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NEWS

  • October 07,2022 - The Underappreciated Tool for Surviving Extreme Weather

    BY NITISH PAHWA HTTPS://SLATE.COM/TECHNOLOGY/2022/10/HURRICANE-IAN-RENEWABLE-ENERGY-FLORIDA-BABCOCK-RANCH-SOLAR.HTML   Week by week, thanks in large part to climate change, it seems we hear new stories of natural disasters and their horrific effects across the United States: hurricanes slamming Puerto Rico and Florida, droughts in the American Southwest, wildfires scorching the Pacific Northwest as well as punishing heat waves in Texas, incomprehensible flooding in Kentucky and Missouri and the Plains. All together, these […]

  • October 07,2022 - Our Lights Stayed on During Hurricane Ian

    One RMIer recounts his experience braving Hurricane Ian and why the lights stayed on in his solar-powered sustainable community. October 5, 2022 By  Ryan Foelske My family and I survived our first hurricane. Hurricane Ian passed right over our head and pummeled the west cost of Florida with high winds for 6-10 hours. The storm ravaged […]

  • October 07,2022 - 100% solar community has minimal damage from Hurricane Ian

    Written by Bonface Landi Babcock Ranch, a community in southwest Florida, is America’s first weather-resilient settlement that is fully powered by solar. The community has a lot to celebrate. It is the first settlement built with climate change threats in mind to protect its residents from hurricanes. The settlement uses more than 700,000 individual solar panels that […]

  • October 07,2022 - This Solar-Powered Florida Town Was Built to Withstand Hurricanes. Did It Work?

    Homes in Babcock Ranch are built on higher ground, protected by retention ponds, and powered by 650,000 solar panels. By Jonathan Small October 6, 2022 As Hurricane Ian ravaged Florida last week, causing fatalities, destruction, and billions of dollars worth of damage, one south Florida town went relatively unscathed. Babcock Ranch, a community of 4,600 residents, reported no power outages, […]

  • October 07,2022 - Hurricane Ian and the future of the power grid

    by Kathryn Krawczyk October 5, 2022 👋 Hello and welcome to Energy News Weekly! This week, we discuss the latest climate change-driven disaster to hit the U.S., and what Hurricane Ian can tell us about the electric grid’s fate — and solar’s potential — as extreme weather becomes even more common. Crews work to clear a tree […]

  • October 07,2022 - This 100% Solar-Powered Town in Florida Left Virtually Unscathed After Hurricane Ian

    By: Kristina Zagame Updated: October 6, 2022  Edited By: Karsten Neumeister An aerial view of Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered community in Florida. Jeffrey Greenberg / Education Images / Getty Images  Why you can trust us Hurricane Ian caused mass destruction to Southwest Florida, taking dozens of lives and leaving millions without power. But in the midst of devastation, […]

  • October 06,2022 - One Florida community built to weather hurricanes endured Ian with barely a scratch

    October 6, 20225:00 AM ET Heard on All Things Considered SCOTT NEUMAN   Babcock Ranch, in Florida, runs on solar power and was built to weather the worst storms. After Hurricane Ian, the community didn’t lose power or water, and it experienced minimal damage. Carlos Osorio for NPR BABCOCK RANCH, Florida — Like many others in […]

  • October 04,2022 - Why the Florida Fantasy Withstands Reality

    Cape Coral is a microcosm of Florida’s worst impulse: selling dream homes in a hurricane-prone flood zone. But people still want them.  By Michael Grunwald Five years ago, after Hurricane Irma pummeled Florida’s Gulf Coast, I rode a boat through the canals of Cape Coral, the “Waterfront Wonderland,” America’s fastest-growing city at the time. It was […]

  • October 04,2022 - Babcock Ranch Makes National Headlines After Hurricane Ian

    by Ryan Erisman | Updated: October 3, 2022 Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered community located about 12 miles inland from Fort Myers in Southwest Florida, is in the headlines at places like CNN, The Atlantic, and more after Hurricane Ian. One of the fastest selling communities in the nation…they had 714 new home sales in 2021…Babcock Ranch is an […]

  • October 04,2022 - Column/Martin: Embracing innovative technology, renewables key to environmental resiliency

    Teresa Martin Columnist Published 4:05 a.m. ET Oct. 4, 2022 Hurricane Ian — a ginormous storm with 150 mph sustained winds — flattened much of Florida a few days ago. We watched the dramatic images of flooded, wind-torn homes and shuddered in sympathy at dark windows and power outages. The force of nature! The inevitable destruction!  But […]

  • October 04,2022 - Babcock Ranch in Florida Survives Hurricane Ian, Solar Power Helped Avoid Power Loss

    Its technology should have applications all over the country.  Babcock Ranch and Punta Gorda both survived Hurricane Ian with little damage, thanks to robust building codes and good planning.  Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 03 October 2022, 08:10 pm Florida’s Babcock Ranch is “America’s first solar-powered town,” and not only did it supply power to homes during […]

  • October 04,2022 - Babcock Ranch Was Designed To Be Sustainable & Resilient.

    Hurricane Ian Was Its First Real Test.  Babcock Ranch and Punta Gorda both survived Hurricane Ian with little damage, thanks to robust building codes and good planning.  Babcock Ranch and Punta Gorda both survived Hurricane Ian with little damage, thanks to robust building codes and good planning. By Steve Hanley Published October 3, 2022 In […]

  • October 04,2022 - 100% solar-powered Babcock Ranch endures Hurricane Ian with no loss of power.

    People use Babcock Ranch as a shelter. Nergis Firtina Created: Oct 03, 2022 Solar panels of Babcock Ranch.Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images  Have you ever heard of Babcock Ranch? Located only 12 miles (19.31 km) northeast of Fort Myers, Florida, Babcock Ranch calls itself “America’s first solar-powered town.” And this town has proven how durable it is. […]

  • October 04,2022 - Hurricane Ian destroyed power systems and ravaged homes.

