Sharing The Ranch

Lakewood Ranch (LWR) is one of the largest and best master planned communities in the United States. At 33,000+ acres, LWR is about 22% larger than Disney World. LWR is located in Manatee & Sarasota counties & had about 35,000 residents per the 2020 census. The LWR population has notably higher income and education levels than surrounding cities of significant size.

While LWR is primarily a residential community, about 2,000 businesses are located there employing about 15,000 people. About 6 million square feet of commercial property has already been developed at LWR and plans call for another 11 million square feet of commercial facilities to be developed.

The mix of businesses at LWR is quite diverse, but many of them provide goods and services to LWR residents and the adjacent cities of Bradenton & Sarasota. LWR houses about 400 restaurants, shops & service businesses. Numerous schools are in LWR including 10 college campuses of various types.

About 40% of LWR is set aside to provide plenty of open space for wildlife, outdoor recreation, and sports activities. LWR has a dozen parks, 9 golf courses, 7 polo fields, and countess lakes. In addition, LWR has over 60 clubs residents can participate in and a robust calendar of events of all kinds throughout the year.

In brief, LWR has a great deal to offer to residents and all types of businesses.

It’s widely known that Florida is one of the best states for businesses (4th lowest business taxes) and no income tax for employees. But where in Florida would be best? Although businesses have varying needs, for many businesses LWR is the best place on Florida’s west coast. A LWR location will also help your firm recruit and retain the best employees.

If you research cities of at least comparable size within 100 miles of LWR you’ll find that LWR has significantly higher household income and higher education levels than any other city in the area. Per the most recent census data, LWR boasts median household income of about $112,000 and 53% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

LWR is located within the Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which contains about 834,000 residents. This MSA is the 11th highest (out of 280 U.S. MSAs) in terms of income. Located in the middle of this MSA, LWR is in an ideal position to do business with the businesses and people there.

The adjacent MSA to the north, the Tampa-St. Pete MSA, is home to about 3.2 million residents and a vast number of businesses. Almost all these people & businesses are within a 1-hour drive of LWR. A business in LWR has next-door-neighbors with the highest income & best educated population in the area. Additionally, the total population within an hour’s drive of LWR offers a huge total population of over 4 million residents and a vast number of businesses.

There are several competent commercial real estate agents that can help you buy, sell, or lease property in Lakewood Ranch (LWR). However, there are several ways that I can be especially helpful in assisting you.

JayWittner@KWCommercial.com. 941-586-8885

I live in the Mill Creek subdivision adjacent to LWR and I’ve lived there for over 25 years…since before the first family moved into LWR. I’m very familiar with LWR and over the years I’ve become totally convinced that it’s one of the best places to live and work on Florida’s west coast.

As Commercial Operations Director of Keller William’s Impact Group, I work closely with the 30 commercial agents on our team and I’m able to promote commercial opportunities through our network of residential agents as well. The Impact Group has six primary offices and 1,300 agents in Pinellas & Hillsborough Counties and our commercial operations are headquartered in downtown St. Pete. I live next door to LWR and work at an office in St. Pete, so I’m typically in both locations five days a week. While there are many agents in Bradenton & Sarasota that can publicize your offerings in Sarasota/Manatee, I can not only provide local marketing, but I can also present your commercial real estate to the vastly larger capital markets and business opportunities of Hillsborough & Pinellas counties.

Throughout my career I’ve assisted wealthy individuals by researching opportunities & providing consultative services. I have extensive experience in commercial real estate, luxury retail, investing, and non-profits.

Lakewood Ranch (LWR) is a fantastic place to live. Events are happening all the time including live music, art shows, car shows and over a hundred farmer’s markets and Ranch Wednesdays every year. In addition to major events, there are over 60 clubs supporting activities. Ready to buy a home? LWR has homes from $400K to $4 million. People not yet ready to buy have a dozen apartment communities to choose from.

There are amazing attractions within easy driving distance of LWR like Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Kennedy Space Center. Four of the 20 best beaches in the U.S. are nearby. 15 of Florida’s best restaurants are in the area.

If you’re a golfer there are 9 courses inside LWR. For a special golf experience, 2 of the top 100 golf courses in the U.S. are only an hour away. Football fans can watch Tom Brady lead the Tampa Bay Bucs to another Superbowl win. Hockey fans can cheer for the Lightning, they won the Stanley Cup in 2020 & 2021. Baseball fans will follow the Tampa Bay Rays who made it to the World Series in 2020.

We have many fine museums and performing arts organizations. There are also many art fairs every year. The most notable are Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Mainsail Art Show & the Winter Park Art Show (considered one of the top 10 in the U.S.).

In summary life at LWR is amazing. You can do almost anything except shovel snow…it hasn’t snowed here in 45 years!

LWR = Lakewood Ranch

LWRBA = Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance

September 2024

9/20/24 Tommy Bahama’s New Marlin Bar Concept Is Coming to Lakewood Ranch in October – The Marlin Bar will be opening at Center Point at 6562 University Parkway Suite 110. They will offer an extensive variety of food and cocktails, beer, and wine. A major drawing card will be live music every weekday night and all day on Saturdays & Sundays.

9/17/24 Ryan Companies Has Completed Their Renata Development in Lakewood Ranch – Renata is one of the largest new apartment communities on Florida’s west coast and consists of 502 apartments in 15 four story buildings on a 37-acre site. The luxury 1–3-bedroom apartments are supported by an impressive assortment of upscale amenities.

9/4/24 New Director for Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation – Kate Mulligan, formerly General Director of EnsembleNewSRW, is now the Director of the Lakewood Community Foundation. She holds several degrees including nonprofit management and an MBA from Rutgers University.

August 2024

8/2/24 Lakewood Ranch Was the Top Selling Master Planned Community for All Ages for the First Half of 2024 – The Ranch sold 1,238 residences in the first half of the year. It’s the 6tyh year in a row that the Ranch has been the top selling master planned community for all ages.

8/12/24 Deep Sea Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House Opens in Lakewood Ranch – The 10,200 sq ft restaurant seats 300 and is located at 1540 Lakefront Dr. Suite 100. It’s the 5th location for the chain and offers indoor & outdoor seating.

8/15/24 Lakewood Ranch Based Roper Technologies Plans to Acquire Transact Campus for $1.6 Billion – The closing is planned for September. Roper Technologies is a software developer with 2023 revenues of about $6.2 billion.

8/20/24 Manatee County Is Getting Another Publix – A new Publix is planned for the planned Northchase Shopping Center on State Road 64. The location is well east of Lorraine Road and will be at 16600 State Road 64 East (Southwest corner of 64 & Uihlein Road). The Publix will be a bit larger than average at 55,500 sq ft.

July 2024

7/31/24 Lakewood Ranch Medical Office Building Sold For $32 Million – The 70,000 sq ft Center Point Medical Center was built in 2020 and is 100% occupied. The buyer was a joint venture of Anchor Healthcare Properties & BGO.

7/6/24 Bar Italia Restaurant Coming to Lakewood Ranch with Dishes Elevated to A High Level – Bar Italia will be located in Casto’s Center Point development. The restaurant will offer both indoor and outdoor seating for 240 and has four private rooms for events. Located at the intersection of University and Lakewood Ranch Blvd. the restaurant joins Owens Fish Camp and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at Center Point.

