Ave Maria, Planned community in Collier County, United States.
Ave Maria is a planned community in Collier County, Florida, covering roughly 5,000 acres with residential neighborhoods, a university campus, and a town center with shops. Parks and open spaces connect the different areas and create a cohesive layout.
Tom Monaghan, founder of the Domino's pizza chain, began developing the settlement in 2007 with Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria Foundation. Planning followed a traditional town model with religious facilities at its center.
The oratory at the center displays a marble sculpture of the Annunciation by sculptor Márton Váró. Religious services and events take place regularly in this central place of worship, which draws believers from across the region.
A network of paths and roads connects residential areas to the center and makes orientation straightforward. Visitors find shops, medical facilities, and restaurants grouped around the central square in the town core.
Residents often use bicycles and golf carts to move between neighborhoods and the town center. This mode of transport shapes the daily street scene and reduces car traffic in many areas.
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