    One southwest Florida community completely powered by solar escaped with little damage. BY LI COHEN  OCTOBER 3, 2022 / 2:06 PM / CBS NEWS    Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida has been nothing short of devastating. But even as millions lost power, had their homes destroyed and were left in total disarray, one small community […]

  • October 03,2022 - This 100% solar community endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage

    By Rachel Ramirez, CNN Updated 11:53 AM EDT, Sun October 2, 2022 The Babcock Ranch solar array, which is run by Florida Power and Light. Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images CNN —  Anthony Grande moved away from Fort Myers three years ago in large part because of the hurricane risk. He has lived in southwest Florida for […]

  • August 08,2022 - Babcock High School ready for inaugural school year

    by Samantha Serbin  6:22 PM EDT, Fri August 05, 2022 PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Babcock Ranch High School is just days away from opening. Monday morning kids will be welcomed bright and early. The school is designed for grades 6-12. However, the first senior class won’t walk through the doors until next year. It’s a school unlike […]

  • August 08,2022 - Babcock Ranch to open new high school

    Charter school a high-tech ‘living lab’ along with other twists on traditional education By DANIEL SUTPHIN Staff Writer   20 hrs ago Babcock High School officially opens Monday on the education campus at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County along State Road 31.RENDERING PROVIDED BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock High School officially opens Monday. Until this school year, […]

  • August 08,2022 - Babcock High School welcomes its first class on Monday

    REPORTER: ASHA PATEL WRITER: JOEY PELLEGRINO PUBLISHED: AUGUST 8, 2022 7:06 AM EDT  |   UPDATED: AUGUST 8, 2022 8:49 AM EDT https://www.winknews.com/2022/08/08/babcock-high-school-welcomes-its-first-class-on-monday/ BABCOCK RANCH Babcock High School welcomed its first students at the beginning of the school year on Monday morning. It was the grand opening for the new high school, located at 43301 Cypress Parkway […]

  • August 08,2022 - New high school focused on innovation, collaboration in Babcock Ranch

    School will start Monday for nearly 800 students in Babcock Ranch, and about half of them will be in the new Babcock High School building. By: Chris Shaw Posted at 5:57 AM, Aug 08, 2022  and last updated 5:57 AM, Aug 08, 2022 BABCOCK RANCH, Fla — School will start Monday for nearly 800 students in Babcock Ranch, and about […]

  • July 19,2022 - The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of Mid-2022

    DOWNLOAD PDF  July 18, 2022 By Gregg Logan, Managing Director , Karl Pischke, Principal MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITIES TOP 50 In Summary Total new home sales among the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities declined by 18% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same time period last year. Supply chain issues and inadequate new home inventory have continued to pose problems for […]

  • April 04,2022 - Homebuilders, FPL look for efficiencies at Babcock Ranch's Innovation Way

    By David Dorsey April 1, 2022 Gulfshore Business The three of the largest home builders in Southwest Florida are for the first time collaborating on creating more sustainable, energy-efficient homes as they look toward the future with the project happening at Babcock Ranch, off State Road 31 in southeast Charlotte County.   D.R. Horton, Lennar and […]

  • March 24,2022 - Babcock Ranch Art Show to benefit nonprofit for kids

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR Special to Fort Myers News-Press BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. – Guests at the Babcock Ranch Art Show on March 11 to 13 can enjoy fresh air, fun and food while helping raise funds for a good cause. In addition to admiring the work of more than 40 artists, Babcock […]

  • February 22,2022 - Babcock Ranch expanding across the county line

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer The Sun – Port Charlotte Feb 21, 2022   BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch is getting ready to cross the line into Lee County. Developers for the 18,000-acre community, which is mostly in western Charlotte County, are pursuing approval for another spine road connecting to new residential neighborhoods on the […]

  • January 20,2022 - FWC hopeful recent panther mating produced litter

    By NANCY J. SEMON STAFF WRITER Dec 21, 2021 Updated Dec 21, 2021 BABCOCK RANCH — A Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute camera captured a pair of panthers mating at Babcock Ranch Preserve, inspiring hope that their pairing resulted in a litter. “Breeding north of the Caloosahatchee River is crucial to the long-term viability of the […]

  • January 20,2022 - New school coming to Babcock Ranch will double as storm shelter

    by Samantha Serbin  8:50 PM EST, Wed January 19, 2022 CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – “It has to be ready for the Fall.” That’s the message Principal Shannon Treece has as a new high school is under construction in the Babcock Ranch community. Educators and parents in Charlotte County are ready for the school to open in […]

  • January 20,2022 - Babcock Ranch named No. 14 top-selling master-planned community in the country

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR Special to Fort Myers News-Press BABCOCK RANCH – Kitson & Partners announced that Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town, has been recognized as the No. 14 top-selling master-planned community of 2021 by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors. The recognition reflects the record sales of more than 1,758 homes, […]

  • January 10,2022 - Bloom Academy Undertakes two Expansions to Meet the Demand for Child Care in Babcock Ranch and Port Charlotte Florida

    PUNTA GORDA, FL, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — More child care openings and more job opportunities will be available in Babcock Ranch and Port Charlotte Florida as Bloom Academy expands. “Program expansion like that happening at Bloom Founder’s Square means more options for working families- this is especially important with child care availability in relatively […]

  • January 10,2022 - Babcock Ranch receives award for pivoting, persisting in pandemic

    November 11, 2021 COURTESY PHOTO The challenges of economic development in the face of a worldwide pandemic prompted the Florida Economic Development Council to add a new category to its annual awards program. The 2021 Pivot and Persist Award, created to honor economic development initiatives that best adapted and pressed forward amidst the crisis, was […]

  • January 10,2022 - COLUMN: Babcock Ranch our second city some day?

    Go south on State Road 31 in east Charlotte County, and you will happen upon a very new community in our county called Babcock Ranch. This community is located on about 17,700 acres, and, instead of growing like Topsy, it has been a community planned from the outset. Apparently, the plan is quite attractive, if […]

  • January 07,2022 - Babcock Ranch Water Utilities recognized as a leader in water reuse

    Gravina Smith Matte & Arnold Special to Naples Daily News Babcock Ranch Water Utilities was recently recognized by Water Resources Utility of the Future Today for innovative and forward-thinking practices in water reuse. The program honors water and wastewater treatment utilities leading the way in establishing sustainable, resilient and livable communities. Operated by Town & […]

  • January 07,2022 - The Sunshine State's first solar community is still shining four years after its foundation

    Babcock Ranch is a community made up of nearly 20,000 homes with a population of roughly 50,000 and a whole lot of solar panels. Credit: Lisa Hall Author: Andrew Quintana (WTSP) Published: 11:10 PM EST January 5, 2022 Updated: 11:10 PM EST January 5, 2022   FLORIDA, USA — For years, there’s been a growing movement among environmentalists […]

  • October 04,2021 - SWFL baker wows at national competition

    Owner of Soul by Janette Dulaney does well at national baking competition By: Chris Shaw Posted at 8:14 AM, Sep 29, 2021 and last updated 8:21 AM, Sep 29, 2021 BABCOCK RANCH, Fla — You have to see this cake. In about a year, Janette Dulaney went from baking newbie to third-place winner at the Ultimate Sugar Show in […]

  • October 04,2021 - Community opens Publix, announces new tenants

    BUSINESS OBSERVERTHURSDAY, SEP. 30, 2021 3 days ago Other retailers at Crescent B Commons include restaurants,  hair and beauty salons and health care providers. by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — The first Publix in the first solar-powered town in the country is now open. The new grocery store opened Sept. 23 in the Crescent B Commons shopping center […]