7/3/24 Florida Based Grocery Chain Expands With “All Natural’ Store in Lakewood Ranch – Chamberlin’s grocery has opened their first store in Southwest Florida and it’s in Lakewood Ranch. The 10,000 sq ft store is located in Casto’s Center Point development at Lakewood Ranch Blvd. & University.

June 2024

6/11/24 Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Breaks Ground On $120M Expansion – It will be the largest expansion since the medical center was founded 20 years ago. The five-story expansion will be done in phases and will total 170,000 sq ft. the initial 60 bed expansion will boost the center’s capacity to 180 beds. Eventually the tower will grow to seven stories bringing the facility’s total to 240 beds.

6/4/24 Inner Compass Brewing Co. Opens in Lakewood Ranch - The brewery is located at 10316 Technology Terrace. The brewery is kid friendly with a jungle gym, cornhole, and giant Jenga. For the adults there’s a stage for live music on Friday & Saturday nights.

May 2024

5/16/24 Big Plans Are Afoot to Bring the Blues to Lakewood Ranch – The annual Bradenton Blues Festival is relocating to Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside. The festival will he help in December. Independent Jones has brought this marvelous event to Lakewood Ranch. Many thanks to Morgan Bettes Angell & Antonio Hernandez who led the effort for Independent Jones.

5/7/24 First Watch Opens New Lakewood Ranch Restaurant – First Watch has opened another location in Lakewood Ranch at the intersection of State Road 70 & Lorraine Road. The 5,500 sq ft restaurant seats up to 200 people and will employ a staff of 30.

April 2024

4/30/24 Forestar Opens Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch First Amenity Campus – The first amenity area for Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch is now open. Called The Resort Club, the amenity area includes a clubhouse, pool, poolside cabanas, coffee shop, fitness center, and a poolside bar & grill. Star Farms will eventually have four amenity areas.

4/24/24 The Fresh Market Elevates the Food Scene in Lakewood Ranch with Newest Store – Fresh Market is now open in Lakewood Ranch at the corner of State Road 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. The 24,000 sq ft store is beautiful!

4/7/24 Target Expands Presence with Large-Format Store Near Lakewood Ranch – Target is bringing a huge store of about 150,000 sq ft to the Lakewood Ranch area. The store will be next to the Costco at the I75/State Road 64 intersection. The larger store size will support a larger selection of merchandise.

March 2024

3/24/24 Upscale Sports Bar Opens in Lakewood Ranch – The Greyson opened on 3/13 at Lakewood Walk Plaza in the space that previously housed Truman’s. This upscale sports bar features fresh restaurant quality food and a variety of upscale adult drinks. It’s located at the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard & State Road 70.

3/11/24 Named the No.1 Master Planned Community in The US For All ages 6 Years Running – Now 30 years young, the 50 square mile community is offering residences from the $300s to over $2 million in 15 active selling villages. The Ranch houses over 300 restaurants and shops and hosts over 300 events a year. 40% of the Ranch is open spaces for recreation, parks & trails.

February 2024

2/29/24 Toll Brothers Announces Opening of New Luxury Home Community in Lakewood Ranch, Florida – Monterey at Lakewood Ranch is offering luxury homes that range from 2,500 to 5,000 sq ft. The homes start in the 700,000s. The sales office is open at 2637 Waterfront Circle. 

2/18/24 Investor Building 178,000 Square Foot Lakewood Ranch Industrial Property – Richland Capital bought a $5.5 acre parcel for $5.5 million. They’ll be building two light industrial buildings that will total 178,000 sq ft.

January 2024

1/17/24 Lakewood Ranch Sees Priciest Sale in Its History – A beautiful home in the Lake Club at Lakewood Ranch just set a record by selling for an eye-watering $6.3 million. The 8,100 sq ft home sits on a 1.5-acre lakefront lot.

1/16/24 Sarasota Restauranteurs Open New Sushi Location After Years of Delays – Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill opened for business on January 20th. The opening was significantly delayed when one of the partners was seriously injured. The restaurant is beautiful and offers an array of delicacies. It’s located at 11627 State Road 70 East.

1/12/24 Hundreds Attend Lakewood Ranch Library Grand Opening – The new $18 million Lakewood Ranch library has opened. The 25,000 sq ft first floor is complete with an additional 25,000-foot second floor set aside for future use. The library features a rooftop terrace and is located at 16410 Rangeland Parkway.

1/5/24 Lakewood Ranch Remains Best-Selling Multigenerational Community in US – For the 6th year in a row Lakewood Ranch is the best-selling multigenerational master-planned community in the US. Sales grew 22% in 2023 with remarkable sales of 2,257 homes.

December 2023

12/13/23 Ryan Cos. Begins Leasing 502-Unit Renata at Lakewood Ranch – The first buildings & clubhouse should be open this month. The community will offer 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments ranging from 740 to 1,285 sq ft. Pricing runs from $2,145 to $2,790.

12/6/23 1,300 More Age-Restricted Homes Headed to Lakewood Ranch – Pulte Group will be bringing another Del Webb community to the Ranch on a 724-acre parcel just east of Bourneside Blvd. The community is for 55+ and will include 15 acres of amenities. Most of the homes will be located close to a central 70-acre lake.

12/4/23 More Luxury Garage Condos Gear Up for Lakewood Ranch – Another luxury car condo is coming to the Ranch, compliments of the team that recently brought us the Luxe Dream Garage. The new car condo will be priced lower (Luxe dream units started in the $300,000s. Pricing will be released in January.

November 2023

11/15/23 Restaurants, Apartments & More Planned for State Road 64 East – Six projects are being built east of I75 – Ed’s Tavern, Popeye’s, Auto Zone, Express Oil Change, Alton Lakewood (apartments) and Palm Grove (apartments). An additional five projects have been approved - Longhorn Steakhouse, Wendy’s, Cox Chevrolet Dealership and an 80,000 sq ft shopping center.

11/13/23 Lakewood Ranch Library Aims for January Opening – The library is scheduled to open in the first week of January and will be located at 16410 Rangeland Parkway. The two-story building is about 50,000 sq ft.

October 2023

10/26/23 Trader Joe’s Lakewood Ranch Location Is Now Open – The 12,000 sq ft store is at 8111 Cooper Creek Blvd. and will be open 8:00 to 9:00.

10/5/23 Ruth’s Chris Steak House Is Now Open in Lakewood Ranch – The 7,000 sq ft restaurant is now open. It’s their 16th location in Florida. For an outstanding steak dinner drive to 6490 University Parkway right away!

September 2023

9/21/23 Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market Is Named No.1 In Florida – The public votes for the winners and the process is coordinated by the Farmers’ Market Coalition. In addition to being voted best in Florida, the Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ market was also ranked 22ndbest in the U.S. Check it out Sundays at Waterside from 10:00-2:00.

9/11/23 Lakewood Ranch’s Indigo Village Is Almost Sold Out – As of 9/11/23 only 2 homes remain available at the 662 home Indigo village. The homes in Indigo are built by local builder Neal Communities and the two remaining homes start at $867,000. If you want one, act today.

