Developer Oakbrook Properties has acquired the 1,268-acre Bonita Grande mine property in a deal that closed in July for an undisclosed sum. The property, an active limestone mine since the late 1980s, was annexed into the city of Bonita Springs in 2003. More than 370 acres are protected under a permanent conservation easement, with another 400-plus acres in large freshwater lakes from the mining operations. The company has not indicated any immediate plans for the property.
“Due to the sensitivity of the area, we thought it was critically important for the Bonita Grande mine to be in the hands of local stewards who know the city and the region,” Oakbrook president and CEO David McArdle says in the release. “We are uniquely qualified to transition the mine to a new land use that retains the best characteristics of the area while improving water resources.”