  • September 28,2021 - Publix Now Open in Babcock Ranch

    Crescent B Commons is now 90 percent leased, with future tenants including Burger Fi, M’Xuma Tacos and U Yee Sushi. By Staff September 24, 2021 The new Publix at Babcock Ranch IMAGE: COURTESY PHOTO Publix, the first tenant at Crescent B Commons in Babcock Ranch, is now open, with other retail stores slated to open within the next few […]

  • September 24,2021 - Visions

    A big idea worth noting  Mark R. Howard | 8/31/2021 https://www.floridatrend.com/article/32101/visions In Florida’s business world, it’s not hard to find successful people who are good at making money. The real standouts, however, are those who go about their business with some sense of higher purpose that manifests itself either in extraordinary service to their communities or […]

  • September 24,2021 - New Publix, High School Coming to Babcock Ranch

    The grocery store and a high school are slated to open soon, giving residents of this fast-selling, master-planned community access to more essentials. The new high school in America’s first solar-powered town will offer students education on sustainability and renewable energy. IMAGE: COURTESY PHOTO Residents of fast-growing Babcock Ranch will soon have more essentials at their fingertips. Crescent […]

  • September 22,2021 - Publix Super Market at Babcock Ranch to open Thursday

    By Staff | Sep 21, 2021 The new Publix at Crescent B Commons at Babcock Ranch. The newly constructed Publix Super Market in the Crescent B Commons shopping center at Babcock Ranch is set to open Thursday. Publix will occupy 48,387 square feet and offer a drive-thru pharmacy, a lighted mezzanine for dining, and a liquor store. […]

  • August 31,2021 - Fast-growing farm expands into region with acquisition 

    BUSINESS OBSERVER TUESDAY, AUG. 24, 2021 Finn Farms is expected to begin generating revenue in the third quarter. by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — Finn Farms, a hydroponic grower inside Babcock Ranch, a master-planned, solar-powered community on the border of Lee and Charlotte counties, has been sold. Lake Worth-based Green Life Farms has acquired Finn Farms, […]

  • August 31,2021 - Babcock Ranch hits milestone of 1,500 home sales

    STAFF REPORT BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch has surpassed 1,500 homes sold, with more than 470 sold this year, the community’s developer announced this week. With sales up 61% for the first half of 2021, Babcock Ranch also jumped nine spots to number 25 on the list of the country’s 50 top-selling masterplanned communities of 2021 by […]

  • August 13,2021 - 39 water utilities recognized for innovation

    Aug 9th, 2021 The Utility of the Future Today program announced recognition for 39 utilities this year for recovering resources from wastewater, community engagement and innovation. The Utility of the Future Today program announced its recognitions of 39 water utilities across the nation for innovation and technology mastery. The Utility of the Future Today recognition […]

  • August 13,2021 - Master-planned community advances first high school

      Babcock Ranch High School could be ready in 2022. BUSINESS OBSERVERWEDNESDAY, JUL. 28, 2021 by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — The first high school in Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered town north of Fort Myers, is moving forward, now with the completed design. The state-of-the-art high school includes a 40,000 square foot multi-purpose field house, the […]

  • July 30,2021 - OUR VIEW Babcock facility will be a plus for communities

    OUR POSITION: It may not be as grand as it started out to be, but the community building/ hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch is a plus for the communities it will serve. Count the community building/hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch as another victim of the pandemic.  When the project was pitched to the Florida Legislature, the proposal […]

  • July 30,2021 - New emergency storm shelter under construction in Babcock Ranch

    by Samantha Serbin  5:03 AM EDT, Fri July 30, 2021 CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – A new shelter broke ground in Charlotte County as the peak of hurricane season approaches. Babcock Ranch includes the shelter within its new high school. By the next hurricane season officials at Babcock Ranch said there will be a shelter for about […]

  • July 26,2021 - Finn Farms begins production at Babcock Ranch

    Finn Farms begins production at Babcock Ranch     Reporter: Erika Jackson Writer: Jackie Winchester Published:June 21, 2021 5:33 PM EDT From seeds to your table, there’s a one-of-a-kind prototype greenhouse in Southwest Florida. “This is controlled environment agriculture at its best,” said Oskari Kariste, founder and CEO of Finn Farms at Babcock Ranch. What […]

  • July 26,2021 - Master-planned community surpasses closings milestone

    Babcock Ranch began marketing new homes in 2017.  MONDAY, JUN. 28, 2021 by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered master-planned community in Charlotte and Lee counties, has passed a new milestone in home sales, with more than 1,000 closings. The community, according to a statement, now has 1,386 home sales and 1,027 closings. […]

  • July 26,2021 - Babcock jumps to No. 24 top-selling communities
    Charlotte County Florida Weekly

    July 22, 2021  Babcock Ranch has jumped up 10 spots in six months to the No. 24 position in the country’s 50 top-selling master planned communities of 2021 by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors. The recognition comes on the heels of Kitson & Partners’ recent announcement that Babcock Ranch has surpassed 1,400 new homes sold, with […]

  • June 14,2021 - Bayshore, North property valuations on the rise

    By CHUCK BALLARO – | Jun 11, 2021    Overall property valuations for the Bayshore and North Fort Myers fire districts have finally returned to levels they were at before the Great Recession in 2008 with both once again reporting increases. The estimated tax rolls at Bayshore increased 6.29 percent, from $458,066,646 to $486,896,000, which brings the […]

  • June 14,2021 - Pulte announces new Northridge at Babcock Ranch community

    Special to Naples Daily News June 13, 2021 Gravina Smith Matte & Arnold Special to Naples Daily News Pulte Homes, one of the nation’s most recognized and trusted brands in homebuilding for 70 years, has just announced Northridge at Babcock Ranch. This will be the newest Pulte Homes-branded community located in the desirable Babcock Ranch, […]

  • June 14,2021 - Babcock community expanding east and south

    Apartments coming soon By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Jun 13, 2021   A booming housing market has led Babcock Ranch to open up the next 4,021 acres for development sooner than expected. Staff from developer Kitson & Partners on Tuesday described to Charlotte County commissioners how the planned community is moving deeper into Charlotte County’s […]

  • May 05,2021 - Babcock seeks $70M in bonds for utilities

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer May 1, 2021 Updated May 1, 2021 Babcock Ranch is requesting local approval for $70 million in tax-exempt bonds to expand its water and sewer system. In a first step, Charlotte County’s Industrial Development Authority unanimously approved of the resolution Wednesday. County commissioners must also approve of the request. Then, the IDA […]

  • April 26,2021 - Innovators share stories at Babcock Ranch

    FEATURED Innovators share stories at Babcock Ranch By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Apr 24, 2021 Updated Apr 24, 2021   Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson (center) hosted the Edison Awards on Earth Day. Here is sits with Lake Babcock in the background in a panel discussion with PBS moderator Miles O’Brien (right) and Black and Veatch President […]

