New housing development over 1,200 acres is coming to west Bradenton. Here’s the latest
With one notable exception, growth and development in Manatee County for the past two decades has centered on Lakewood Ranch and the Parrish-North River area.
That one exception is Lake Flores, a 1,200-acre mixed-use planned development in the west Bradenton area that has been widely hailed for its innovation, sensitivity to other neighborhoods and for its design as a walkable community.
Although the first phase of construction will not start going vertical for another year, workers are already busy there, finishing up the creation of 45 acres of wetlands on the west side of the property, said Ed Hill of Lake Flores Land Company.
The $2 million project includes the creation of man-made lakes and planting of trees and plants along the shoreline.
In March, the Neil Bluhm family of Chicago, under the corporate name Cortez75W Investors LLC, bought 397 acres of the Lake Flores property for $10.7 million. The family has the remainder of Lake Flores property under contract as well.
Forbes magazine describes Neil Bluhm as a real estate tycoon who owns several casinos and several premier Chicago properties.
The Lake Flores property, historically the Manatee Fruit Company, where flowers were grown for more than a half century, extends from the vicinity of IMG Academy west to 86th Street West and borders El Conquistador Parkway on the south and Cortez Road on the north.
In 2015, the Manatee County Commission approved owner Whiting Preston’s plans to build 6,500 residential units, one million square feet of retail space, two million square feet of commercial space and 500 hotel rooms at Lake Flores on Manatee Fruit Company land.
Hill, who worked with Preston on plans for Lake Flores for a dozen years, is now working with the new owners to carry out the vision that earned it recognition as 2016’s Outstanding Development by the Florida Planning and Zoning Association.
The developers of Lake Flores recently submitted paperwork to Manatee County Building Services for the first phase of Lake Flores, which proposes 1,016 homes, a 49-acre town center, and the planned centerpiece, the 19-acre Lake Flores, which is now farmland.
The roots
The name Lake Flores honors Whiting Preston’s mother, Flavia Florez Preston, and the gladiolus heritage of his father, Walter Preston.
“Lake Flores is about an urban plan conceived behind various plans and principles that mitigate traffic trips,” Preston said in 2016.
“One of the principles includes the use of complete streets. Complete streets create a safe street environment for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit riders. It creates other opportunities for people that live within the community to travel in the community without getting in a car,” Whiting Preston previously said.
That vision continues, and will be appealing to people who prefer the west Bradenton area, and its proximity to Sarasota Bay and the Anna Maria Island beaches, Hill said.
“It is so rare to find this much land so close to the coast,” Hill said. “People moved to Florida for the healthy lifestyle and the sun. All of the coastal areas developed first.”
Four phases
Lake Flores will be developed in four phases with the first phase covering about 400 acres. It will be a somewhat smaller development than originally proposed. About 250 acres of Manatee Fruit Company land have been sold to IMG Academy since 2011, allowing IMG to expand and add its football stadium an hotel.
In addition, Hill said that he doubts that Lake Flores will build all of the millions of square feet of approved commercial space.
Less office and retail space will be needed than originally planned, Hill said.
“We wanted to create something the county could embrace, to energize this side of town and to give IMG an opportunity to continue to grow,” Hill said.
Amenities
“What will make Lake Flores special is that it will be a place where people can safely enjoy the outdoors, that is close to the beach and surrounding areas, including downtown Bradenton, downtown Sarasota and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport,” Hill said.
Helping bring residents outdoors is a planned 16-foot wide trail running through Lake Flores, which would be ideal for cyclists, runners and walkers.
Manatee County Commissioners have approved a community development district for Lake Flores, which will be the financing vehicle for public infrastructure, such as roads and utilities.
A variety of builders will take part in the development of Lake Flores over the next 15 years, Hill said.
This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
