Here Comes the Sun
Babcock Ranch the NEW “Sun City” in Florida, a city that is actively communicating with the sun instead of, well, just sitting there and baking in the heat. There is another Sun City in Florida, a town in Hillsborough County, south of Tampa and north of Sarasota. But we are talking about Babcock Ranch in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County just north of Ft. Myers. Have a look and get inspired.
Babcock Ranch, a master planned city is southwest Florida’s most charming new city that will someday be home to more than 50,000 residents. It is the nation’s first solar-powered city created on agricultural fields and rock-mined land, and the goal is to be completely independent of other power sources than the sun.
Once completed, it will be the biggest city in Charlotte County, with a visionary and unique concept. Yes, Babcock Ranch will be different, and it will make a statement because it doesn’t look like a typical planned community. It is designed for the future while embracing the past.
Architecture – Back to the Roots
The architecture is inspired by original Florida Homes and pre-WWII neighborhoods in Southwest Florida. However, while the design is rooted in the past, the overall concept of the city points to the future.
Pointing to the Future?
Babcock Ranch is an Eco-Centric Town where the homes are embedded in nature and powered by the sun, by innovation, and by the great outdoors. Solar energy, water efficiency, native plants and materials, community gardens, sustainable local materials, tree preservation and relocation, transportation alternatives, and Florida Green Building standards are the cornerstones of the new project. Babcock Ranch builds sustainability right into the infrastructure.
Solar Energy and Babcock Ranch
You will see it because it is massive. Slightly north of the Babcock Ranch property is the 440 acre Babcock Ranch FPL Solar Energy Center. Three hundred forty-three thousand solar panels deliver 74.5 megawatts to the entire town of Babcock and surrounding areas.
During the day, the electricity generated at the Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center flows to the FPL substation first and from there to the town. Any extra energy generated by the solar plant continues to flow to the grid to serve other FPL customers outside of the Ranch. When the sun goes down, the battery storage kicks in to supply uninterrupted power. Homeowners seeking to reduce their monthly utility bills and environmental footprint further can add their own rooftop solar panels.
The Town
The whole Babcock Ranch preserve is 73,000 acres in size, while the town will only use about 18,000 acres. However, half of the 18,000 acres are even devoted to green-ways, parks, and lakes. Once completed, the town will accommodate 19,500 residences, which will ultimately be home to approximately 50,000 residents.
Green infrastructure has been the overriding theme in all planning decisions resulting in a town that is in harmony with its surroundings. At this point, the vegetation is in an infant stage in many places but that it will look completely different in a few years. It will be a jungle out there.
Builders in Babcock Ranch
The community handpicked the Builders to ensure that they have the same goals: to build a sustainable town with unparalleled quality of life and with sustainability in mind.
- Since 1984, Divco Custom Homes, located in Naples, Florida, has been crafting and creating some of Southwest Florida’s most recognizable luxury custom homes. Divco Custom Homes Starting in the $800s.
- Since 1993, Florida Lifestyle Homes is building high-quality custom homes of exceptional design in Southwest Florida. The exquisite, Old Florida and Farmhouse architectural style homes are designed in keeping with the natural Florida surroundings. Florida Lifestyle Homes Starting in the $500s.
- Family-owned and operated, Fox Premier Builders brings a dedication to excellence that goes unmatched in the custom home -building industry. In business for over 20 years, they are committed to making the building experience enjoyable. Fox Premier Builders Starting in the $360s
- For more than 65 years, Homes by Towne® has specialized in building condominiums and single-family homes in livable, well-thought-out communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Wisconsin. Single-family homes are in the high $400s.
- Since 1954, Lennar has had the privilege of helping hundreds of thousands of families across America move into the next stage of their lives with a new home. Lennar Homes are starting in the $200″s.
Five more Builders in Babcock Ranch
- Founded in 1985, Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States. This builder has designed and built over 115,000 homes in its 32-year history. Meritage Homes are starting in the $200’s.
- Design – Craftsmanship – Service – Responsibility. Arthur Rutenberg is a respected name in homebuilding since 1953 when the company built the very first home upon those four cornerstones. Arthur Rutenberg Homes are starting at $1 million.
- Pulte Homes, a national brand of Pulte Group, Inc., has been providing the American Dream of homeownership for more than 65 years. Since 1950, the company has touched the lives of nearly 655,000 families. Today, the company operates in approximately 50 markets throughout the country. Affordability is Pulte’s motto. However, that doesn’t mean that the quality of the homes suffers. Pulte Homes are starting in the low $200’s.
- Stock Classic Homes are one of the most dynamic and innovative development companies in Southwest Florida. With more than seven decades of building experience, the Stock family name has long been synonymous with quality real estate. Stock Classic Homes are starting in the low $400’s.
- One of America’s leading builders of quality homes since 1954, WCI is one of Southwest Florida’s leading home builders. In 2016, Lennar Homes bought WCI to grow their business. There is something for every lifestyle. Choose from condominiums, townhomes, large single-family, and multi-generational homes, and luxury high-rise towers in the most desired locations. WCI Homes are starting in the low $300’s.