  • April 23,2021 - Three-day Edison Awards offers innovation presentations, networking

    April 15, 2021 <img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-172352″ class=”wp-image-172352 size-large” src=”https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-1024×557.jpg” alt=”Attendees at the 2019 Edison Awards Gala. The awards recognizing innovation success are named after Thomas Alva Edison. COURTESY PHOTO” width=”1024″ srcset=”https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-1024×557.jpg 1024w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-300×163.jpg 300w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-768×418.jpg 768w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-1536×836.jpg 1536w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-2048×1114.jpg 2048w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-400×218.jpg 400w, https://charlottecounty.floridaweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2021-04-15/31p1-184×100.jpg 184w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px” /> Attendees at the 2019 Edison Awards Gala. […]

  • April 23,2021 - Announcing The 2021 Edison Award Winning Companies That Will Shape The Future

    Jennifer Holmgren, CEO LanzaTech, and Reinhold Schmieding, President and Founder Arthrex, received the distinguished 2021 Edison Achievement Award. FORT MYERS, Fla., April 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Edison Awards is pleased to announce the winners of its 34thannual program. The awards gala took place last night at the new Caloosa Sound Convention Center and was hosted by Miles O’Brien. This is […]

  • April 23,2021 - Edison Awards honor innovators Schmieding of Arthrex, Holmgren of LanzaTech

    David Dorsey | Fort Myers News-Press  Innovators and entrepreneurs from across the country convened for the first time this week in the winter home of one of their inspirations, Thomas Edison.  The Edison Awards, established in 1987 and previously held in New York City, celebrated their achievements this week – for the first of at least […]

  • April 23,2021 - EDITORIAL: Earth Day, Babcock Ranch go together

    Apr 22, 2021  OUR POSITION: Today is celebrated worldwide as Earth Day and there is no better place or event that symbolizes what it’s all about than the Edison Best New Product Awards at Babcock Ranch.  Babcock Ranch, the first solar-powered city in the USA, is a prime example of what Earth Day is all […]

  • April 22,2021 - GATES Construction completes Cypress Lodge Clubhouse at Babcock Ranch

    Submitted Special to Fort Myers News GATES Construction has completed construction of the new Cypress Lodge lakeside clubhouse and activities center located northeast of Founder’s Square in Babcock Ranch. A Florida Green Building Certified facility, Cypress Lodge offers an indoor lounge and a screened clubroom with a grand fireplace, seating, and a kitchenette. Outdoor amenities […]

  • April 22,2021 - Babcock Ranch joins competition for Edison innovation award

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Apr 16, 2021 The community of Babcock Ranch is a finalist in the 2021 Edison Awards. The new solar power-centered master community that straddles Lee and Charlotte County joins more than 130 companies — big and small — that were nominated for the Edison Best Products Awards. Award winners in […]

  • April 15,2021 - Small Florida community aims for energy independence by harnessing the power of the sun

    Apr 13, 2021 6:25 PM EDT To watch the video, click link below: Small Florida community aims for energy independence Florida may be called the Sunshine State, but it is no stranger to the damaging impacts of climate change. Miles O’Brien profiles one small Florida community that is trying to take advantage of all that […]

  • April 05,2021 - Energy Innovation: Solar Energy Solutions Continue to Gain Momentum

    From community solar installations to a push in some municipalities for all-electric building codes, interest in solar keeps growing By Eugene L. Meyer April 1, 2021 Proudly solar: Florida’s Babcock Ranch, “the most sustainable town in Florida.” | Photo: courtesy Babcock Ranch Babcock Ranch is a sprawling master planned community on 18,000 acres on Florida’s […]

  • April 05,2021 - Leading construction firm wins new high school project

    Business Observer Saturday, Apr. 3, 2021 1 day ago The new high school in Babcock Ranch will be connected to an existing school. by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — DeAngelis Diamond, one of the largest construction firms in the region, has been chosen to build the Babcock Neighborhood School High School, a 39,000-square-foot charter […]

  • March 26,2021 - Edison Awards to Host Solar-Powered Earth Day Event

    The full day of educational activities will take place at Babcock Ranch and will be powered by Florida Power & Light Company    NEWS PROVIDED BY Edison Awards; Florida Power & Light Company  Mar 24, 2021, 12:51 ET FORT MYERS, Fla., March 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Edison Awards is pleased to announce a solar-powered Earth Day event […]

  • March 26,2021 - New business owner saw need, brought pizza

    BABCOCK RANCH, Fla — The story of one of Babcock Ranch’s newest restaurants begins with Bethany Hunt. And the fact that she wanted pizza. She really wanted pizza. Her story is the part of our SWFL Reinvented: Moving Forward series. Every Thursday, we bring you a new story about a local person who has changed the course of their […]

  • March 08,2021 - East Lee residents plead to save fairgrounds, civic center, rural life
    News-Press

    Bill Smith Fort Myers News-Press Rural residents pleaded Friday for the future of the Lee Civic Center on Bayshore Road in rural North Fort Myers, speaking on behalf of farmers, 4-H club members, and lovers of fresh meat and produce. Inspired by tales of doom for their rural lifestyle that has roiled social media in recent […]

  • March 08,2021 - Future of Lee Civic Center, fairgrounds could include hotel, retail space

    Reporter: Andryanna Sheppard Writer: Jackie Winchester Published:March 3, 2021 5:43 PM EST View WINK news Video: Future of Lee Civic Center    Time is running out for the Lee County fair, as the North Fort Myers property it sits on is up for new management or even redevelopment. The county is exploring its options on […]

  • March 08,2021 - What will happen to Lee Civic Center? Kitson & Partners proposes to demolish the 42-year-old building, redevelop the 100-acre property

      David Dorsey Fort Myers News-Press   The Lee County government is shopping future uses for the Lee Civic Center at Bayshore Road and State Road 31 in North Fort Myers. One of the two proposals includes demolishing the 42-year-old building and redeveloping the 100-acre property. Kitson & Partners, the developers of Babcock Ranch, proposes transforming the […]

  • March 08,2021 - Babcock Ranch developer has his eye on Lee Civic Center property

    By: Rachel Loyd Posted at 6:49 PM, Mar 04, 2021  and last updated 4:53 PM, Mar 04, 2021  NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — To Lee County resident Michael Thompson, the land surrounding the Lee Civic Center is more than just a 100-acre plot. It’s bright lights and ferris wheels when the fair comes to town every year. But […]