9/8/23 Pizza Hut Now Has a Location in Lakewood Ranch – Pizza hut will offer pickup and delivery and will be located at 4144 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. They plan an exciting offer, on 9/22 the first 25 people in line will get two free pizzas a month for a year.

August 2023

8/24/23 New Pizza Restaurant Opens in Lakewood Ranch - The 3,600 sq ft Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza is at the intersection of Lorraine Road and State Road 70. The restaurant offers beer and wine and has both indoor and outdoor seating. To-go orders are welcome. This is their 12th location in Florida.

8/16/23 Woodies Wash Shack Celebrates Opening of 14th Location – The newest Woodie’s car wash is located in Lakewood Ranch’s CenterPoint development at 6612 University Pkwy. Woodie’s is growing very rapidly with 14 local car washes opened in only three and a half years.

8/1/23 New Italian Restaurant, With Bar Truck and More, Open – Osteria 500 has opened in Lakewood Ranch. Located in Waterside, the 8,000 sq ft lakefront restaurant features two bars and a large lakefront patio.

July 2023

7/30/23 Lakewood Ranch Apartment Complex Sells For $121 Million – The Row at Waterside, a 301-unit apartment community, was bought for $121 million. The sale comes to a healthy $403,000 per unit.

7/27/23 Lakewood Ranch Retains Standing as The Top Multigenerational, Master-Planned Community – During the first 6 months of 2023 the Ranch sold 1,227 homes, an increase of 20% over the prior year. It’s the 5th year in a row that the Ranch has ranked number 1.

7/11/23 Crowder Plaza in Lakewood Ranch Sells For $8.2 Million – The fully leased 25,000 square foot retail center on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard next to Crowders Brothers/Ace Hardware sold for $8.2 million. 

June 2023

6/17/23 Via la Casa Opens in Lakewood Ranch’s San Marco Plaza – Via la Casa is an art gallery, wine bar, coffee shop, and homer décor store. The store’s owners are mother and artist Silvia Costa and daughter and marketing expert Gabriella Moss. Drop by Thursday through Friday from 9:00 to 9:00 at 8209 Nature’s Way Suite 121.

6/7/23 Neal Development Announces New Project for Lakewood Ranch – Their new 23-acre Waterbury neighborhood will have 21 homes & will be located off Bourneside Boulevard. The neighborhood will offer four models ranging from $1.5 to $2 million. Homes will be about 4,000 square feet.

6/1/23 Owen’s Fish Camp Opens in Lakewood Ranch – The 180-seat restaurant is now open in Castro’s Center Point. The restaurant will feature outdoor amenities including a stage for live entertainment, an oyster grill, and a pond offering remote control boats, and picnic tables. Perhaps best of all they’ll be offering live music every night!

May 2023

5/17/23 New Lakewood Ranch Development Is Getting a Tommy Bahama and 8 Other Restaurants – Center Point at Waterside will have many dining choices including: Tommy Bahama, Ruth’s Chris, Owens Fish Camp, Toasted Yoke Café, The Thrivery, Lake Park Diner, Crisp & Green, Olivia, and McDonalds.

5/9/23 Trader Joe’s Will Open in Lakewood Ranch This Year – The first Trader Joe’s in Lakewood Ranch will be opening in the Shoppes t University Town Center (8477 Cooper Creek Blvd.). No date for opening other than “this year” has been released.

April 2023

4/1/23 - Overpass Connecting University Town Center & Lakewood Ranch Awaits State approval – Plans call for construction to begin in 2025 and conclude in 2027. The overpass will serve vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. The project is to cost about $30 million.

March 2023

3/28/23 Lakewood Ranch Is Set to Expand East, with 4,500 New Residences in Manatee – The Ranch will grow by 2,307 acres thanks to a decision by the Manatee County Commission. The land is east of Bourneside Boulevard and south of State Road 64.

3/23/23 Lakewood Ranch Adding Two Exclusive Neighborhoods – John Cannon Homes will develop Monarch Acres & Kingfisher Estates. Homes will start at $3 million. Monarch Acres will have 8 homes on Bourneside Blvd. & Kingfisher Estates will have 13 homes, 12 of which will be on Kingfisher Lake.

3/8/23 The Tides, a Single-Family Home Rental Community, Is Coming to Lakewood Ranch – The Tides will be located next to Lake Spoonbill in Waterside, the newest area of Lakewood Ranch. The Tides will offer 366 rental homes with leasing to begin in June.

3/7/23 New Luxury Homes by Toll Brothers Coming to Lakewood Ranch – This new community will be called Monterey at Lakewood Ranch. The community will offer 113 lots and range from about 2,500 to 5,000 sq ft.

February 2023

2/14/23 Wild Blue Adds Luxury Homes to Waterside at Lakewood Ranch – The Wild Blue village will consist of 500 homes on 550 acres. Homes will start at $1 million by Stock Luxury Homes, Stock Custom Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes, John Cannon Homes, AR by Arthur Ruttenberg, and Anchor Builders. The village will feature a 25,000 sq ft clubhouse and a 13-acre park. Models of the homes will be available in late 2023, but you can learn more now at the Lake Club sales office.

2/3/23 Loaded Cannon Distillery in Lakewood Ranch Is First Distillery in Manatee County – The Loaded Cannon distillery has a delightful pirate theme and makes a nice array of delicious spirits. Taste test anyone?

January 2023

1/30/23 Growing Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Names New Board Chair – Erik Hanson (attorney with Shutts and Bowen) is now Chair of the LWRBA. The Alliance has over 600 members.

1/17/23 Bank of Tampa Expands Manatee County Presence with Lakewood Ranch Office – The branch is located on an outparcel of the Lakewood Ranch Main Street retail hub. The large branch (3,800 sq ft) will be led by Bryan Boudreaux.

1/10/23 Lakewood Ranch Remains One of the Nation’s Top-Selling Communities – In 2022 Lakewood Ranch was the number one multi-generational community in the U.S. with 1,846 homes sold in 2022. Lakewood Ranch plans to open seven new neighborhoods in 2023.

December 2022

12/29/22 Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Plans 60-Bed, $120 Million Expansion – The addition will be a five-story tower. This would increase the facility to a total of 180 acute care beds. The 170,000 sq ft tower is step one of a multi-step process. The tower is to be complete by 2025.

12/27/22 Top Residential Sales In 2022 In Lakewood Ranch Area – Concession $7.98 million, Concession $4 million, Pomello Park $3.7 million, Lake Club $3.25 million, Lake Club $3.1 million, Concession $3.1 million, Country Club $3 million, Waterside $3 million, Lake Club $3 million, Pomello Park $2.9 million, and Lake Club $2.8 million.  

12/14/22 Urban sprawl: Rural residents In Northeast Sarasota County Sue Over Lakewood Ranch Expansion – Two residents of northeast Sarasota County (residents of Bern Creek Ranches) have filed an administrative appeal to block county action that would allow Lakewood Ranch to develop 5,000 homes on 4,100 acres.

November 2022

11/11/22 Lakeshore Condominium Project in Lakewood Ranch Targets 2023 Groundbreaking – Frank Dagostino will be developing condos on Lake Uihlein near Lakewood Ranch Main Street. The first condos could be ready by mid 2024. 32 condos will be built ranging from 1,696 to 3,449 sq ft. Prices range from $961,000 to $2,100,000. Groundbreaking is planned for January 2023. For more info: LakeShoreAtMain.com.

