Ave Maria, Florida
unincorporated community
Ave Maria, Florida is located in Florida
Ave Maria, Florida
Ave Maria, Florida
Location within Florida
Coordinates: 26°20′12″N 81°26′12″W / 26.33667°N 81.43667°W / 26.33667; -81.43667
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyCollier
Government
 • TypeStewardship Community District
Area
[1]
 • Total10.424 sq mi (27.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
18 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total6,242
 • Density598.6/sq mi (231.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
34142
Area code239
FIPS code12-47625[4]
GNIS feature ID0287528[5]
WebsiteOfficial website

Ave Maria, Florida, United States, is a planned community and census-designated place located in Collier County, Florida,[6] consisting of approximately 5,000 acres (2,023 ha).[7] The community was founded in 2005 by Ave Maria Development, a partnership of Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria Foundation led by Catholic philanthropist Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza and Ave Maria University. It is known for its walkable design, outdoor recreation, and Town Center. Early in the development, Monaghan made controversial statements[8] about plans to enforce Catholic culture in the town at the time that it was founded; plans that have been largely abandoned.

History

Origins

Ave Maria, Florida was founded in 2005 by Ave Maria Development, a partnership consisting of Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria Foundation led by Catholic philanthropist Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza and Ave Maria University. The development of the town was made possible when the Florida legislature created the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District, a limited local government whose purpose is to provide community infrastructure.[9] The town was the first to develop under the Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA) program.[10]

Tom Monaghan's stated goal was for the town to be especially attractive for Catholics to move to. Many of the street names are Catholic in nature, and the center of town is anchored by a large Catholic Church. During a 2007 interview,[11] Monaghan "insists [Ave Maria town] is open to everyone, not just Catholics''. Fellowship Church is a Baptist Church in Ave Maria that was founded in 2017.[12]

According to a 2007 interview on CNN, Ave Maria founder Tom Monaghan stated that his 10-year plan for Ave Maria to have 11,000 homes, 25,000 residents and 5,000 students at Ave Maria University. He wanted to build a community where "a particular amount of Catholics, particularly serious Catholics, would want to live around a really high-quality Catholic University."

Ave Maria was ranked 18th in the United States for planned community home sales the US in 2022.[13]

In June 2023, Collier County commissioners approved the expansion of Ave Maria by 1,000 acres.[10] This brought the town’s size to 5,000 acres, which is the largest allowed under the county rules.[10] The Ave Maria university campus is not included in this acreage.[10] The new land will be used mainly for single family homes, as well as a new town center and additional retail sites.[10]

Education

Ave Maria is located in Collier County and residents attend Collier County public or private schools, some of which are located within the town.[14]

Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University opened on a temporary campus in 2003. Construction of the permanent campus began in 2005, and students were first welcomed in 2007.[15] Ave Maria University is home to the Mother Teresa Museum.[16]

Private Schools

  • The Palm Preschool[17][18]
  • Rhodora J. Donahue Academy (K-12)[15]
  • K-12 Fellowship Academy[19]

Public schools

  • Ave Maria Elementary School[20]
  • Estates Elementary School[21]
  • Corkscrew Middle School[21]
  • Palmetto Ridge High School[21]

Home Development

Ave Maria has condominiums, attached villas, and single family homes, with plans for a 300-unit apartment complex announced in 2023.[10][22] The four builders in the town are CC Homes, Del Webb Naples, Lennar, and Pulte Homes.[22]

Geography & climate

Ave Maria is 36 miles northeast of downtown Naples, Florida, and part of Collier County. The town's elevation is 18 feet.[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.424sq mi (27.01km2).[23]

Ave Maria has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw).

The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) or lowers to the freezing mark.[24] Rainfall averages just over 23.13 inches per year, strongly concentrated during the rainy season (June to September) with its frequent showers and thunderstorms; on average, these four months deliver 80 percent of annual rainfall.[24] From October to May, the average monthly rainfall is less than 4.5 inches.[24] The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 66 °F (18.9 °C) in January to 83 °F (28.3°C) in August, with the annual mean being 74.5 °F (23.6 °C).[24]

Ecology

Ave Maria's location in southern Florida shares the same subtropical wetland ecosystem as the Florida Everglades.[25] It is home to a biodiversity of birds such as wood storks, anhinga, heron and hawks. Alligators may be encountered near fresh water.[26] Visitors have access to a number of nearby nature centers, including the undeveloped wetlands of Camp Keais Strand, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Everglades, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Blair Audubon Center.[27] The surrounding wetlands region of Southwest Florida is a habitat for mansonia mosquitoes, creating a "troublesome" pest problem for humans, according to the Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD).[28] Ave Maria and the surrounding area is sprayed regularly by CMCD aircraft with the pesticide Naled to control mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus.[29][30] In 2022, Ave Maria's tapwater supply was praised as the best-tasting water in Florida.[31] Four water toxicity tests in 2007 and 2008 showed carcinogenic trihalomethanes above the legal limit for contaminants.[32]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
20206,242—
U.S. Decennial Census[33]

2020 census

Ave Maria racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[34]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 3,505 56.15%
Black or African American (NH) 583 9.34%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 19 0.30%
Asian (NH) 155 2.48%
Pacific Islander (NH) 0 0.00%
Some Other Race (NH) 47 0.75%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 154 2.47%
Hispanic or Latino 1,779 28.50%
Total 6,242

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,242 people, 2,227 households, and 806 families residing in the CDP.[35]

Commerce

Ave Maria is home to over 60 businesses, a water park, recreational parks, an indoor marketplace with local vendors, an amphitheater, dog park, trails, playgrounds, bocce and tennis courts, and a fitness center.[36][37] The main Ave Maria Town Center has an open-air walkable design and covers 100,000 square feet.[38]

Ave Maria Parish

The band Scythian performs at a festival in front of the Ave Maria Oratory with Annunciation sculpture visible in the background.