  • February 12,2021 - 21st century sport comes to Babcock Neighborhood School

    February 10, 2021 BY LAURA TICHY-SMITH Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Students at Babcock Neighborhood School and Babcock High School are playing in school-sponsored leagues for a new 21st century sport, and two BNS students even placed in the top 15 of a national championship competition last December. The new sport teaches life skills, offers college […]

  • February 12,2021 - GIVING BACK
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    Babcock Ranch Foundation shows commitment to all in the community … By Jeff Cull | on January 13, 2021 BY MARY WOZNIAK Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent   The Babcock Ranch Foundation is combining culture in the form of art with the culture of giving back to help make sure that children and families in need […]

  • February 12,2021 - Babcock Ranch leads Charlotte, Lee and Collier master planned communities in country’s top 50 list of 2020
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    February 10, 2021 This month, the industry’s most respected sources of real estate intelligence and insight recognized Babcock Ranch’s amazing growth and sales success as both RCLCO Real Estate Advisors and John Burns Real Estate Consulting ranked Babcock Ranch 34th among the country’s 50 top-selling master-planned communities of 2020. Babcock Ranch also leads John Burns […]

  • February 12,2021 - Babcock Ranch named 2021 Edison Awards finalist

    International competition honors game changing innovations  February 12, 2021 Contact: Lisa Hall (850) 508-7782 lhall@kitsonpartners.com BABCOCK RANCH, FL – Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located in Southwest Florida, is among an elite group of finalists for the 2021 Edison Awards – an annual competition honoring the world’s top innovations and innovators. Established in 1987, […]

  • December 16,2020 - Solar power-focused community hits sales milestone

    Lee-Collier-Charlotte Business Observer Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 1 day ago Babcock Ranch began marketing new homes in 2017. by: Business Observer Staff Babcock Ranch, a community in Charlotte and Lee counties billed as America’s first solar-powered town, has surpassed a major milestone: 1,000 homes sold. Northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31 […]

  • December 16,2020 - Milestone: Solar Babcock Ranch passes 1,000 home sales
    Florida Weekly

    By Florida Weekly Staff | on December 16, 2020 Babcock Ranch has surpassed the 1,000 homes sold milestone, with 505 year-to-date contracts at America’s first solar-powered town. COURTESY IMAGE Babcock Ranch has surpassed the 1,000 homes sold milestone, with 505 year-todate contracts at America’s first solar-powered town. Additionally, construction continues at Crescent B Commons, the […]

  • December 16,2020 - Babcock Ranch Surpasses 1,000 Homes Sold Milestone: Solar-powered Town Reports More Than 500 New Home Contracts In 2020
    Florida Trend

    12/15/2020 Kitson & Partners announced Babcock Ranch has surpassed the 1,000 homes sold milestone, with 505 year-to-date contracts at America’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. Encompassing 18,000 acres, with 19,500 planned residences and 6,000,000 square feet of commercial space, Babcock Ranch achieved another major milestone […]

  • December 15,2020 - Syd Kitson named to Gulfshore Life's Men & Women of the Year

      Men & Women of the Year – Gulfshore Life Every region is defined by the people who populate it. Judging from this year’s class of Men & Women of the Year, Southwest Florida is defined by a unique mix of strivers and achievers all working in some way to make a positive impact on […]

  • December 15,2020 - Florida universities grapple with how to adjust to pandemic

    FORT MYERS  Reporter: Lindsey Sablan Writer: Joey Pellegrino Published: November 30, 2020 9:25 AM EST Updated: November 30, 2020 8:20 PM EST View Wink News video below: Florida Universities grapple with how to adjust to Pandemic Since the fall semester started, there have been 459 cases of COVID-19 reported at Florida Gulf Coast University. Syd […]

  • December 15,2020 - Syd Kitson: Hometown hero making a difference

    BABCOCK RANCH  View video from Wink news: Hometown hero making a difference He played in the NFL, created his own town, and is now responsible for helping our public universities and businesses survive a pandemic. Our partners at Gulfshore Life just recognized Syd Kitson as one of its “Men of the Year.” The answer to success […]

  • November 16,2020 - First-of-its-kind farm set to call Babcock Ranch home

    WATCH WINK NEWS EXCLUSIVE HERE Using eco-friendly prairies and technology from Finland, one farm hopes to be the first of its kind in America. Finn Farms is going to be sustainable, innovative, and clean. “There are no emissions, we are using all organic materials, ” said Finn Farms founder Oskari Kariste. This new way of […]

  • November 13,2020 - First-of-its-kind farm set to call Babcock Ranch home

    Reporter: Erika Jackson Writer: Drew Hill Published: October 13, 2020 3:57 PM EDT Updated: October 13, 2020 5:21 PM EDT https://www.winknews.com/2020/10/13/first-of-its-kind-farm-set-to-call-babcock-ranch-home/ Using eco-friendly prairies and technology from Finland, one farm hopes to be the first of its kind in America. Finn Farms is going to be sustainable, innovative, and clean. “There are no emissions, we […]

  • November 09,2020 - Babcock Ranch’s downtown Founder’s Square earns FGBC accolades

    BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2020) – Kitson & Partners has announced that Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, has earned Florida Green Building Coalition’s “Florida Green” Commercial Building certification for the structures composing downtown Founder’s Square. Slater’s Goods & Provisions, Bloom Academy, […]

  • November 09,2020 - Syd Kitson named to Floridapolitics.com

    Syd Kitson named to Floridapolitics.com 2020 edition of The INFLUENCE 100: The most influential people in Florida politics Click here for 2020 Edition of The Influence 100 

  • November 09,2020 - Syd Kitson named to Gulf Shore Life Magazine’s 2020 Men & Women of the Year
    Gulf Shore Life Magazine

    MEN & WOMEN OF THE YEAR BY GULFSHORE LIFE Every region is defined by the people who populate it. Judging from this year’s class of Men & Women of the Year, Southwest Florida is defined by a unique mix of strivers and achievers all working in some way to make a positive impact on the area—and […]

  • November 03,2020 - Babcock Ranch, la première ville verte américaine fonctionne à l'énergie solaire

    France Radio Broadcast October 20, 2020 (Translation below) par Benjamin Fontaine  publié le 20 octobre 2020 à 6h06 https://www.franceinter.fr/babcock-ranch-la-premiere-ville-verte-americaine-fonctionne-a-l-energie-solaire   En 2017, une bulle verte a vu le jour au cœur de la Floride. La ville de Babcock Ranch est sortie de terre pour accueillir des Américains en quête d’une vie plus proche de la nature. Babcock Ranch est alimentée […]

  • November 03,2020 - Forget Politics, The US Will Lead In Sustainability Because Of Its Entrepreneurs

    Oct 27, 2020,02:24pm EDT Background:  The ideas in this article were significantly sharpened by a panel on  “Life After Covid-19” held by Florida Polytechnic University’s Executive Leadership Initiative (ELI). Special thanks to Syd Kitson for explaining the vision behind Babcock Ranch. Climate change has been on the forefront of the public consciousness for many decades. […]

