NEWS

Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. ET Jan. 14, 2017

New models will open in Lake Timber at Babcock Ranch in February. Lake Timber’s choice of lakefront, porch home, cottage, town home, and condominium residences will line streetscapes dotted with parks.

BABCOCK RANCH — Master developer Kitson & Partners announced that furnished model homes by Stock Development, Fox Premier Builders, and Homes by Towne are on schedule for completion in mid- to late February at Babcock Ranch, a new 18,000-acre eco-centric, solar powered town being developed by Kitson east of Fort Myers off State Road 31 in Charlotte County.

New models by Florida Lifestyle Homes are slated for completion in March and Castle Harbour Homes is poised to begin construction of two models in late January and February. The furnished models are being built in Lake Timber, the first neighborhood to be built at Babcock Ranch. Each of the Craftsman, Farmhouse, and Coastal Gulf Vernacular style homes at Babcock Ranch is being built to Florida Green Building Coalition Certification standards and will include deep front porches positioned close to the sidewalks to encourage conversations with passersby and to allow the homes to live from front to back.

The Lake Timber neighborhood epitomizes the Town and Country lifestyle Kitson has fashioned at Babcock Ranch. Lake Timber’s choice of custom lakefront, porch home, cottage, town home, and condominium residences will line streetscapes dotted with parks. Lakefront green spaces and pathways, trail head facilities, a lakeside fishing dock, an observation deck, and Babcock Ranch’s first town garden will provide opportunities to connect with nature. Lake Timber’s Lake House neighborhood center is under construction and will include a lakefront pool, barbecue area, and playground.

At the same time, Lake Timber will be a short walk or bike ride from Babcock’s Downtown District. Phase I of the Downtown District is under construction and expected to be completed by the end of February. Phase I will include completion of Founder’s Square, a lakefront green that will include a waterfront boardwalk promenade, a band shell, bike, kayak, paddleboard, and row boat rentals, and a splash pad while serving as a gathering place and the focal point for town events and celebrations.

Downtown’s Table and Tap Restaurant, an outfitters store, and Woodlea Hall, Babcock Ranch’s first civic building and home to the town’s information center, will all be at Founder’s Square and are expected to be completed in February. A 10,567-square-foot market that will offer a coffee shop, grab and go items, and an ice cream shop is slated for completion in July.

The Babcock Neighborhood School will open in fall of 2017 and is now accepting K-8 applications for the 2017-2018 school year.  A comprehensive Wellness Center is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2018.

Base priced at $459,000 and situated on 70- and 80-foot lakefront homesites, Stock Development’s open concept floor plans are featured in Babcock Ranch’s Longleaf Collection and are designed by Looney Ricks Kiss Architects. Outdoor living areas will overlook Lake Timber and Lake Bullhorn, the two lakes that envelope the Lake Timber neighborhood. Four furnished models by Stock will open in February, including the 3,076-square-foot three-bedroom plus study, three-and-a-half bath Crystal model; the 2,676-square-foot three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Sebring; the 3,191-square-foot, four-bedroom plus study, four-and-a-half bath Destin; and the 3,264-square-foot, two-story Delray that offers three bedrooms plus a study, three-and-a-half baths, and an upstairs bonus room. A fifth model, the 2,822-square-foot, three-bedroom plus study, three-and-a-half bath Bartow, is scheduled for completion this summer.

Situated on 50- or 60-by-130-foot homesites, Fox Premier Builders’ Cottage Collection open concept floor plans were designed by Cooter Ramsey of Allison, Ramsey & Associates and by Timberbuilt. The plans have been converted to accommodate a SIP Panel Construction process developed by New Panel Homes. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) consist of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings, typically oriented strand board (OSB). The building system is extremely durable, highly resistant to Southwest Florida’s extreme weather conditions, and energy efficient.

Fox expects to have four models completed by the end of February, including the two-story, 2,029-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath Camden model base priced at $469,900; the two-story, 2,483-square-foot Eden base priced at $497,900 that includes four bedrooms or three bedrooms plus a study and four baths; the single-story, two bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, 1,555-square-foot Whisper Creek base priced at $379,900; and the two-story, 2,001-square-foot Cabin model designed by Timberbuilt that includes full master suites on the first floor and upstairs. The Cabin combines the SIPs construction process with hybrid timber framing, timber exterior finishes, and interior beamed ceiling details. The timber framed homes can be customized to provide looks ranging from rustic to elegant. Optional one- and two-car garages and a variety of porch designs are also available with each plan.

Homes by Towne’s Harvest Collection at Lake Timber includes eight flexible open concept floor plans ranging from 1,956 to 2,660 square feet on sites measuring 50 or 60 feet by 130 feet. The plans are base priced in the $300s. The Harvest Collection homes, designed by KM Development Corp., will showcase Babcock’s architectural styles.

The West Indies style 2,545-square-foot Sungold model and the Farmhouse style, 2,660-square-foot Sterling model are expected to open by the end of February. The Sungold offers a three-bedroom plus den, two-bath floor plan while the Sterling offers a great room, three bedrooms, a den and two baths. The 1,956-square-foot, two-bedroom plus den or third bedroom, two-bath Coastal style Brandywine and the 2,441-square-foot two-story Craftsman style Jade, that includes two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a den and an upstairs bonus room, are slated for completion in March. Rooms at the front of each of the Harvest Collection floor plans, whether a den or a bedroom, will have doors opening to the front porch.

Florida Lifestyle Homes’ first Longleaf Collection models will be built on the banks of Lake Bullhorn. The furnished Taylor and Lauren residences are expected to be completed by late February or early March. The 2,784-square-foot Taylor plan includes an additional 1,029 square feet of covered front and rear porches. The plan features a formal dining room, three bedrooms, a study or fourth bedroom, three baths, and a swimming pool. The two-story Lauren offers 4,081 square feet plus 835 square feet of covered front and rear porch space. The open concept plan features a great room, island kitchen, a formal dining room, master suite and two guest bedrooms on the first floor. Upstairs, a loft and a bonus room offer additional places for entertaining or creating a home office. The upstairs features a full bath and a fourth bedroom.

Castle Harbour will be offering a minimum of four Longleaf Collection plans ranging from 2,300 to nearly 3,000 square feet. The Old Florida and Farmhouse style homes will be on 70-by-130-foot or 80-by-130-foot lakeside homesites base priced in the $500s and $700s.

Castle Harbour is starting its single-story Huckleberry model this month. The light-filled plan offers 2,955 square fee and includes a formal dining room, a study overlooking the front porch, a master bedroom with a lake view, and two guest bedrooms with full baths. The outdoor living area overlooks Lake Timber. Construction of the Belvidere model on Lake Bullhorn is expected to begin in February. The Farmhouse style residence is expected to include four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths.