Cameratta Companies prides itself on going above and beyond to exceed its customers’ expectations.
Construction-Today.com March 13, 2018
By Bianca Herron, Senior Editor at Knighthouse Media
Cameratta Companies is a leading full-service real estate development company with four decades of experience. Since Joe Cameratta built his first home in 1978, the company has developed thousands of acres of raw land, from the Midwest to south Florida, into beautifully designed homes. These have included single- and multifamily, high-rise condominiums and master-planned communities.
The company credits its employees as the key to its success, noting they play a part in every facet of the development process. This includes acquiring land, creating a vision and land plan, acquiring financing, securing county and government approvals, and overseeing infrastructure installation and amenity design.
On Schedule
Cameratta Companies is building two master-planned communities, Corkscrew Shores and The Place at Corkscrew, in Estero, Fla. CEO Nick Cameratta says that both residential communities are “turning out great.”
“Corkscrew Shores is nearly complete, and about 75 percent of its homes are sold,” he says. “Its amenities are 100 percent complete, which include a 6,200-square-foot pool, fire pit, tennis courts, bocce ball and pickle ball courts, kayaks and canoes, a fishing dock and walking trails.”
In addition, Corkscrew Shores boasts a coastal-themed grand clubhouse, which features a private dining/activities room, oversized fitness center, aerobics studio, catering kitchen and conference center. “The soothing color palette of the clubhouse immediately invites and connects you with the negative-edge pool and the breathtaking brilliant blue lake,” Cameratta explains. “It is all beautifully decorated and will surely impress.”
The 722-acre gated development isn’t a traditional community, Cameratta notes. He adds that the “traditional community concept” has been enhanced to make Corkscrew Shores’ residents feel as if their homes are a vacation destination with a fresh coastal theme. This was designed to complement the community’s 240-acre lake.
Cameratta Companies is also building The Place At Corkscrew, which has a southern plantation theme. “It has significantly larger lots, and the houses are 40-foot setbacks as opposed to the typical 25-foot,” Cameratta says. “It also has sidewalks throughout, so it has more of an estate-type feel.”
The Place’s amenities include a two-story fitness center, kid’s club, ice cream parlor and café, small marketplace, full-service restaurant, martini bar, cabanas, 100-foot waterslide, 12,000-square-foot pool, splash pad and rock waterfalls.
“It also has a custom-built trolley, which acts as the community’s transportation system,” Cameratta notes. “We want to make it easy and convenient for everyone in the community to use the amenities, which are scheduled for completion this fall, with the exception of the restaurant.”
He adds that Cameratta Companies will start building the restaurant in 60 days, and anticipate completion first-quarter 2019. “It’s a true destination community,” he says. “These communities are unique to us because we put our name on everything we do, so our reputation is always on the line. We want to ensure we’re building the best master-planned communities and amenities.”
Cameratta says his company also puts “a lot of effort” into designing each community, tailoring its amenities specifically to its target demographics. “For example, at the Place, we have sold 140 homes out of the community’s 1,325 since August,” he says. “Retirees, empty nesters and second homebuyers are huge buyers in this market. Our amenities are a huge draw.”
Working Together
Cameratta Companies has longstanding relationships – some for more than 10 years – with the majority of its subcontractors. For its two current projects, the subcontractors include Pinnacle Pools, Tomahawk Construction, General Air and Plumbing, Wayne Wiles and Sunny Grove Landscaping.
“The subcontractors we’re working with have been excellent at delivering work on time and on budget,” Cameratta says. “They have all done an outstanding job. We are very fortunate to have longstanding relationships with most of the subcontractors that do business with us. This maintains our quality control, which allows us to do our jobs extremely well.”
Ultimately, Cameratta says that he is most proud of the company’s team. “We put forth a team effort day in and day out,” he says. “We wouldn’t be here without our team.”
As Cameratta Companies looks ahead, it aims to continue to stay on track with the development industry. “It’s somewhat challenging for us being a private company, as we have to compete with many public companies,” Cameratta says. “However, the key is that we continue to do what we do best, which is land development and
building master-planned communities.”
The Place at Corkscrew, a gated, Southern Plantation-inspired community, offers an amenity-rich lifestyle in the highly-desirable setting of Estero, Florida. (PRNewsfoto/Lennar Corporation)
