Estero Community Planning Panel
and Estero Design Review Committee

Recipients of the
David  Graham  Award  for  Excellence  in  Development

2011: Extra Space Storage

Estero Planners Present Extra Space Storage with 2011 David Graham Award for Excellence in Development
ESTERO, FL:  The Estero Community Planning Panel and the Estero Design Review Committee  presented Extra Space Storage at Coconut Point with the 2011 David Graham Award for Excellence in Development. The award was presented Thursday, April 7, as part of the spring meeting of the Southwest Florida Urban Land Institute program.

Extra Space Storage was honored for its groundbreaking architectural design, aesthetic and construction components.
“This facility has surpassed any conventional self-storage facility built in the Florida market,” noted Jack Lienesch, chairman of the Estero planning panel.  “Besides providing a beautiful addition to the Coconut Point development, it fits well with the existing surrounding structures, features top-quality landscaping and still preserves its self-storage component.”

Accepting the award for Extra Space Storage, Dave Vivancos noted that this facility features 853 units and 85000 square feet of storage in a four-story building, and provided a challenge to the architect and construction team to incorporate all the aesthetic components of the design in the limited land available on the property.

The David Graham Award for Excellence in Development is named for long-time Estero resident, developer and community promoter David Graham.  The Award, which has been presented annually since 2007, was created to recognize completed developments that have raised the bar of excellence for developments within the Estero Planning Community area.  

Both the Estero Community Planning Panel and the Estero Design Review Committee are volunteer community organizations which work with Lee County, developers and residents to ensure that Estero’s distinctive design standards are met.

2010: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa

ESTERO, FL, July 5, 2010 -- Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa has been honored by the Estero Community Planning Panel and the Design Review Committee as the fourth recipient of the prestigious David Graham award.  This annual award honors long time Estero resident and community promoter David Graham and has been presented every year since 2007 recognizing an exceptional development of distinction within the Estero Planning Community. 
 
The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa was honored for two primary reasons – first of all, it is unique in its eco-friendly design, which has helped make it a leader in “green” hotels.  Secondly, the resort is also recognized for its long involvement in the Estero community, ranging from hosting Estero events to providing gifts for various Estero charity functions.                                                        
 
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa is a four-diamond, 454 room resort.  The resort features award-winning Tarpon Bay Restaurant, a championship Raymond Floyd 18-hole golf course, a full-service 19,000 square foot spa, three pools, two waterslides, a private island beach, and a host of other amenities.  The property opened in 2001 and has been recognized as the first and only 3 Palm Green Lodging resort in the State of Florida by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, indicating superior management practices in the areas of communication, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and clean air.
For additional information or to make reservations, call 239-444-1234 or visit www. coconutpoint.hyatt.com. For media inquiries, contact Joe Thompson at 239-390-4280.
 
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome.  Thousands of members of the Hyatt family in 45 countries strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality.  The company’s subsidiaries manage, franchise, own and develop hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz™, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place® and Hyatt Summerfield Suites™ brand names and have locations under development on five continents. Hyatt Vacation ownership, Inc., Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops and operates vacation ownership properties under the Hyatt Vacation Club® brand. As of June 30, 2009 the company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of 413 properties.  For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com

2009: Simon Property Group for “Main Street and Lake Front at Coconut Point”

Simon Property Group is the winner of the third annual David Graham Memorial Award for Excellence in Development for its Main Street and Lake Front at Coconut Point. The award was presented by the Estero Community Planning Panel and the Estero Design Review Committee at the spring meeting of the Southwest Florida Council of the Urban Land Institute on June 22, 2009 at the Embassy Suites in Estero.

Jack Lienesch, Chairman of the Planning Panel, noted that Coconut Point is an inventive, cutting edge, vertically integrated mixed-use project including retail, restaurants, entertainment, residential hotel and office.  It is clearly a one-of-a-kind development and a real benefit to Estero. Coconut Point has attracted visits from developers from across the country.  As Coconut Point went through the approval process, Simon Property Group presented to many groups: homeowners’ associations, civic associations, chambers of commerce, etc.  They promised and have carried out design criteria implemented by a design review guideline and enforced by their own design review authority.  This was a precursor to the Estero Community Planning Panel and the Estero Design Review Committee.   Simon continues to work with the EDRC as the development continues around the periphery of the main shopping area.  Simon Property Group can be very proud of the architecture overlay created for the entire 482-acre Coconut Point project.

Tom Schneider, an executive vice president at Simon, who was responsible for driving the Coconut Point project, had some thoughts on this award:  "This award named in honor of David Graham means a lot to me personally because I had a lot of respect for David. He was very active in the community and was involved in all of the infrastructure improvements that made Estero what it is today. David was always willing to work hard and build a consensus for anything that needed to get done for the community." 

"I'm proud of how Coconut Point looks and what it's become for the community - a community gathering spot." 

Tom also spoke about the Main Street and Lakefront areas of the project as being unique. The Main Street, of course, is an active street scene with a boulevard and residential and office space above the retail. It is certainly an urban environment. The Lakefront, on the other hand, is designed to be a casual destination, developed in a first-class way, complete with Brazilian hardwood on the pedestrian and vehicular bridges. 

Lienesch also commented that “Simon Property Group has made Coconut Point a magnet in Estero for visitors from all over.  It is appropriate that our third annual David Graham award is presented to their company in recognition of its efforts to make Estero as attractive as our community planners want it to be.”

2008: Bonita Bay Group for The Brooks

On May 22, 2008 Kitty Green accepted the second annual David Graham Memorial Award for Excellence on behalf of Bonita Bay Group for the Brooks Development. The David Graham Memorial Award for Excellence in Development highlights those completed developments in the community that have raised the bar in Estero and exemplify who David Graham was as a leader and developer. The award is given to one developer per year, who has completed a project of exceptional merit in the Estero community.

The 2008 award committee feels that the Brooks development has created a new standard in Estero, one that has proven difficult to match for other developers. Their transformation of AG-2 land to four residential communities and adjacent commercial properties is exemplary. But beyond that, Bonita Bay Group restored an historic flow way that had been disrupted for decades, created two major arterial roads where there were none, landscaped these roads in a manner that never could have been contemplated by the county, and finally agreed to maintain such landscaping in perpetuity. Altogether, a remarkable achievement.

The award was presented at the Urban Land Institute meeting at the Three Oaks Banquet Center in Estero, Florida by Jack Lienesch of the Estero Community Planning Panel.

2007: Wallace Homes for Rapallo at Coconut Point

On May 23, 2007 Jim Wallace accepted the first annual David Graham Memorial Award for Excellence on behalf of Wallace Homes for the Rapallo at Coconut Point residential development. The award was presented by Neal Noethlich of the Estero Community Planning Panel at the Urban Land Institute meeting held at West Bay Club.

Jack Lienesch (ECPP), Tom O'Dea (EDRC), Neal Noethlich (ECPP), Jim Wallace and Gordon Lyons (EDRC)	Neal Noethlich presents the award to Jim Wallace for Rapallo.

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