One of Florida’s largest citrus producers is shifting its focus from agriculture to real estate, planning a massive residential development in the southwestern part of the state. Alico, Inc. announced it has submitted plans to build the first of two planned villages on a 3,000-acre site near where Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties meet.
Each village is expected to feature around 4,500 homes and will be surrounded by 6,000 acres of protected conservation land. This marks a major pivot for the Fort Myers-based company, which earlier this year revealed it would cease citrus-growing operations by the end of the current season due to steadily falling production.
Alico owns over 53,000 acres across eight Florida counties, along with nearly 49,000 acres of oil, gas, and mineral rights within the state. Its decision to exit citrus farming reflects broader challenges in Florida’s citrus industry, which has been battered by extreme weather and the devastating effects of citrus greening disease.
The state’s orange production has plummeted by 90% over the past 20 years. Once home to more than 832,000 acres of citrus groves at the start of the century, Florida now has just 275,000 acres dedicated to citrus. Meanwhile, California has surpassed Florida as the top citrus-producing state in the U.S.
As the citrus industry declines, real estate development is on the rise, fueled by the rapid population growth across Florida. Increasingly, groves are being replaced by residential communities, signaling a new era for land use in the Sunshine State.