  • October 21,2020 - First-of-its-kind farm set to call Babcock Ranch home

    1st of it’s kind farm set to call Babcock Ranch Home Using eco-friendly prairies and technology from Finland, one farm hopes to be the first of its kind in America. Finn Farms is going to be sustainable, innovative, and clean. “There are no emissions, we are using all organic materials, ” said Finn Farms founder […]

  • October 07,2020 - New home sales surge in Southwest Florida as pandemic continues

    Laura Layden Naples Daily News Friday October 2, 2020 New home sales have surged in Southwest Florida. After taking a brief pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, sales have been brisker than usual, even setting records in some communities, such as Ave Maria, east of Naples. Babcock Ranch, near the Lee-Charlotte county line, is also […]

  • September 03,2020 - Community readies land for new Publix center

    Crescent B Commons is 65% leased. by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — Infrastructure work is underway at Crescent B Commons, a Publix-anchored 82,640-square-foot shopping center at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch The center is being built about one mile south of the existing entrance on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, according to a statement, and […]

  • September 03,2020 - Babcock growth unfazed by pandemic
    YourSun - Charlotte News

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Aug 21, 2020 Aug 21, 2020 Updated Aug 22, 2020 The population at Babcock Ranch has grown by about 435 people since last November to an estimated 1,545 people.  A worldwide pandemic does not appear to be slowing development in this planned community, Babcock spokeswoman Lisa Hall told the Sun this week.   […]

  • August 25,2020 - Babcock Ranch Featured in Sarasota Magazine Neighborhood Guide

    3 Aug, 2020 Babcock Ranch Featured in Sarasota Magazine’s Neighborhood Guide Babcock Ranch is featured in Sarasota Magazine’s Neighborhood Guide: “High-Tech Babcock Ranch Rises in Southeast Charlotte County.” The guide takes a closer look at the Babcock Ranch vision, initiatives, technology and neighborhoods. Click here to view Babcock Ranch’s feature in Sarasota Magazine’s Neighborhood Guide

  • August 25,2020 - Infrastructure Work Commences at Crescent b Commons
    Babcock Ranch

    19 Aug, 2020 Infrastructure work commences at Crescent B Commons shopping center at Babcock Ranch: Vertical construction scheduled to begin fourth quarter 2020 BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (Aug. 18, 2020) – Infrastructure work is now underway at Crescent B Commons, the Publix-anchored 82,640-square-foot shopping center at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch being constructed about one […]

  • August 25,2020 - Florida’s New-Home Communities Seen Leading The Nation Amid “Amazing” Rebound
    Forbes

      Brad HunterContributor Real Estate   Florida has had some well-publicized challenges lately, but homebuilders statewide are seeing a continued rebound of demand from buyers that surprises even them. Building company executives and owners I’ve spoken with have used words like “wild” and “amazing” to describe home sales activity in May, June, and July. Yes, […]

  • August 25,2020 - Seven New-Home Neighborhoods Come to Babcock Ranch

    Building has begun in earnest in this master-planned community.  By Ilene Denton  8/3/2020 at 10:38am The three-bedroom, three-bath Avila model from AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, part of the Lake Babcock Estates neighborhood. With 550 homes sold and an additional 150 under contract as of July 1, 2020, it’s fair to say that building is well under […]

  • August 03,2020 -

    The NBC Nightly Films piece that was originally released as a series of separate segments, is now posted as a single segment, with only an ad at the beginning and then playing straight through for a little over 30 minutes Babcock Ranch Solar City  

  • July 24,2020 - A View from the Top: An Interview with Syd Kitson

    An Interview with Syd Kitson, CEO & Chairman of Kitson and Partners  

  • July 23,2020 - Busy intersection to get traffic light
    North Fort Myers Neighbor

    June 24, 2020 By CHUCK BALLARO (news@breezenewspapers.com) , North Fort Myers Neighbor   With Babcock Ranch growing rapidly and the old truck route leading there still two lanes, it isn’t getting any easier to make your way down State Road 31. However, a long-awaited traffic light at 31 and North River Road/Old Bayshore Road is expected to […]

  • July 23,2020 - Pandemic fails to slow Southwest Florida’s master-planned communities
    Herald Tribune

    Lakewood Ranch, Wellen Park among top sellers nationwide…. July 7, 2020 Despite the challenges of the coronavirus-induced economic downturn, two master-planned communities in Southwest Florida again ranked among the fastest sellers in the nation. Lakewood Ranch finished second and Wellen Park landed in third place in the midyear 2020 home sales scorecard from real estate […]

  • July 23,2020 - Babcock Ranch among country's 50 top-selling master-planned communities
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR Special to Naples Daily News July 18, 2020 BABCOCK RANCH – Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, achieved another major sales milestone when it was named to the RCLCO Real Estate Advisors’ Top 50 list […]

  • July 06,2020 - Stock Development luxury home division posts robust salessales

    Lee-Collier-Charlotte Business Observer Friday, Jun. 12, 2020 3 weeks ago by: Business Observer Staff NAPLES — Stock Custom Homes, a Naples-based luxury homebuilder, has reported robust sales of $52 million through the first five months of this year. The division of Stock Development also is preparing to open new models in Quail West, such as […]

  • July 06,2020 - Builder uses Tesla system to help power area new home

    Pulte Homes uses a Tesla Powerwall stored energy system for a new home in Babcock Ranch.  SARASOTA-MANATEE BUSINESS OBSERVER FRIDAY, JUN. 26, 2020 4 days ago   Sarasota-Manatee Business Observer Friday, Jun. 26, 2020 1 week ago Builder uses Tesla system to help power area new home Pulte Homes uses a Tesla Powerwall stored energy system for […]

  • June 23,2020 - Pulte Homes' first solar home available for viewing at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR Special to Naples Daily News BABCOCK RANCH — Pulte Homes is taking a lead from America’s first solar-powered town with an innovative, first-of-its-kind solar home in Babcock Ranch.  Pulte Homes’ new Summerwood home design is now complete and available for viewing in the Lake Babcock neighborhood. The […]

  • June 23,2020 - Babcock Ranch surpasses 700 homes sold milestone
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Naples Daily News Published 6:00 a.m. ET June 6, 2020 BABCOCK RANCH – Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, has reported 700 new home contracts through the end of […]

  • June 23,2020 - Look out for the new 'Lake Babcock Lookout' tower
    Your Sun Charlotte News

    By DANIEL SUTPHIN Staff Writer Jun 20, 2020 Updated Jun 20, 20 BABCOCK RANCH — Construction is underway on a new tower and residential lodge at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County. Both the “Lake Babcock Lookout” tower and Cypress Lodge are expected to be completed and opened this fall. “The tower is another iconic structure for our town […]

