NORTH NAPLES — At the Princeton Place Two condominium in North Naples, Chris Kudialis hasn’t been able to sleep in his own bedroom in months.

 

"It's been wrapped in plastic ever since (the start of the year)," Kudialis explained. That’s because of a major project at his condo building — a reconstruction of the southern-facing wall. Right now, a wall is in place. For several weeks, that wasn’t the case. "It was open air here," Kudialis said, gesturing toward the south side of his bedroom. "This was our wall. This tarp here, this plastic, this piece of plastic." In a letter to owners last year, the board of directors at the condominium wrote that they were hopeful the project would start in June or July of 2025 and take about four months, weather permitting.

But construction didn't actually start until months after that, and even now the project still isn’t done.

"Not only is the work not completed, it's in limbo," Kudialis said. "It's halfway done."

That’s because of problems with the work that has been done. In a meeting earlier this year, the board of directors said replacement windows were installed instead of new construction.

It was described in meeting minutes as an "error" by the contractor.

That has raised questions over how much longer the work will take, and some longtime owners have decided to move out amid the delays.

"28 years, (I’ve) never seen anything like this," longtime owner Wendy Gexler said. "The anxiety level has been unbearable."

"We're at zero basically," said Nunzio Incorvaia, another owner. "It’s been a nightmare."

The full project, which also includes replacing A/C lines, carries a big price tag. It cost each condo owner about $40,000.

With the project issues and delays, they wonder if they’ll have to pay even more than that.

"We're worried now about a retroactive assessment," Kudialis said. "Where they come back and ask for more money on top of it."

Shelton Weeks, a professor of real estate at Florida Gulf Coast University, said major projects at condos in Florida are not uncommon right now.

Hurricanes have battered the Gulf Coast in recent years, and 95 percent of condos in the state are now more than 30 years old.

Last year, Weeks published a research article about condominiums, terminations and the legal process.

"Our housing stock that's held in condominium ownership is getting older," he said. "As those things get older, when they're exposed to heat and elements and salt air in Florida, you're going to have more structural issues."

Plus, the Surfside collapse in 2021 led to tougher inspection rules. They’re designed to make things safer but also bring more expense.

Those costs, Weeks said, can make it tough for owners to decide on a path forward.

"You think about getting everybody to agree in a condo, I mean, shoot. It's hard to get half a dozen people to agree on where we're going for dinner this evening," he said.

Princeton Place Two is more than 35 years old, and in letters to residents, the board has pointed to problems like stucco cracks, window leaks and A/C line failures to insist that reconstruction is necessary.

While some owners question that, their bigger concern is feeling left in the dark.

"Imagine not being able to use your own home," Kudialis said. "The biggest losers are the residents here, because we have this."

With the heart of hurricane season looming, owners worry about the safety of the building — and its people — if a big storm hits.

Kudialis said they have been told the project won't be done until Thanksgiving, at the earliest. Even so, owners have a hard time believing.

"I want to just have something done so that we can get our homes back," Gexler said.

Gulf Coast News reached out by phone and by email to multiple board members at Princeton Place Two, but did not receive a response.

McLeod’s Construction is the contractor behind the project. Owner Lombardo McLeod told Gulf Coast News over the phone that the project was supposed to be finished around the start of the year, but said several changes to the plans led to delays.

He admitted to a mix-up when ordering the windows for the project but insisted the company will cover the costs for any extras, if necessary.