October 2022

10/26/22 Sarasota County Approves Lakewood Ranch’s Plan for New Community – Lakewood Ranch has gotten clearance to build a new 5,000 home community called Lakewood Ranch Southeast on a spacious 4,120-acre parcel. Homes to be offered will include single family homes, townhomes, and villas. The parcel is located east if I75 and between the Sarasota/Bradenton county-line and Fruitville Road.

10/24/22 A New 500-Unit Rental Community Is Headed to Lakewood Ranch – Renata at Lakewood Ranch will be one of the largest apartments communities in the Greater Tampa Bay area. Renata will consist of 13 four story buildings on a 37-acre parcel. The luxury development is headed up by Ryan Companies and is expected to open in 2024. Renata will be located at 12125 Rangeland Parkway.

10/20/22 A New Assisted Living Facility Breaks Ground in East Sarasota – The facility (81 Oaks) will consist of 254 units built in three phases. The $33 million project will include facilities for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Prices will start at $4,000 per month. 81 Oaks will be located at 7850 Hawkins Road.

September 2022

9/20/22 Manatee County Borrows Money to Move Up Infrastructure Projects – Manatee County will borrow $232 million to expedite 19 projects, half of which are in eastern Manatee. The largest projects are focused on Lorraine Road ($38 million), 44th Ave. E. ($33 million) and Upper Manatee River Road ($23 million).

9/1/22 Big Dan’s Car Wash Opens 7th Location – The car wash is the first of four Big Dan’s Car Washes planned for Manatee County and is located on State Road 64. Big Dan’s is operating in several states and plans to have 40 units operating by Q1 2024.

9/1/22 Massive Land Use Change Would Allow a New City to Arise in Rural Eastern Sarasota Country – By a unanimous vote, Sarasota County Commissioners voted to rezone 4,120 acres in the northeast corner of Sarasota County for a new planned community. The project will also be reviewed by the state’s Department of Economic Development.

August 2022

8/18/22 Lakewood Ranch’s Newest Publix Opens on State Road 64 – The new Publix is in the White Eagle development across the street from the Mill Creek subdivision. There’s also a Publix liquor store next to the main store.

8/16/22 A New ‘Car Condo” Business Break Ground in Lakewood Ranch – Luxe Dream Garage will provide an excellent home for your Ferrari collection. Located near Waterside, the facility will provide 65 car condos and a 3,000 sq ft clubhouse. Condos run from $300,000 to $500,000.

8/14/22 Sofia’s Opens as Mediterranean-Themed Restaurant in Lakewood Ranch – Sofia’s is now open! The focus is on steaks, seafood, wine, and cocktails. They’re open 4-9 pm every day except Monday. Spoil yourself at 8130 Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

8/10/22 Lakewood Ranch Commercial Property Sells for More Than $2 Million – PNC Bank is closing 280 branches and this building was one of them. It was bought by Monticciolo Family & Sedation Dentistry for $2.2 million. The building is 3,400 sq ft.

8/10/22 Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy Ready to Open for Its First Year – The school is now open for K-6th grade and ninth grade. Next year 7th & 10th grades will be added. The school will have 740 students in the first year. 

July 2022

7/21/22 Lakewood Ranch Named Best Selling Master-Planned Community in The Country – Again – Lakewood Ranch remains the top selling multi-generational master planned community in the country. In the first half of the year the Ranch sold 1,026 residences. These statistics are compiled by RCLCO.

7/18/22 Diner, Pet Store Among New Businesses Heading To Center Point In Lakewood Ranch – The 250,000 sq ft Center Point development has announced new tenants: Crisp & Green, Lake Park Diner, The Thrivery, Toast Yolk Café, Quelliv, Salon Lofts, Sport Clips, Glitz Nails Lounge, Woodies Wash Shack, and Woof Gang Bakery. Center Point is at the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Blvd. & University Parkway.

7/7/22 Aldi Makes Its Debut In Lakewood Ranch – The first Aldi has opened in Lakewood Ranch at 7214 University Parkway. The store is about 12,000 sq ft and will have a staff of about 20 people. Another Aldi is being built just north of Lakewood Ranch on State Road 64.

June 2022

6/29/22 Aldi Opening in Lakewood Ranch Soon – The first Aldi supermarket in Lakewood Ranch will be opening on July 7th. The store is located at 7214 University Parkway. Many consider Aldi to be the most affordable grocery store in the area.

6/15/22 New Eats Out East – Tons of Sarasota restaurants are expanding to Lakewood Ranch: Bella Vita, Kore Steakhouse, Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie, Nancy’s Bar-B-Q, Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Café, Owen’s Fish Camp, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Selva Grill, and Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill.

6/13/22 Mediterranean Dining Comes to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch – The restaurant. Sophia’s is scheduled to open in August. The 4,000 sq ft restaurant can seat 150 and will focus on steaks, seafood, wine, and cocktails.

6/7/22 One of Bradenton’s Biggest Orthopedic Groups Opens 2 New Facilities, Moves HQ to East – The new 88,000 Coastal Orthopedics sq ft headquarters opened on May 23rd& is located at 8000 State Road 64 E. Kimley-Horn was the project engineer. Coastal has 20 doctors & was founded in 1973.

6/6/22 Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch Fills Last Anchor Restaurant Spot – Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House has leased the final anchor restaurant location at Waterside Place

Deep Lagoon will have both indoor & outdoor seating with views of the lake. Deep Lagoon will open in 2023.

May 2022

5/26/22 Four New Tenants Are Headed to Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch – The tenants should all be open by next year. They include: Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House (upscale seafood restaurant), Monkee’s (women’s clothing), Boater’s Republic (themed bar with retail offerings), and Tim’s Wine Market (select small production wines).

5/12/22 Lakewood Ranch Accounts for a Quarter of all New Home Construction in Sarasota-Manatee – LWR had construction starts of 2,638 new homes in the 12-month period ending in March. This is a 55% increase in the previous 12 months that ended in March 2021. A recent report from the research firm Zonda covering over 40 metropolitan areas shows the new housing start growth year over year growth rate of Sarasota-Manatee as number 1.

5/4/22 Kore Steakhouse Delights Diners at Waterside Place – Kore focuses on top quality meat & other ingredients that guests cook at a grill at their table. Servers provide guidance on suggested cooking times and techniques. Kore is at 1561 Lakefront Drive.

April 2022

4/15/22 Down to Business – Brittany Lamont becomes CEO of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (550 businesses). Was VP of Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

4/6/22 Pulte Homes Announces a New Community in Lakewood Ranch – The Avanti community will be in the Waterside area and will offer 166 homesites on 32 acres. The residences will be townhomes, villas, and single-family homes. Prices will start in the $300,000s. The entrance will be off Lakewood Ranch Blvd. about a mile and a half from Waterside Place.

4/5/22 Investors Buy Lakewood Ranch Office Park for $3.5 Million – It’s a condo style office park of 16,000 sq ft. The property consists of three buildings built in 2003. The property is located at 9015 Town Center Parkway.

