It looks like Cars on 5th has reached the end of the road in Naples.
Talks with city staff about ways to keep the popular charity event on its namesake street haven’t gone anywhere.
Asked for an update from the discussions, Tom O’Riordan, the driving force behind Cars on 5th, said he couldn’t make sense of a compromise offered up by city staff.
The proposal, he said, would reduce the annual event’s attendance by more than 75% and the footprint by about 70%.
“Our takeaway was this is really not doable. So we assume if nothing changes, we are moving on,” O’Riordan said.
City staff, he said, came up with the new size limits based on math he couldn’t “make sense of,” or follow.
Based on the calculations, attendance would be limited to 3,500. This year, attendance was estimated at about 15,000, and in some years, it has topped 25,000.
City staff’s proposal would have eliminated participation from dealers and vendors, and it offered “no real solution for our VIP area,” O’Riordan said.
On top of that, the proposal would have required a bigger investment in barricades for the event, while allowing unrestricted access to the remainder of Fifth Avenue South to tens of thousands of onlookers without tickets.
Earlier, O’Riordan had proposed closing Fifth Avenue South to those without wristbands during the event, as a way to control the crowds, but the idea wasn’t supported by city staff or city council.
“At this point, we are convinced that we are not going forward with the city. Don’t know how we would,” he said.
On July 15, the organizers shared that message with the event’s followers and fans via social media in an announcement that stated: “We will have a show in 2027. However, at this juncture, it will not be held within the City of Naples.”
More about the controversial Cars on 5th
Cars on 5th turns Fifth Avenue South into a giant luxury-car showroom, packed with Ferraris, Porsches, Corvettes, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and other heart-stopping, head-turning performance models.
This year’s event — the 22nd annual event — featured more than 750 vehicles, including a strong showing of vintage, classic and antique automobiles.
After much debate on June 17, city council rejected the application for 2027 event, with concerns that the event has outgrown its downtown venue.
City staff and the city’s Special Event Committee recommended denial of the permit, citing significant safety and parking concerns — and the repeated failure of the organizers to follow the recommended and approved operational plans for the car show.
While the council rejected the application as presented, it then directed the city manager to work with the organizers to “see if there’s a way to make this event work in a safe manner,” leaving the door open for it to be revived.
Council asked for the new application to be brought back by September.
When the permit was denied, O’Riordan, president of Naples Automotive Experience, said he remained hopeful of a compromise, but he doesn’t feel that way anymore after meeting with city staff on July 9.
Now, he’s exploring options for organizing a similar car event, or events, elsewhere.
“We did register the name Cars off 5th as a trademark and URL,” O’Riordan said.
City response to relocation of Cars on 5th
After learning of the event will likely go elsewhere, the city issued a press release on July 16, stating in part: “The proposed layout would have accommodated a substantial car show while improving emergency access and reducing impacts to surrounding neighborhoods and Cambier Park facilities, consistent with the operational and public safety concerns identified by City Council.”
According to the press release, the city expected O’Riordan to “review the proposed configuration with his team, evaluate the event footprint, and follow up with city staff,” but he never did.
The city stated that it “values the longstanding tradition of Cars on 5th and recognizes the positive impact the eventhas had on the community, local businesses, participating charities, and automobile enthusiasts over thepast two decades.”
Throughout this process, the city said its goal has remained unchanged to “preserve this popular event while ensuring it can be conducted safely for attendees, residents, businesses, and emergency responders.”
Further, the city emphasized that it “remains open to continued discussion and welcomes a revisedapplication” from the organizers by no later than Aug. 5, for consideration by city council on Aug.19.
Others are clamoring for the iconic car event
Since the city denied the permit for the 2017 event, O’Riordan said he’s been approached by 15 to 16 cities/venues about having us “come their way.
“Four to five are actually viable,” he said.
One of the locations under consideration: Fort Myers Beach on the coastal edge of Lee County.
Business and government representatives from the town were among the first to reach out with interest in hosting the event.
“We don’t know where this is going to go. So, I’m all ears,” O’Riordan said.
Even if the event doesn’t relocate to Fort Myers Beach, he said he’d consider doing a secondary one in the town because it aligns with his goal of supporting a great cause. In this case, the cause would be benefitting a town that is still recovering from the wrath of Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“They are making a great recovery, but they could also use a shot in the arm,” O’Riordan said.
He said he’s been presented with more than 50 letters of support for moving the event to Fort Myers Beach, including from restaurant and hotel owners and town officials.
Abigail Eberhart, a public information officer for the town, acknowledged that “discussions are in the early stages.”
The first call from Fort Myers Beach came from Dawn Miller, a co-owner of The Whale, an iconic restaurant and landmark on the island. She drove O’Riordan around the island to make her pitch for why it would be a good spot for the event.
“We found the parking between businesses and everything else. So, he knows we can do it,” Miller said.
She said she’d be grateful for any type of car event that has the potential to expose the island to new people.
“It is huge for us,” she said. “We have spent a lot of time trying to let the world know we are back and we are thriving, and slowly but surely, everything is going to be just like it was, but better.”
Event could remain in Collier County
The event could still be held elsewhere in Collier County, if not in Naples.
Over the past few weeks, O’Riordan said he has talked to county leaders about potential locations, including the Paradise Coast Sports Complex and Bayshore Arts District in East Naples, and the North Collier Regional Park in North Naples.
“A lot of the county commissioners seem very supportive of us doing it somewhere in the county,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Lee County, he said, other individuals and groups have reached out with interest in hosting the event, including in Fort Myers and Estero. Potential locations include the Coconut Point mall and Saltleaf on Estero Bay.
Others have reached out from as far away as Sarasota, Tampa and St. Petersburg in hopes of luring the event, with some cities offering economic development and other financial incentives, including a grant for $250,000, O’Riordan said.
A decision on the location is expected soon
While O’Riordan contines to explore his options, he expects to make a decision about where to host next year’s event in the “next week or so.” His cell phone has been flooded with calls from those who hope to attend the car show in 2027, no matter the location.
One of the phone calls came from a regular attendee and participant, who has planned a family reunion around next year’s event and has already booked about $30,000 worth of hotel rooms on Fifth Avenue South, which may now be canceled, O’Riordan said.
The car event brought a lot of business to the street.
In a recent letter to the mayor and city council, Joan Fiore, with Citizens for Preserving Naples, shared the results of its recent survey of businesses about Cars on 5th.
The advocacy group reached out to more than 100 businesses on the street. Those that answered were overwhelmingly in support of the event.
“Many businesses reported this event is their most revenue producing day and/or weekend of the year,” Fiore wrote in her letter.
The survey results didn’t surprise O’Riordan who had already heard the same many times over.
“For most of them, it’s the biggest day of the year, and it’s going to go away,” he said.
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: Popular Cars on 5th show likely to leave Naples for good
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