  • June 16,2020 - Babcock Ranch home sales up 40 percent in Q1
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Naples Daily NewsPublished 6:15 a.m. ET April 25, 2020 Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch, reported 107 first-quarter new home sales, marking a 40 percent year-over-year increase for America’s first solar-powered town. Babcock Ranch home sales totaled 31 in March alone, propelling the town […]

  • June 16,2020 - Homebuilder Hosts Live Community Grand Opening Events and Tours on Facebook to Reach Prospective Homebuyers
    Business Wire

    June 11, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–No longer just a place to connect with friends, post photos and videos and share status updates, social media is now serving a new function for users looking for their dream home. One of the nation’s largest homebuilders, PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) is leveraging live Facebook events […]

  • June 16,2020 - Stock Development Sales Remain Strong: Company Is Exceeding Sales Projections
    Naples Florida Weekly

    ADVERTORIAL By Staff | on June 11, 2020 According to Brian Stock, CEO of Stock Development, homes in highly-amenitized communities are selling fast and the supply of new homes is limited. Stock Development is having a phenomenal sales year. Through May, the company netted 147 new home sales worth $210 million. “At the beginning of the Covid-19 in mid-March, […]

  • June 16,2020 - Upstart home community surpasses 700 home contracts

    Residents began moving into Babcock Ranch in early 2018. by: Business Observer Staff Business Observer Tuesday, Jun. 2, 2020 1 week ago BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch has surpassed 700 new home contracts through the end of May. Babcock Ranch, billed as America’s first solar-powered town, is northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. […]

  • June 12,2020 - Learning to turn on a dime:

    The Babcock Neighborhood School experience By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 BY ROGER WILLIAMS Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Shannon Treece, principal at the growing Babcock Neighborhood School, had never seen anything quite like the near 10-week challenge that concluded the spring semester of the 2020 school year that ended the last week in May. Neither had the […]

  • June 12,2020 - Time to enjoy it all at Babcock Ranch

    By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 SPECIAL TO BABCOCK RANCH Peri and Dwight Schwabrow are not shy about how happy they are to be living at Babcock Ranch. CHRIS TILLEY / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH When you think of retirees, do you imagine people spending their time on the front porch in rocking chairs, reminiscing about the good […]

  • June 12,2020 - WCI’s Rosewood: Designed for enjoying the great outdoors

    By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 WCI’s three-bedroom, three-bath Rosewood model in Babcock Ranch’s Lake Timber neighborhood offers 2,231 square feet of thoughtfully designed living space. Within the home’s open floor plan, interior designer CJ Annand masterfully blended rustic details including rubbed brass lighting fixtures, natural textures and wood accents. The model features selections from Fine Furniture […]

  • June 12,2020 - AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg’s Avila: A seamless indoor-outdoor connection

    By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 Within Lake Babcock Estates, the grand 2,873-square-foot Avila model from AR Homes complements the Babcock Ranch lifestyle, indoors and out. The Avila’s low country, coastal farmhouse style is enhanced by designer Sharon Freeman’s interiors that mingle traditional and transitional décor with natural touches. The colors that appear throughout the three-bedroom, three-bath […]

  • June 12,2020 - Home sales up 40% in first quarter
    Babcock Ranch Telegtaph

      Publix to anchor Crescent B Commons, scheduled to open in 2021 By Jeff Cull | on May 13, 2020 BY LAURA TICHY-SMITH Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Homes at Babcock Ranch appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees alike. Prices range from the low $200,000s to more than $1.5 million. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH IMAGE KITSON & PARTNERS, […]

  • June 12,2020 - Thriving at Babcock Ranch
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

      By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 BY LAURA TICHY-SMITH Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Babcock Ranch is unique among its surrounding cities, with wide open spaces for outdoor recreation. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH COURTESY IMAGE In the best of times, where you live makes a tremendous impact upon your lifestyle. But where you live in uncertain times can […]

  • June 12,2020 - Babcock’s core initiatives continue to guide town’s growth

    By Jeff Cull | on June 10, 2020 BY EVAN WILLIAMS Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent The town of Babcock Ranch is on track to reach a total population of some 50,000 people. RICHARD KINLEY / COURTESY PHOTO With its balmy winters and year-round outdoor opportunities, Southwest Florida is a popular draw for countless Americans looking for a new place […]

  • May 12,2020 - Top 10 things to do online this weekend while social distancing in Southwest Florida
    NewsPress

    Charles Runnells, Fort Myers News-Press Published 12:00 p.m. ET May 7, 2020 | Updated 10:10 a.m. ET May 8, 2020 Looking for something fun to do while social distancing during the coronavirus? Here are our top 10 things to do online this weekend and beyond — from a Tiny Theatre in a closet to a virtual […]

  • May 12,2020 - Mothering during a pandemic: Personal stories from women across Southwest Florida
    NewsPress

    Fort Myers News-Press Published 7:00 a.m. ET May 8, 2020 | No prom? No problem, with a mom like Jorie Maddi It looks like a standard prom portrait: King and queen in tie and tiara, sashed and grinning under an arch of balloons with disco lights sprinkling the ceiling. But peer a little closer, and […]

  • May 12,2020 - Pulte's Built to Honor Program Recognized as 2020 Hearthstone Award Winner
    Builder Online

    The company-wide program provides mortgage-free homes to U.S. military veterans and their families. By Lydia Lee In March of last year, Sgt. Howard Appleby was on a tour of Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered master-planned community in southwestern Florida. Turning a corner, he saw an open lot with a billboard with his name on it and a […]

  • May 11,2020 - SWFL Seamstress behind 5,000 masks made for those in need
    Wink News

    Reporter: Melinda Lee Writer: Briana Harvath Published: May 8, 2020 2:32 PM EDT Updated: May 8, 2020 5:50 PM EDT Click Link to watch video:https://www.winknews.com/2020/05/08/swfl-seamstress-behind-5000-masks-made-for-those-in-need/ More than 5,000 masks made by one community, because one Babcock Ranch woman wanted to “sew” her support for those in need. “It’s just nice to know that I’m making […]

  • May 11,2020 - Solar City: Dawn of Solar in the Sunshine State
    NBC News

    Mat 7, 2020 Tucked into a corner of Southwest Florida about a half-hour from Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch is what developer Syd Kitson calls the most sustainable community in America and the first solar -powered town in the country. Click on link to view videos:  https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-films  

  • April 24,2020 - SWFL developer on reopen Florida task force exec. committee seeks measured approach
    WINK NEWS

    Reporter: Erika Jackson Published: April 21, 2020 3:43 PM EDT Updated: April 21, 2020 8:15 PM EDT SWFL developer on reopen Florida task force exec. committee seeks measured approach   It’s going to take time to get restaurants, hotels, and the rest of Florida’s economy back on its feet. Governor Ron DeSantis is taking input […]