March 2022

3/31/22 Lakewood Ranch Announces New Waterside Place Tenants Opening This Year – The new tenants to open this year are: Shore Rejuvenation Day Spa, Modish Salon, Marmalade Waterside Boutique, John Cannon Homes, Integrity Sound, Capstan Financial, Forked at Waterside, Good Liquid Distillery, O&A Coffee Supply, CROP Juice, The Yoga Shack, Body Bar Pilates, Man Cave for Men, Bay Area Aesthetics, Duck Donuts, Osteria 500, Agave Bandido, M/I Homes, and Kore.

3/25/22 Lakewood Ranch Residents Cheer Construction of a Second McDonalds Location – A McDonalds is coming to the southern edge of LWR. The McDonalds is under construction now and will be part of the large Center Point development in the Waterside area.

3/7/22 Lakewood Ranch Office Building Sells for More Than $5 Million – The 21,500 sq ft building is called the Lakewood Heart. The waterfront building is fully occupied and is located at 6771 Professional Parkway. The seller was Kingdom Development & the buyer was Shattuck Properties.

3/1/22 Coming Right Up – Many more choices for buyers & renters are on the way. North LWR: Star Farms (for sale), Sweetwater (for sale), Avalon Woods (for sale), Artesia (for rent), Vida (for rent), Antigua (for rent), and Oasis on the Manatee River (for rent). South LWR: Lakehouse Cove at Waterside (for sale), Nautique at Waterside (for sale), Shoreview at Waterside (for sale), Lakehouse Cove at Waterside (for sale), and The Row at Waterside (for rent).

February 2022

2/23/22 Exotic Car Show to Benefit Manatee Sheriff’s Children’s Charity – The charity is Flight to the North Pole, a Christmas event for terminally ill kids. The cars well, come to LWR Main Street for a closer look. You’ll find over 100 wild cars including Cobras, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis and many more.

2/18/22 Mexican-Inspired Restaurant Announced for Lakewood Ranch – The Agave bandido restaurant and tequileria will be coming to Waterside Place. The 4,000 sq ft restaurant will bring 250 tequilas and mezcals to LWR. There will also be patio space of about 2,000 sq ft.

2/9/22 Car Condo Project Starts Its Engine in Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park – The Luxe Dream Garage will be located on Communications Parkway near Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. The facility will accommodate 65 cars on a 5-acre site. The car condos will range from $300,000 to $475,000 and should be available in late 2022. Yes, even your car wants to move to LWR!

January 2022

1/21/22 Ruth’s Chris Steak House Is Coming to Lakewood Ranch – Ruth’s Chris will be located at Center Point on University Parkway along with Olivia, and the Owen’s Fish Camp. Ruth’s Chris has over 150 locations worldwide and the 6,500 sq ft restaurant will be a tasty addition to the Ranch. The address will be 6490 University Parkway. Make your reservation for mid 2023.

1/19/22 Cassariano Italian Eatery: Fine Dining Italian in Lakewood Ranch – Cassariano has relocated to Lakewood Ranch’s San Marco Plaza. If you’re seeking a fine Italian dinner in the heart of Lakewood Ranch, look no further. They’re closed on Sundays.

1/10/22 Lakewood Ranch’s Plans for Taylor Ranch Go to Manatee County Permitting – LWR plans to build 4,500 homes on the formerly Taylor Ranch property. They’ll be south of State Road 64 and east of Bourneside Blvd. The property totals 2,307 acres. The plans must still be approved by the Manatee County Planning Commission.

1/6/22 Lakewood Ranch Remains the Nation’s Top-Selling Multi-Generational Planned Community – LWR had its best year of sales so far in 2021. There were 2,574 new home sales in 2021, a 20% increase over 2019. It’s the 4th year in a row that LWR was the top selling multi-generational master planned community in the US. The average home price in 2021 was $609,000.

1/2/22 Publix on State Road 64 and Pope Road – Another Publix is coming to LWR in late 2023. The Publix will be about 38,000 sq ft and will be accompanied by other retail stores and three out parcels. Various road improvements are part of the development and a Culver’s restaurant will be opening across the street.

December 2021

12/20/21 Built-to-Rent Model Offers New Lifestyle Options – Statistics show that tenants who rent homes remain in place for far longer than tenants that rent apartments. Developers are therefore building small new homes, often in clusters of between 100-300 homes to rent them out. Lakewood Ranch has 2 of these communities in operation (Estia and Botanic Urban Townhomes with a total of 252 units) and two under construction (Artesia & Antigua with a total of 407 units).

12/16/21 Apartment Complex in Lakewood Ranch Sold For $76 Million – The 256-unit Creekside Resort Apartments in Lakewood Ranch sold for $76 million Creekside was built in 2015 and consists of nine apartment buildings on 17 acres. Rent at Creekside runs from $1,900 to $2,400 a month. Creekside is off Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

12/15/21 Neal Signature Homes Announces the Alcove at Waterside – The Alcove at Waterside neighborhood will open in early 2023. The community will offer waterfront homes that are British West Indies in style. The location is close to Waterside Place and Waterside Park.

12/15/21 Manatee County Breaks Ground On $20 Million Library in Lakewood Ranch – The $20 million 50,000 sq ft facility should be open in 2024. The library will be the 7th full-service library in Manatee County. Willis Smith Construction will build the Fawley Bryant designed building.

12/10/21 Good Liquid Brewing Co. Now Open at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch – This waterfront brewery & restaurant is going to be a great addition to Waterside. In addition to 18 beers, they’ll also be offering specialty cocktails.

12/4/21 Music on Main’s Return to Lakewood Ranch Attracts Thousands – This first Music on Main since Covid cancelled the monthly event for over a year attracted thousands. Music on Main is held on the first Friday of the month and features live music and street vendors of beer, food, and more beer. It’s held on Main Street and well worth attending.

November 2021

11/23/21 More Homes on The Way to Lakewood Ranch – Manatee County commissioners have approved development east of the Future Development Area Boundary line. Development eat of the line will be very low density of five acres per home. The line is effectively Bournside Blvd.

11/13/21 A ‘Country Club for Cars’ and Vintage Vehicles Is Opening in Lakewood Ranch – This new business is Skyway Classics Sales & Storage. The $6 million, 40,000 sq ft facility is at 10420 Portal Crossing. They can accommodate a total of 200 cars. In addition to offering cars for sale, they can also store your car amidst good company.

11/10/21 Manatee County Unveils Plans for Premier Park in Lakewood Ranch – In addition to the new library that will be located here, there will also be a $14 million aquatic facility, a $5 million Raquetball/Pickleball facility. Future plans include baseball, basketball, skate park, volleyball courts, and a gym.   

11/7/21 Market at Lakewood Ranch Enjoys Huge Opening at Waterside Place – The Farmer’s Market has changed location to Waterside Place. It’s a beautiful venue and for opening day 80 vendors showed their wares to a big crowd estimated at 9,000.

October 2021

10/28/21 Lakewood Ranch Is Finally Getting a Library – Manatee County officials have approved $20 million to build the library which will also serve as a community center. The library should be open by January 2023. The building will be two stories and will include a rooftop terrace. It will be at the corner of Uihlein Road & Rangeland Parkway.

10/5/21 Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Hires New CEO and President – LWRBA has picked Brittany Lamont to serve as President. She has been with the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for 11 years and her current position there is Vice President.

