PALMETTO'S RIVIERA

There's the South of France and there's the city of Palmetto. This charming Manatee Riverfront community is quickly becoming one of the hottest places to live in our area. Just ask the folks at the Riviera Dunes Resort & Yacht Club, where the opulent condominium community of Bel Mare is rising. A gated residential community of three 15-story condominium towers, Bel Mare will offer a host of luxury amenities, from concierge service to a pet park, nature and jogging trail, short golf course, state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis courts and lakefront beach area. Prices start from the high $400,000s, with penthouses starting at more than $2 million. Not bad for what was once sleepy little Palmetto.

NAPLES INTERNATIONAL DESIGN CENTER OPENS SOON

World-renowned designer Juan Montoya has been selected to design the interior of the new International Design Center scheduled to open this fall at the corner of I-75 and Corkscrew Road, just north of Naples.

The 250,000-square-foot, neoclassical, three-story design center is slated to be "a world-class facility for both consumers and residential and commercial design professionals," says Margaret Miller, president and CEO of Miromar Development. Its showrooms will feature a variety of home furnishings, fabrics, wall coverings, antiques, fine art, home theater systems, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures.

Montoya is consistently named an Architectural Digest Top 100 Designer. "Juan's sophisticated style will provide the perfect backdrop for these beautiful products and displays," Miller says.