Metrostudy, a national company that bills itself as the leading provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing and residential construction industry, reports that Babcock Ranch is now the #1 master-planned community in Southwest Florida based on single-family home starts. According to Al Dougherty, chief operations officer, “With 11 of the area’s top homebuilders and pricing starting under $200,000, Babcock Ranch’s variety and value has translated into more than $140 million in home contracts. We offer homebuyers an inventory of ‘quick move-in’ homes, the availability of autonomous transportation, and integrated smart home technology.”
Read the story in Charlotte Florida Weekly.
Babcock Ranch has drawn lots of national attention as America’s first solar town. According to Florida Power & Light, the innovative community is powered by the largest solar-plus-storage system in the United States. FPL invested over $100 million to install initial solar panels, wiring and storage batteries. Babcock Ranch was designed by Kitson & Partners to integrate respect for the natural environment with smart growth and sustainable practices. Half of the town’s 18,000-acre footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Founder’s Square downtown district. Plans include 50 miles of biking and hiking trails, interconnected lakes for paddling enthusiasts, a Healthy Life Center, lakefront bandshell and boardwalk, modern amenities like gigabit Wifi and self-driving shuttle cars and much more. The community received an $8 million grant from the state of Florida to house a regional storm shelter, which will double as an entertainment and sports venue. The EDP is proud of this innovative community and glad to see it continues to generate growth and excitement locally and across the country.