September 2021

9/27/21 New Volleyball Complex Close to Opening in Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside Place – The volleyball facilities at Waterside Park are almost finished. There are six sand volleyball courts that are 60 feet long ad 30 feet wide. The nets are 32 feet apart. MVP Sports & Social (they develop sports activities for LWR) has 600 sand volleyball players in Manatee & Sarasota counties.

9/15/21 Movin’ on Up – For a variety of reasons the number of annual home sales in Lakewood Ranch & their value are up dramatically since three years ago. Annual sales of homes under $500K are up 67%, homes $500K to $750K are up 130%, homes $750K to $1 million are up 172%, and sale of homes worth over $1 million are up 269%.   

9/1/21 A 7,000 Home Expansion? Push Against Development in East Manatee County Could Mean Urban Density – Earlier in the year, LWR proposed developing 7,000 homes east of the county’s urban boundary line. Opinions are mixed within the Manatee County Commission on how to proceed.

August 2021

8/19/21 ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Opens in Lakewood Ranch Store – The new 11,000 sq ft facility is located at 11720 E. State Road 64. In addition to alcohol, the store also offers a wide array of cigars and other products.

8/7/21 Lakewood Ranch’s Polo Run Has Sustainability Built In – Although it’s been around for a few years, many visitors are unaware of this 432-home solar community in LWR. It’s on State Road 70 near Uihlein Road. All homes come with solar panels that residents can buy or rent. Homes range from 1,600 to about 4,000 sq ft.

8/6/21 Three New Tenants Are Coming to Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch – The three new tenants are The Bella Vista Italian Restaurant, a Medical Group, and Bay Area Aesthetics. Waterside place is adjacent to Kingfisher Lake and is a 36-acre peninsula. Homes at Waterside range from $280,000 to over $2 million. 

July 2021

7/20/21 Changes Coming to Lakewood Ranch’s Lorraine Road – While several enhancements to Lorraine Road are already funded, the fundamental need is to widen Lorraine Road. The critical project that has not yet been approved is the widening of Lorraine Road from State Road 64 to 59th Avenue East. This work is projected to cost $38 million.

7/13/21 Lakewood Ranch Named the Nation’s Top Selling Community – In the first half of the year LWR sold an amazing 1,535 homes. The figure reflects a sales increase of 83 percent over the 838 homes sold in the first half of last year.

June 2021

6/25/21 Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant Lands at Lakewood Ranch’s Border – This is a fine dining experience presented in a casual fashion. Cooper’s Hawk has 46 locations in the U.S. and 450,000 members in their wine club. It’s located on Lakewood Ranch Blvd. near Fruitville (3130 Fruitville Commons Blvd.).

6/23/21 Proposed Budget for Lakewood Ranch Library in Manatee County Skyrockets– The proposed budget for the library has increased from $15 million to $20 million. Manatee County Commissioners has spirited discussion on the matter. Many options were discussed, but the real decision point will be before 10/1/21…the county budget deadline.

May 2021

5/19/21 New Dental Practice Makes Owner Smile in Lakewood Ranch – Dentist Allison Konick was opened a dental practice in LWR. Her practice focuses on dental care for adults and the office is open Monday through Thursday. The office is located at 11155 E. State Road 70

5/18/21 BurgerFi Opening Lakewood Ranch Location – BurgerFi is coming to The Green at LWRE. BurgerFi plans to grow by 30% this year and already has locations in Sarasota (UTC mall area), St. Pete, Seminole & Tampa.

5/7/21 Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill to Open Lakewood Ranch Location – Tsunami Sushi is coming the LWR’s The Green. They already have a location in downtown Sarasota. They plan to open in LWR this year. The location will be about 3,500 sq ft & be capable of seating 154 diners. Keke’s Breakfast Café & Chipotle Mexican Grill are also in the center.

April 2021

4/28/21 Brewery, Luxury Barber, Fitness Studio Coming to New Lakewood Ranch Development – Waterside Place has signed up three new tenants: Good Liquid Brewing, 3Form Fitness, and ManCave for Men. Good Liquid Brewing will be the first brewery in LWR. Previously announced tenants include O&A Coffee Supply, CROP Juice, Duck Donuts, Kore, Derek the Salon, PAINT Nail Bar, Smith Law, The Yoga Shack, and Kilwins.

4/21/21 LIV Development Launches Multifamily Summerhouse at Lakewood Ranch – Summerhouse, a 296-unit upscale apartment community, is being built just of State Road 64 E. at 11716 18th Place E. Apartments range from 1 to 3 bedroom of 755 to 1,307 sq ft.

4/19/21 Gated Community Soars in Sales for 2021, With Already $100 Million in Volume– In the first 3 months of 2021 The Lake Club sold 70 homes for about $100 million. Homes at the Lake Club range from $800,000 to over $3 million.

4/3/21 Work Begins on Star Farms, in Lakewood Ranch – The Forestar Group had a groundbreaking ceremony for Star Farms, a new village coming to LWR. Star Farms will offer

1,500 single family homes, villas, and townhomes. Construction of model homes will begin soon.

March 2021

3/31/21 Lakewood Ranch Lands More Fine Dining at CASTRO Project Including Olivia’s – Center Point at Lakewood Ranch, under development in the Wqterside area, is a $55 million project on 50 acres. The mixed-use project will include 250,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant, a 77,000 sq ft medical building, and a specialty grocery. It will be just east of the Lakewood Ranch Blvd & University intersection.

3/16/22 Ranch Receives National Gold Award for Lifestyle – Of 1,200 communities considered the Gold Award for Best Lifestyle Program of the year went To Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch. The weekly Farmer’s Market with an average attendance of 5,000 & Ranch Night Wednesdays were identified as key amenities.

3/16/21 New England-Style Ice Cream Shop Opens in Lakewood Ranch – The New England style ice cream is denser than most. Wicked Awesome offers 36 flavors of ice cream (be sure to try the Vermont Maple Walnut). Wicked Awesome is at 4122 Lakewood ranch Blvd.

3/10/21 Willis Smith Construction Finishes Waterside Place Buildings in Lakewood Ranch – While roads & landscaping are still to be done, Willis Smith completed the 130,000 sq ft 11 building projects taking only a month longer than originally planned (despite Covid & supply chain issues). Tenant should start moving in over the summer.

3/10/21 Are Small Gains in Lakewood Ranch Cell Coverage Making A Difference – Throughout February Verizon activated several 4G LTE small cell sites in LWR. Their application indicated 16 sites. Verizon also plans to add a 110-foot cell tower in 2022.

February 2021

2/27/21 Homes Sold Out in Lake View Estates, Lakewood Ranch – All 68 homes in the Lake Club’s Lake View Estates section have now been sold. Although the Lake View Estates section is sold out, there are still opportunities in the Genoa section. Genoa offers homes from 2,40 to over 4,000 sq ft. The Lake Club is at 8307 Lake Club Blvd.

2/23/21 New Restaurant Offers a Fresh Take on Poke Bowls and Sushi Burritos at Lakewood Ranch – A new restaurant, Pacific Counter, at LWR’s The Green has just opened. Check out Pacific Counter at 11581 State Road 70 East.

