Jewish Federation of Greater Naples explores community's future at annual Day of Learnin

NAPLES, Fla. - April 4, 2023 - PRLog -- Row houses down the street from beachfront property. An arts district to rival such better-known destinations in Sarasota and Miami.  Even more leisure-time amenities for a new crop of retirees whose active lives scarcely resemble those of their predecessors.

With the region's red-hot growth showing no signs of slowing, those were just some of the possibilities explored by a recent panel of community leaders sharing their vision of Naples' future. The theme of the annual Day of Learning, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples' Jewish Community Relations Council: "Vibrant Naples – Can it be Sustained?"

"Six months after Hurricane Ian, our community faces a unique opportunity to focus not only on recovery and rebuilding but also innovation and improvement," said Jeffrey Feld,  CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.

Speaker Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, director of the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University, cautioned that, when it comes economic development, Naples and the rest of Southwest Florida can't rest on their laurels.

The rising cost of housing, whether as a homeowner or renter, is a particular concern, Neto said, with not only low-income employees but also middle-class workers unable to afford to live where they work.

Jamie French, director of the Department of Growth Management Community Development for Collier County, concurred on the need for more affordable housing. Two days before he spoke, the Collier County Commission endorsed a set of changes to the county's Growth Management Plan to allow more affordable housing in certain commercially zoned districts, as well as increased residential density in certain parts of town.

Such density increases could allow for more outside-the-box development, French suggested, even floating the notion of side-by-side row houses commonly found in East Coast cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Elysia Dawn, executive director of United Arts Collier, envisions a 21^st century Naples with a unified arts scene among the county's nearly 200 arts organizations, a collective effort that would elevate the area's arts scene among both locals and out-of-towners.

Other Day of Learning speakers included Collier County Manager Amy Patterson and Dr. Rebecca Smith, president of the Collier County Medical Society.

For its initial seven years, the Day of Learning explored topical issues through a Jewish lens, Feld said. This year, event organizers framed the discussion as part of a broader community conversation that was also open to the public at the Federation's new Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center, which opened in January.

The theme is consistent with the mission of the Jewish Community Relations Council, which seeks to build bridges of communication and understanding with the broader Naples community.

For information, visit jewishnaples.org, call 239-263-4205 or email info@jewishnaples.org.