Ave Maria, Florida

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Ave Maria, Florida, United States, [Zip Code: 34142] is a planned college town currently under development in Collier County, near Immokalee and Naples. Local community and business leaders have partnered with the Ave Maria Foundation to create a new community that will have a new 5,000 student Roman Catholic university, Ave Maria University, at its core. The town is planned for more than 8,000 residential units at build out, as well as many amenities. Amenities are to include a 17 court tennis facility, a golf course, a water park with separate lap pool, resort pool and water park, multiple soccer and softball fields, pickle ball courts, a dog park, an amphitheater, two indoor fitness facilities which will include indoor basketball and gyms, as well as walking and preserve trails and an activities director. The town and university opened in 2007.

Detailed plans for the community and university have been posted online and have garnered both praise and criticism. The driving force behind this development is Roman Catholic philanthropist Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza and the Chancellor of Ave Maria University. His partner is Barron Collier Companies, a company involved in the project as part of its "Rural Stewardship" program, a program designed to conserve rural agriculture and environment while allowing for economic growth and development. Monaghan and Barron Collier Companies have exclusive control of commercial real estate in the town.

The new university at the core of the community is a follow-on to Ave Maria School of Law and Ave Maria College, both founded in Michigan. The community in Florida came about after difficulties in obtaining zoning and sundry support in Michigan. The reception of both the town and university in Florida has been quite positive, gaining county approval and breaking ground in 2005.

1 Controversies
2 Education
- 2.1 Primary and secondary schools
  - 2.1.1 Public schools
  - 2.1.2 Private schools
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Controversies

Monaghan once stated that commercial leases in the town would enforce beliefs consistent with the Roman Catholic faith, including prohibiting the sale of pornography or contraceptives and banning the performance of abortions. Consequently, the American Civil Liberties Union announced it would oppose these plans in court if they were carried out.^[1] Monaghan later explained in a public statement, "I prefer not to have those things, but I am not going to break the law."^[2]

The Roman Catholic oratory at Ave Maria

There was also controversy with GLBT rights groups when it was rumored that Monaghan would make it illegal for realtors to sell homes and condos to gay and lesbian couples and families in Ave Maria. Monaghan has denied this claim.

The centerpiece of the town and university is a Roman Catholic oratory. It is a neo-Gothic style building 100 feet in height, covering 25,000 square feet, with a glass and steel exterior and a crucifix 65 feet in height. While still sizable, this is a scaled back version of the original plan, which had a 60,000-square-foot floor plan.^[3] Many people have criticized the choice of designs, saying that either a traditional European style or a local Spanish mission style would be better for aesthetic and climatic reasons. Monaghan, an admirer of the architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright, supports the design.^[4]

The community has drawn criticism from environmental and conservation groups, especially for the threat it may pose to the endangered Florida panther.^[5]

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and secondary schools

[edit] Public schools

Ave Maria's public schools are operated by the District School Board of Collier County. One public elementary school and one public middle school will be placed in the community on a 46-acre site. The district also has plans to build a high school in close proximity to Ave Maria [1] [2] [3].

[edit] Private schools

In the Fall of 2007, a private K-12 school opened in Ave Maria [4] [5] with over 130 students. The school plans to eventually add a second building to house the high school.