2/3/21 Pamaro Shop Furniture Follows the Growth – Pamaro Shop Furniture is building a warehouse and offices in LWR at 10705 Technology Terrace. The $2 million facility will be about 26,000 sq ft and should be open by the end of the year.

January 2021

1/22/21 Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch is the Place to be in 2021 – A soft opening of Waterside place is expected in the summer. The $32 million development is 130,000 sq ft. Waterside’s signature element is the 280-acre Kingfisher Lake. Waterside will also include an eight-acre park and apartments.

1/8/21 Lakewood Ranch, Wellen Park Make Top 5 Sales List – LWR was ranked the master planned community with the 2nd most sales in the U.S. & it ranked first for multi-generational communities.  In 2020 LWR sold 2,149 homes representing a 30% increase over 2019. LWR has been ranked in the top master planned communities for 10 of the last 11 years.

1/7/21 Proposal to add Commercial Space in Front of Savanna of Lakewood Ranch Fails – Manatee County Commissioners turned down the proposal by a 5 to 2 vote. The proposal had been to rezone 5 acres of property at the front of Savannah (on State Road 64) as general commercial.

December 2020

12/26/20 New Community by Forestar Group Coming to Lakewood Ranch – A new village is coming to LWR. Star Farms will offer 1,500 single family homes in a gated neighborhood of 700 acres on 44th Avenue.

12/17/20 Mick Jagger Purchases Home in Lakewood Ranch – The $2 million home is about 6,000 sq ft and sits on a third on an acre lot in the Lake Club. The home is a gift for his girlfriend, ballet dancer Melanie Hamrick.

12/2/20 Coastal Orthopedics Planning New Lakewood Ranch Facility – Construction will start in January on the 88,000 sq ft facility in the Lakewood Ranch area on State Road 64 near I75. The firm should move into the facility in early 2022. When the new offices are ready, they’ll move their operations at 5101 Fourth Circle East & 1917 Worth Court into the new facility.

November 2020

11/25/20 McGrath’s Irish Ale House Opens in Lakewood Ranch – McGrath’s has taken the space where MacAllisters had been located (8110 Lakewood Ranch Main Street. They plan to offer live music on the weekends and patio seating with views of the lake. Of course, there will be plenty of Irish whiskey & Irish beer available.

11/11/20 Landmark Project Begins as Ground Breaks on Mote’s Science Education Aquarium in Sarasota – The $130 million facility will be 110,000 sq ft and located near the University Town Center Mall. The project should take about three years to complete. It will contain about a million gallons of water.

11/10/20 Winn-Dixie Opens New Store in Lakewood Ranch – The store will be at The Green at Lakewood Ranch (70 & Lakewood Ranch Blvd.). Winn Dixie took over the lease form the previous tenant Earth Fare.

October 2020

10/26/20 Sapphire Point in Lakewood Ranch Unveils 14 Model Homes – Pulte’s new village at LWR will be unveiled in about a month. There will be 14 model homes that potential buyers can tour in person or virtually. The neighborhood will consist of 472 single family homes & will be located on Uihlein Road near the Premier Sports Campus.

10/14/20 Emergency Help on The Way to Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Emergency Room will open on December 1 at Lakewood Ranch Blvd. & Fruitville. The $10 million facility is 11,000 sq ft with a staff of 25. It’s at 6750 Fruitville Road.

September 2020

9/24/20 Bourbon & Bones Opens – It’s an upscale steakhouse & bourbon bar located in San Marco Plaza. Offering seating for 150 guests and angus beef aged for at least 30 days & a vast selection of 50 bourbons & 70 whiskeys among other cocktails, wines, and beers. Dine at 8205 Nature’s Way.

9/21/20 Gatewood Corporate Center in Lakewood Ranch Sells For $60.5 Million – The six-building complex offers 445,000 sq ft of space built in 2017-2019. Gatewood is 83% leased and is at 3155 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

9/4/20 Windward at Lakewood Ranch Opens – Neal Communities has opened-up Windward at Lakewood Ranch for home sales. It will be 780 homes when finished on 540 acres. Windward is at the intersection of Lorraine & Fruitville. The first residents should begin moving in during the summer of 2021.

9/2/20 Apartments on Rise in Lakewood Ranch – At present there are about 2,300 apartments in LWR, and about 1,400 more are under construction. Oasis at LWR and Estia have just opened. Botanic Waterside should be opening in 2021, and Summerhouse in 2022.

August 2020

8/19/20 Things Looking Up at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue in Lakewood Ranch – The $10 million expansion of the facility is going well. The expansion will add about 30,000 sq ft of development on the 8-acre site. If you’d like to adopt a pet, they’re at 4951 Lorraine Road.

8/6/20 Lake View Estates in Lakewood Ranch Close to Selling Out – Lake View Estates, a section of the Lake Club is now 80% sold out, only 14 homes remain. Other sections, Talon Preserve & The Founders Club, also have homes available.

July 2020

7/29/20 First Chapter Ends on Library in Lakewood Ranch – Planning for the 50,000 sq ft Lakewood Ranch Library is going well. The library will be set on a two-acre parcel north of the Premier Sports Campus. The library will include rooftop terrace and a unique treehouse staircase is planned for the entrance.  

7/24/20 Homebuilder Starts Selling Homes Within New Community – Taylor Morrison has begun home sales at Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch. There are 12 floorplans running from 1,500 to 3,500 sq ft. Eight models are open for visitors to explore.

7/10/20 Lakewood Ranch Remains No. 1 Best Selling Multi-Generational Community in the Nation – Lakewood Ranch sold 838 new homes through the end of June. This was slightly ahead of the prior year’s numbers. It was the 9th year in a row that Lakewood Ranch ranked among the top master planned communities.

June 2020

6/23/2020 More Food and Drink Options Coming to Lakewood Ranch – More dining options have been signed up for the 36-acre Waterside Place, the core of the Waterside community at Lakewood Ranch that will eventually have over 5,000 homes. Future tenants include Atria Bread & Coffee, CROP Juice, and Duck Donuts. Several restaurants were announced previously.

6/19/20 LIV Development Breaks Ground on Florida Community – LIV has broken ground on 257-unit Summerhouse Apartments on State Road 64 about 4 miles east of I75.The gated community is located at 11716 18th Place.

May 2020

5/29/2020 Taylor Morrison Debuts New Gold Course at Esplanade Azario Lakewood Ranch – While the course will be open t9o the public for a while, it will eventually be for Azario residents only. The 18-hole course was designed by Chris Wilczynski.

5/8/2020 Main Street in Lakewood Ranch Blocked Off to Give Restaurants More Outdoor Dining Space – Since Covid policies limit restaurants to 25% of their rated indoor capacity, converting the road that goes through the Main Street area to pedestrian use will help restaurants weather the Covid storm.

5/8/2020 Lakewood Ranch to Welcome One of Florida’s First Single Family Rental Communities – The 230-home community will be called Estia. The project is being undertaken by Lakewood Ranch and Zilber Residential Group. Estia will be located near Bob Gardner Park. Tenants of single-family homes typically stay in place for longer periods.

April 2020

4/21/2020 Reader’s Choice: Best Neighborhood Joints – Four restaurants have been names the best in Lakewood Ranch in various categories: Grove Restaurant Patio & Ballroom, Lucky Pelican Bistro, Station 400, and Speaks Clam Bar.

