Amenities Galore: Developer excels at building lifestyle communities with exceptional amenities

Amenities Galore: Developer excels at building lifestyle communities with exceptional amenities DDC Journal: Winter/ Spring 2017 (page 138) As a real estate developer, Cameratta Companies goes above and beyond expectations to ensure their residential communities are successful.   The firm, based in Fort Myers, Florida, acquires land, plans and designs comprehensive sites to incorporate the most attractive on-site amenities that cater to the potential residents of its master-planned residential communities.   “We are also a general contractor, so we coordinate installation of all the infrastructure, build out all the amenities, and deliver finished home sites to the builders,” says Nick Cameratta, CEO. “Our company works with some of the largest home builders in the country and has a great reputation for delivering a first-class community allowing the builders to focus on what they do best, which is building homes.”   With this distinctive approach, Cameratta Companies has become a heavily sought-after developer throughout Southwest Florida. The family-run business has more than 35 years of experience in developing lifestyle communities that give residents exceptional amenities in a community they love coming home to.   A history of success   Joseph Cameratta, Nick’s father, founded the firm in 1978. Today, Nick works with his father, two brothers, and several other family members. There is also President Raymond Blacksmith, whom Cameratta describes as the firm’s “driving force.”   This team works to create residential developments that are truly one of a kind, with each community’s design significantly different from the next.   “With every project that we do, we always want to be ahead of the curve with the latest amenities,” Cameratta says. “We put a lot of thought and effort into identifying our target market to include the most popular amenities that we are designing the project specifically for.”   Corkscrew Shores in Estero, Florida, is a good example of how the firm works. Situated on a 240-acre lake, the property features a coastal theme throughout. Amenities, surrounded on three sides by the lake, includes a stunning community pool that appears to run directly into the lake thanks to the use of a deck-level gutter.   “Other developers may have looked at selling multimillion-dollar homes on that amenity island and developing them with exclusive lots for residents to live on,” Cameratta says. “We took it and gave it back to the community, and now it’s an amenity for all 648 single-family homes to enjoy. That lake is a significant part of living in that community.”   Additionally, Corkscrew Shores features a full-service restaurant with a sports bar, fire pits to enjoy the Florida sunset and a 13,000 square-foot clubhouse with private rooms for entertaining. There’s also a fitness center, complete with workout studios for aerobics, yoga and Pilates.   Pulte Homes is a partner in Corkscrew Shores as well as the exclusive homebuilder in the project.  

Creating a destination development

  One of the newest efforts from Cameratta Companies is The Place at Corkscrew. Also located in Estero, this project has been positioned as a true destination community, with amenities such as an expanded restaurant with a wine and martini bar, a two-story fitness building with a café and marketplace and a 100-foot waterslide set along waterfalls.   The community will have a southern plantation theme and be home to 1,325 single-family residences.   “1,325 homes provides you with enough support to include an extraordinary amenity package and homes at an affordable price point.” Cameratta says.   Construction at The Place at Corkscrew is under way. Model home sites will be ready in early 2017.   In general, Cameratta Companies tends to select property locations the firm can bring to market in a fashion that best suits residents’ needs.   “Our strategy when buying property is typically to look at a location that we feel comfortable with, and define a market that can bring forward the best use of that property,” Cameratta says. “We can give 110 percent effort by knowing the surrounding area and the ins and outs of the local market. It really helps us do our job to the best of our abilities.”   Cameratta Companies continues to offer unique communities with amenities that can enhance residents’ quality of life, while minimizing the impact of HOA fees. Cameratta believes that the firm is on a strong path as it looks to the future.   “We look forward to developing properties for many years to come and continuing our hands on design, develop and construction approach that has made our company a success,” he says.