical for Southwest Florida’s natural environment, public lands, and hydrology. In short, the project site is simply not appropriate for more development and intensification, given its adjacency to some of our region’s most treasured public lands. The project is, therefore, not in the public interest.”
The site sits close to the county’s 175-acre Dr. Robert H. Gore, III Preserve in Golden Gate Estates, and to other protected lands. Immediately east of the site lies the 26,605-acre Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and to the south, there are several wildlife underpasses.
Additionally, the property is near the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and the Picayune Strand State Forest, which are home to a variety of native flora and fauna and rare wildlife.
In a Facebook post a few weeks ago, the South Florida Wildlands Association urged its friends and followers to sign on to its letter of opposition sent to the Army Corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The letter-turned-petition quickly garnered nearly 1,000 supporters.
As of Aug. 6, the petition had amassed more than 9,900 signatures.
In part, the Wildlands Association’s objection letter read: “If this project is constructed, we expect substantial displacement of Florida panthers and other wildlife from the project site. Displaced panthers will be forced into adjacent developed areas and roadways, increasing the likelihood of vehicle collisions − the leading documented cause of mortality for the Florida panther.”
Further, the group contends the project would undermine decades of public investment in conservation lands and environmental restoration with its increased traffic and noise, artificial lighting, and “continuous human activity.”
“This area — the heart of the Western Everglades — is sometimes referred to as the ‘Amazon of North America’ for good reason. In addition to all the recent destruction of wetlands and wildlife habitat in Southwest Florida due to unchecked development, this is a step too far. It is simply no place for a racing resort,” said Matthew Schwartz, executive director of the South Florida Wildlands Association.
Developers want to expand on the already approved uses
The developers emphasize the project has been “intentionally designed as a low-density private club, with membership limited to provide controlled access, uncrowded driving experiences and a predictable operating environment.”
The project would build on automotive uses already permitted on the property, while introducing lifestyle amenities and limited residential accommodations. As proposed, it would include:
According to the plans, more than 70% of the property would be retained as Florida habitat and open space, including existing lakes, native vegetation, natural buffers and protected areas that help maintain separation from surrounding properties.
The developers plan to keep the existing perimeter fence to help maintain a safe and secure, animal-free environment.
In a statement, DeAngelis said much thought has gone into the vision.
“Our vision is to create a private club where automotive enthusiasts and their families can gather, learn, relax and build lasting relationships around a shared passion. Every aspect of this project has been thoughtfully designed to respect the property’s history and natural surroundings to create something truly unique for Southwest Florida,” he said.
Looking to capitalize on the popularity of motorsports
In a one-on-one interview with the Naples Daily News, Bruce Bond said he’s looking to capitalize on motorsports as a growing attraction across the United States. In part, he credited Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” documentary series, centered around Formula 1 racing, which has drawn millions of new fans to the sport.
As a car and racing enthusiast himself, he belongs to a car club just outside of Chicago, known as the Autobahn Country Club. The club’s private motorsports venue features professional-grade road courses, member racing, a clubhouse, and trackside garages.
“I love driving,” he said. “I’ve always been a car person.”
After purchasing a home in Naples and learning more about the test track, he said he saw it as an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art car club with a partner.
“We saw this as probably the best potential site within Collier County, or in the Southwest Florida region, because it had so much history as an automotive test center, and then secondly it already had the zoning necessary for testing and driving vehicles fast,” he said.
There are few such clubs in the United States, and The Hyper Club is designed to be the nicest in the country, Bond said.
“I think it will be a tremendous resource for Naples and for Southwest Florida to have an amenity like this. There are very few of these around the country, and to be able to have something at this level, within the Naples area, we think is a huge benefit to Naples as a whole, as well as to the residents of Naples,” Bond said.
He met his partner, John DeAngelis, through mutual friends more than five years ago, and they became fast friends.
“I’m a big car enthusiast, as he is, and he’s a racer, and so we just became good friends around our love of vehicles and racing, and just became closer and closer,” Bond said.
He said the test track is an ideal spot for the club because the site is “already developed,” and not raw land or farm fields.
“This has been developed,” he said. “It’s had a high fence around it, with three-strand barbed wire around the entire property for the last 40-plus years.”
In those 40-plus years, there have been no animal deaths or injuries attributed to the testing operation, Bond said.
“We take the monitoring of the property very seriously,” he said. “We do controlled burns on the property. We mend the fence, if there are any issues with the fence. So, I think that the concern that this project would somehow impact wildlife in that area …. is maybe a bit overblown.”
The property, he said, is zoned rural industrial, and it could qualify for high-density multifamily or mixed-use development “by right” under the state’s Live Local Act, as long as it includes housing that’s considered affordable. The act is designed to encourage workforce housing near jobs.
“We would potentially be able to put up a significant amount of residential units on this property if we wanted to, but we are not looking to do that,” Bond said.
He said much of what’s proposed to be built can be built without a zoning change, and the existing uses could be expanded.
The change in zoning is needed primarily to allow a club, overnight stays and wheel-to-wheel racing.
“We want the club members to be able to have races with each other,” Bond said. “We think that is very important to the vibrancy of the club as a whole. You know, to the viability of the club.”
Since word has spread about the project, he said many have signed up to receive updates on it through its website.
“We’re thinking it would be a big success,” Bond said. “As you know in Naples, people like clubs. They like being a part of something.”
Review and approval process is in the early stages
The newly filed applications will be reviewed by county staff before going to the Collier County Planning Commission for feedback and a recommendation, and then ultimately to the county commission for a final decision.
At a regularly scheduled county commission meeting on July 28, several residents showed up to speak against The Hyper Club during public comments. However, they were turned away and told they couldn’t do so because the project is expected to appear on a future agenda, which would allow for all sides to be present and heard more judicially.
County Manager Amy Patterson stressed that there would be plenty of time for public comment, as the applications wind their way through the county’s comprehensive zoning review and approval process, which includes the requirement for a neighborhood meeting hosted by the developers.
“This is a process that takes months, if not longer,” she said. “Not days.”
At the same meeting, county commissioner Rick LoCastro expressed frustration over Facebook comments that suggest the project has already been approved or will be approved because the county will rubber-stamp it anyway.
“I haven’t seen anything rubber-stamped by any county commissioner up here,” he said. “What I see mostly is us making really difficult decisions, and a lot of them are legal decisions.”
He emphasized that property rights can’t legally be ignored.
“We’re not over here giving away free land to developers,” LoCastro said. “If you own that property and spend $50 million for it, the county’s not going to legally tell you that you can only build a dog park. That’s just not how it works.”
Test track has a long history in Collier County
The test track was built in the 1980s, when Collier Enterprises still owned the property.
Ford Motor Co. first leased the land for warm-weather and performance testing for its vehicles.
In 2002, Collier Enterprises sold it to Harley-Davidson for $6.5 million. In 2013, it was sold to Chrysler Group LLC for $7 million after sitting mostly idle before it last changed hands a few years ago.
The current owner is listed as Naples Racing Resort LLC.
Property records show the Delaware-based limited liability company purchased the site for $10 million in 2024. Since its purchase, the company has rented the property out to vehicle manufacturers and race teams for performance testing, and it plans to keep doing so as part of its new vision for a motorsports club and community.
Laura Layden is a senior business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Exclusive: Developers file applications for motorsports club in Collier
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
