Aspen-based M Development proposes to build two three-story, mixed-use buildings and a parking garage in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue South, which includes the former St. George & the Dragon restaurant site in Naples. The proposals for 936 Fifth Ave. S. and 975 Sixth Ave. S. were presented to the Naples Design Review Board for preliminary review during an Aug. 28 public hearing. Both projects include three-story buildings with retail units on the ground floor and residential condominium units on the second and third floors. The project includes an above-ground parking garage that will serve both the commercial and residential uses of the new development. Three major differences distinguish what the developer is proposing now compared to the Whole Foods Market project it earlier proposed for that 1.76-acre block: The new proposal does not include a big-box retail store, underground parking or plans to vacate the existing mid-avenue alleys. These concessions were integral to the company’s lawsuit settlement agreement with the city this summer. In December, M Development sued Naples after the city stalled approval of the developer’s pending plans. The company agreed to settle in June, allowing it to revisit its plans for luxury condominiums and boutique retail shops near Four Corners, where U.S. 41 meets Fifth Avenue South. The settlement also includes the adjacent 1000 block of Fifth Avenue South, where M Development had previously proposed a Restoration Hardware gallery, but new plans for that block were not presented this week. “This filing is just for the 900 block. The 1000 block is coming shortly,” said Andy Penev, head of development for M Development. The projects in the 900 block are being presented as two mixed-use proposals for strategic site reasons, but they both will work together as a total of 20 residential units between the two buildings, Penev said. The building at 936 Fifth Ave. S. will have eight condo units on its second floor and seven on its third floor. The smaller building planned for 975 Sixth Ave. S. will have three units and a fitness amenity on its second floor and two units and a swimming pool on the top floor. The ground floor of both buildings will be Class A retail, the highest quality buildings designed for top-tier tenants. About 27,000 square feet of commercial space will face Fifth Avenue South, 10th Street South and Sixth Avenue South. M Development has yet to reveal prospective tenants for any of the retail units. “Nobody signed on yet, but we are speaking to several,” Penev said. M Development plans to formally announce more specific information about the projects in about two months, he said. “That’s going to outline in detail a lot of the features and what the project is, and potentially some of the retailers. We haven’t really announced it yet.” The Design Review Board meeting on Aug. 28 was only for preliminary review of the plans, presented by Naples-based MHK Architecture. The project will return this f...