4/8/2020 Blood Bank Opens New Facility in Lakewood Ranch – SunCoast Blood Center has opened at 25,000 sq ft medical facility in Lakewood Ranch’s Gateway Corporate Park.

March 2020

3/31/2020 Winn Dixie Replaces Earth Fare at The Green in Lakewood Ranch – Winn Dixie is assuming the lease formerly held by Earth Fare. Winn Dixie will be opening soon, but no date has yet been announced.

3/11/2020 Coding School Is Open in Lakewood Ranch – The recently opened Coder School of Sarasota is operating in Lakewood Ranch. They teach kids 7-18 years old how-to code. The school is located at 6293 Lake Osprey Drive.

3/5/2020 Extension Vision Finally Realized Between Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch Blvd now finally extends all the way south to Fruitville Road. The extension is 1.7 miles long and cost $16 million.

February 2020

2/29/20 Lakewood Ranch Revved Up for Exotic Cars – Exotic Car Festival at Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street attracted hundreds of amazing cars including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, and Lotus. The event was hosted by the Ferrari Drivers Group of Sarasota.

2/5/20 Grace Community Church Building 43,000 Square Foot Facility in Lakewood Ranch – The church will be at the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard & Communications Parkway. The church is a $10 million investment. The church sits on a six-acre parcel.

2/11/20 Neal Communities Breaks Ground on New Lakewood Ranch Neighborhood – Neal Communities has broken ground on Windward. Windward will contain 900 homes on 450 acres. Community will have a 10,000 sq ft clubhouse in an 8-acre amenities area.

January 2020

1/24/20 The Lake Club Set Sales Record In 2019 – Lakewood Ranch’s Lake Club sold 98 homes in 2019 at an average price of $867,000. Builders include Anchor Builders, Arthur Rutenberg Homes, John Cannon Homes, and Stock Signature Homes.

1/3/20 The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities Of 2019 – In 2019 Lakewood Ranch was the second top selling master planned community in the U.S. (1,655 homes sold), and the top selling master planned multi-generation community in the U.S. for the second year in a row.

1/1/20 Culmination of The Master Plan Nears in Lakewood Ranch as We Enter The 2020’s – More than 10,000 new homes are planned in the 2020s. Population is about 38,000 and projected at 64,000 or more by 2030.

Hopefully these maps of the Lakewood Ranch area will help those unfamiliar with the Ranch get a sense of the immediate surroundings and where if fits into the broader Tampa Bay area.

The Lakewood Ranch area contains over a thousand commercial properties. About a hundred properties are 50,000 square feet or more.

Of the properties that are 25,000 square feet or more, about 70% are under 20 years old with the average age being about 10 years old.

Some businesses are heavily dependent on high net worth clients. The bottom map shows the various Lakewood Ranch villages and their relative prices.

The data used to create the bottom map was collected in August & September of 2022.

All major commercial property types are represented in the Lakewood Ranch area. Most commercial and residential property in the Lakewood Ranch area is under 20 years old.

Younger properties tend to have substantially lower operating costs and capital investment requirements. On younger properties the various steps in the due diligence process can often be accomplished more quickly which facilitates accelerated closing timetables.

The Lakewood Ranch area has a tremendous number of retail centers of varying types. The largest single retail facility is University Town Center. This facility consists of the enclosed mall (880,000 sq ft), the outdoor District West section (430,000 sq ft) and numerous outparcel single tenant facilities. Housing big name retailers such as Apple, Hugo Boss, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Tesla Motors it’s a very upscale facility built in 2017.

The next retail category is what the Ranch calls Town Centers. These large multi-use facilities have unique retail stores and restaurants often mixed with apartments and some office space. Lakewood Ranch offers three of these facilities currently.

The next type of retail is what the Ranch calls Neighborhood Plazas. These vary from a traditional strip center format to themed two story buildings. There are 17 Neighborhood Plazas in the Lakewood Ranch area that range from 20,000 to 235,000 square feet.

The final retail category would include both small strip centers of below 20,000 square feet and single user retail buildings some of which are over 100,000 square feet. This final category contains over 150 various locations.

The wide variety of locations, price points, and suite sizes available ensure that almost any need can be met.

Commercial real estate construction is quite active in Lakewood Ranch. At the moment there’s about 1,600,000 square feet under construction. 69% is projected to be completed in under a year and 31% is scheduled for completion in just over a year.

The biggest news is in multifamily projects. Six apartment communities totaling 1,400,000 square feet are being built. Of the six apartment complexes four of them will be upscale offerings.

Other inbound projects include an Aldi supermarket, a huge 33,000 square foot health club, 23,000 square feet of industrial space, 17,000 square feet of restaurant space, and various other uses.

We don’t follow home construction very closely, but there’s probably about 2 million square feet of residential homes currently under construction as well.

Businesses that have established themselves in Tampa/St. Petersburg tend to look south when ready to expand. The Bradenton/Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) offers 834,000 potential customers and is Florida’s highest ranked MSA for per capita income.

The logical places for your beachhead to the south include Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch (LWR), Palmetto, & Sarasota. Twenty years ago Sarasota would have been the obvious choice, but times have definitely changed.

Per the 2020 census, Lakewood Ranch has an average household income of $111,645 vs Sarasota’s average of $56,093. Not only is LWR’s average household income about twice that of Sarasota, the spread between LWR household income and that of Bradenton or Palmetto is even larger.

LWR is also way ahead in terms of resident education levels. 53% of LWR residents have a bachelors degree or more, while only 37% of Sarasota residents do. Bradenton scores a 25% on education while Palmetto comes in at 22%.

Using average household income and population size as inputs, the Lakewood Ranch economy is larger than that of Bradenton, Palmetto, or Sarasota. The Ranch is also growing quite rapidly.

If you’d like to discuss how your business can prosper in the Ranch please give me a call.

Whether you are founding a new firm, relocating to Lakewood Ranch, or opening a secondary location…you’ll need to acquire entry level staff from the local area.

While there are many sources to choose from, you may want to start with the high schools and colleges located in Lakewood Ranch or close by. These local residents can start work quicker and already know the area.

So you’re considering moving your business to Lakewood Ranch or perhaps opening a branch office there. You’ll certainly want to visit the Ranch a few times and you may want to bring your family as well. You also may be wondering about how you will house and entertain visiting clients or prospects.

Not to worry! There are currently eight hotels in the Ranch where your visitors can stay and there’s a wide variety of restaurants to choose from.

Here’s a list of hotels and restaurants in the Ranch. There are far more restaurants than are listed here. The list is intended to help those new to the area find a wonderful dinner experience while they’re still getting their bearings.

Enjoy!

Sharing The Ranch is focused on commercial real estate opportunities in Lakewood Ranch, but you and your staff have to live somewhere. This page is intended to give you a quick idea of starting prices for new homes in Lakewood Ranch. I don’t personally handle residential real estate, but I can refer you to a trusted expert if you’d like to buy a home in Lakewood Ranch.

Some of your staff may not be ready to buy a home. Not to worry, there are many quality rental communities in Lakewood Ranch that can take of these employees. A list of these rental communities is below the list of Lakewood Ranch Villages.