FORT MYERS, Fla., Nov. 03, 2025 — Alico Inc., a Southwest Florida-based agribusiness and land management company with over 125 years of experience, has announced a strategic partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation and its construction contractor to design and construct a wildlife underpass as part of a planned expansion of State Road 82 to four lanes in Collier County.
The wildlife underpass will align with a proposed wildlife corridor connected to the Corkscrew Grove Villages project in eastern Collier County. Alico has committed approximately $5 million toward design and construction costs related to the wildlife underpass.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation by creating an important regional link to support wildlife movement between Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties,” said John Kiernan, President and CEO of Alico Inc. “We are confident in our expectations that the underpass will play a significant role in advancing the panther recovery plan by providing a permanent landscape-scale connection to the Caloosahatchee dispersal zone at no expected additional cost to taxpayers.”
The Corkscrew Grove underpass is planned to measure approximately 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall and incorporate fencing designed to reduce wildlife mortality along State Road 82. It will complement two bridge underpasses FDOT is building at Under Canal and Panther Creek, both of which bisect the Corkscrew Grove property.
Construction of the underpass is expected to begin before the end of the year, subject to final approvals, in conjunction with the current State Road 82 widening project, with work currently expected to be completed in 2027. FDOT worked closely with Alico to integrate the underpass into the design with minimal disruption to the overall widening project.
“By aligning this wildlife crossing underpass with the broader wildlife corridor planned along the eastern boundary of the Corkscrew Groves development, we’re taking an important step toward preserving natural habitats and supporting the panther recovery effort,” said Brent Setchell, District Drainage Design Engineer for FDOT. “The collaboration with Alico, Inc. demonstrates how public and private partners can work together to balance growth, environmental stewardship and infrastructure improvements. FDOT’s mission has always been about safety and that extends to include wildlife.”
Alico will support construction through the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District, an special district responsible for infrastructure in the proposed master-planned community. The district, which will be overseen by a five-member Board of Supervisors, will assist Alico in its efforts to finance infrastructure, help restore and manage natural areas, and oversee the administration of the master planned communities and lands within the district’s boundaries.
“We are grateful to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Kathleen Passidomo and Rep. Lauren Melo for their leadership and the entire Florida Legislature for their support in establishing the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District,” said Kiernan. “The creation of the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District was critical as we explored ways to partner with FDOT to expedite the creation of this wildlife underpass.”
In March 2025, Alico announced the creation of Corkscrew Grove Villages. Located on approximately 4,600 acres at the northwest corner of Collier County on the border of Lee and Hendry counties, Corkscrew Grove Villages will provide future residents with a thoughtfully planned community while also enhancing public infrastructure, permanently protecting thousands of acres of sensitive lands, and improving wetlands and water resources. The plan consists of two 1,500-acre villages accompanied by more than 7,000 acres of permanent conservation area.
Since 2003, Alico has either sold or entered easements to protect more than 46,800 acres. This land, combined with the 7,000 acres included in the Corkscrew Grove Villages plan, provides critical connectivity between existing conservation lands, and also supports the creation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Alico is currently seeking approval for the first of two planned villages, East Village. The process is anticipated to take approximately one year, with the final decision by the Collier Board of County Commissioners expected in 2026. Alico has also submitted permits to the South Florida Water Management District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for both villages. Construction on the first village could begin as early as 2028.
For more information about Corkscrew Grove Villages, visit corkscrewgrovecollier.com. For more information about Alico, visit alicoinc.com.
Provided by Alico Inc.