The face of the church displays sculptor Márton Váró's 30-foot-tall (9 m) sculpture of the Annunciation, depicting the Archangel Gabriel greeting the Virgin Mary with the words "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary). [39][40][41] It took Váró three years to complete the sculpture.[42] Váró's "Good Shepherd" sculpture is featured inside the church; it was also carved in marble from Cave Michelangelo in Carrara, Italy.[43]

The church is part of the Diocese of Venice, and serves as the parish for local residents, students, and visitors.[44][45] One of the building’s most distinctive characteristics is its steel structure, much of which is exposed internally and externally.[42][46] In 2008, the parish received an Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel award from the American Institute of Steel Construction.[47][48] A reward was also given by the American Institute of Architects [40]. Tours of the church are available to the public.[49]

References

  1. ↑ "AVE MARIA Census-Designated Place . Population, Housing, Area, and Density: 2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Elevation search for "Ave Maria, Fla."". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the population for the Incorporated Places of Florida". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original (XLS) on May 8, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Ave Maria Development Company". Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ THEORET, NANCI (September 6, 2023). "Here We Grow Again! Ave Maria Adds 1,000 Acres for More Single-family Homes and Retail - Ave Maria Sun". Ave Maria Sun -. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ Cooperman, Alan (March 25, 2007). "Magnate's Decisions Stir Controversy". The Washington Post: On Faith. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  9. ↑ "avemariastewardshipcd.org". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Town of Ave Maria to grow by nearly 1,000 acres. Here's why". Naples Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ The Rise of a Catholic Town: Ave Maria, Florida, retrieved May 20, 2023
  12. ↑ "History". Fellowship Church. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of 2022". RCLCO Real Estate Consulting. January 4, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Ave Maria named 16th fastest-selling master-planned community in the U.S. - Naples Florida Weekly". Naples Florida Weekly -. August 4, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Ave Maria, Florida: The Town That Dominos Pizza Built". Florida Back Roads Travel. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  16. ↑ "School plans $11M academic complex and museum". Business Observer. November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ Reg, Florida. "The Palm Preschool - Ave Maria, LLC". Florida Reg. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Grand opening of The Palm Preschool of Ave Maria - Ave Maria Sun". Ave Maria Sun -. January 25, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ Bulletin, Special to Immokalee (April 13, 2022). "Ave Maria surpasses 200 new home sales to date in 2022". South Central Florida Life. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Bringing Christ-Centered Education to a Rural Community". Florida Baptist Convention | FBC. September 3, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 "About CCPS / Cities of Collier County". www.collierschools.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Ave Maria ranked #19 Master-Planned Community in mid-year report - Naples Florida Weekly". Naples Florida Weekly -. August 3, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Convert 27 Square Kilometers to Square Miles". www.calculateme.com. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Climate & Weather Averages in Ave Maria, Florida, USA". www.timeanddate.com. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  25. ↑ Cardona, Alexi C. "Ave Maria University President Jim Towey to step down in 2020". Naples Daily News. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Campus Safety: Wildlife". Ave Maria University. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Master Planned Communities". Barron Collier Companies. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Officials work to treat troublesome mosquito population in Immokalee, Ave Maria". NBC2 News. January 5, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  29. ↑ "The Ave Maria Herald - AMSCD Briefed on Bond Refinancing, Mosquito Control". www.aveherald.com.
  30. ↑ Schneider, Karl (August 27, 2021). "Collier, Lee mosquito control districts find 'widespread' West Nile Virus". Naples Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  31. ↑ Rakoczy, Maria (April 6, 2022). "Drink up! Ave Maria's water tastes great". Ave Maria Sun. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Toxic Waters: Ave Maria Utility Company". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Travellers' guide to Everglades_National_Park". Travellerspoint. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  36. ↑ "A RESOLUTION OF THE COLLIER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FINDING NO OBJECTION TO THE CREA TION OF THE AVE MARIA STEWARDSHIP COMMUNITY DISTRICT". November 6, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Prominent Naples family buys Florida Weekly media company". Business Observer. June 30, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  38. ↑ Aten, Tim (March 6, 2023). "Indoor marketplace launches with 15 vendors in Ave Maria -". Gulfshore Business. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Ave Maria Oratory Quasi-Parish". Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  40. ↑ Companies, Barron Collier. "Ave Maria Development opens new office spaces In growing Town Center". Naples Daily News. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  41. ↑ "The Annunciation of Ave Maria by Sculptor Marton Varo". Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  42. 1 2 Companies, Barron Collier. "Ave Maria ranks as one of the Top 25 Master-Planned Communities in the nation". Naples Daily News. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  43. ↑ David Shnaider. "Memorial Statue for Alex Klucik Installed in Oratory". The Ave Maria Herald. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Marton Varo Marble Sculpture Art – Rare Opportunity to Obtain MÁRTON VÁRÓ Sculptures". Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Ave Maria Parish". Diocese of Venice. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Ave Maria in Ave Maria Development, Naples, FL". www.strombergarchitectural.com. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  47. ↑ "Oratory at Ave Maria receives architecture award". Naples Daily News. June 25, 2008. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  48. ↑ Tyson, Thomas R.; Busby, Lyn B.; Cook, Collin M. (November 29, 2023). "Center of Attention" (PDF).
  49. ↑ "Slippery Rock Gazette | Annunciation Sculpture is Crowning Glory of Ave Maria University's Oratory". Slippery Rock Gazette. Retrieved November 29, 2023.

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