  • April 24,2020 - Babcock Ranch's developer picked for governor's Re-Open Task Force
    nbc2

    Tuesday, April 21st 2020, 4:27 PM EDT by Claire Lavezzorio Syd Kitson, the mastermind behind America’s first solar-powered town, is now on a new mission to revitalize Florida. Kitson is one of 22 handpicked by Governor Ron DeSantis to be a part of his Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee. “How we’re going to open […]

  • April 23,2020 - Business leaders, elected officials join task force to reopen Florida
    Bizjournals

    The News Service of Florida Apr 21, 2020, 8:43am   Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee With hundreds of thousands of workers filing unemployment claims and businesses shuttered across the state, a task force created by Gov. Ron DeSantis began discussing ways Monday to revive the state’s economy from the coronavirus crisis. Officials from businesses such […]

  • April 23,2020 - Endangered Florida panthers filmed fighting for the first time
    National Geographic

    © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved Photograph by Carlton Ward, Jr. Read Caption A male Florida panther in Babcock Ranch State Preserve. Males have home ranges of up to 200 square miles and will defend their turf against other males in deadly fights. Photograph by Carlton […]

  • April 23,2020 - Babcock Ranch needs to build a lot more in central neighborhoods
    Port Charlotte Sun

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer April 13, 2020 This map shows areas where developers of Babcock Ranch will be working with the state to widen State Road 31 and improve intersections in Charlotte and Lee counties. Babcock Ranch wants to dramatically increase the amount of homes and commercial space in its first phase of development. […]

  • April 23,2020 - Major residential projects plowing ahead
    Port Charlotte Sun

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Apr 18, 2020   What looks like a jigsaw puzzle is actually the growing development in Babcock Ranch. The newest approval was for the area to the north — a section of Babcock National built by Lennar Homes. Charlotte County government West Port is moving ahead with vast clearing of […]

  • March 16,2020 - Fast-growing community opens new golf course
    Business Observer

    Babcock National is a 18-hole Gordon Lewis-designed course. by: Business Observer Staff March 10, 2020 Babcock Ranch, billed as America’s first solar-powered town, has something new to get residents charged up: a golf course. Babcock National Golf & Country Club, a new Lennar lifestyle community within Babcock Ranch, celebrated the opening of its 18-hole Gordon […]

  • March 16,2020 - Publix announced for Babcock Ranch shopping center
    Charlotte Sun

    Friday, March 6, 2020 Kitson & Partners, developer of Babcock Ranch, has announced that Publix will anchor Crescent B Commons, an 82,540-square-foot shopping center under construction at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch being built about one mile south of the existing entrance on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. The estimated opening date for Crescent […]

  • March 09,2020 - Kitson & Partners announces Publix as anchor for shopping center at Babcock Ranch

    BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (March 5, 2020) – Kitson & Partners, developer of Babcock Ranch, has announced that Publix will anchor Crescent B Commons, an 82,540-square-foot shopping center under construction at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch being constructed about one mile south of the existing entrance on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. The estimated opening […]

  • March 09,2020 - Babcock Ranch announces plans for Publix grocery store
    Fort Myers News-Press

    David Dorsey, Fort Myers News-Press  Published 2:44 p.m. ET March 5, 2020            Babcock Ranch, the planned community for about 50,000 residents but with fewer than 500 homes built so far, has made official the construction of a new Publix that will open in early 2021. Publix will anchor a new, 82,540-square-foot shopping center, to […]

  • March 09,2020 - A Look Inside Babcock Ranch: America’s First Solar-Powered Town

    Lavanya Sunkara  Babcock Ranch   Babcock Ranch   In a world still clamoring for coal and drilling for oil, the power of the sun seems to have gone by the wayside. Yet, a small town in southern Florida is keeping its lights on with renewable energy, showing how a community can successfully live sustainably. Babcock Ranch, America’s […]

  • February 25,2020 - Babcock Ranch celebrates second anniversary as first fully solar city in America

    A town built to harness the power of the sun. Babcock ranch recently celebrated it’s second anniversary as the first fully solar city in America. Here is a link to watch a feature story that aired Thursday 2/20/20 and again on Sunday 2/23/20 on the Fox station in Orlando: https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/657724

  • February 25,2020 - Technology helping students in Southwest Florida

    By: Shari Armstrong Here is the link to video: https://www.fox4now.com/news/4-in-your-corner/technology-helping-students-in-southwest-florida   LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Babcock Neighborhood School Mr. CJ McFarlane and his trusted sidekick roam the hallways at Babcock Neighborhood School in Babcock Ranch. Temi (pronounced Timmy) is a personal robot making deliveries, telling jokes and keeping students entertained. “The same technology you have running in […]

  • January 31,2020 - How to Plan a Sustainable Road Trip
    GreenMatters.com

    BY STEPHANIE OSMANSKI Posted 2 weeks ago (Jan. 17, 2020)   When I was younger, it felt like we lived in the car — excuse me, van. We were a family of four, and still, we drove the heck out of an eight-passenger van. We’d leave for long trips to Pennsylvania (three-and-a-half hours from our home […]

  • January 31,2020 - HOW TO TRAVEL IN AN ELECTRIC CAR CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE

    Translated from Spanish ~ Traveling in an electric car has been one of the best things I have ever experienced, and not only because of the experience of driving a car that does not require gasoline, but because the trip itself completely changed my relationship with the environment. A few days ago, I thought I […]

  • January 31,2020 - THE ELECTRIC TOURIST
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    A two-day Chevy Bolt test drive from Miami to Naples to Babcock Ranch resulted in no sacrifices January 29, 2020 BY MYLES KORNBLATT Florida Weekly Automotive Writer THE RELIABLE RANGE OF ELECTRIC CARS HAS LEAPFROGGED OVER the last few years. The standard used to be whether you could make it to the office on battery […]

  • January 31,2020 - EDITORIAL: Partnerships in solar work, just look at FPL

    1/30/20, Sun Newspapers OUR POSITION: Let’s give credit when credit is due and applaud Florida Power & Light for its aggressive approach to harnessing solar energy. We never hesitate to criticize Florida Power and Light utility for what sometimes appears to be a greedy business model. So it is only fair we heap some praise […]

  • January 28,2020 - Meritage Homes makes sense for Babcock Ranch
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    January 15, 2020 BY RUSTY PRAY Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent At 2,185 square feet, the Osprey is Meritage Homes’ largest one-story model. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH COURTESY IMAGES It’s a natural fit. Meritage Homes, a builder with an eye toward conservation and sustainability, found a home in May 2019 when it purchased 81 lots at Babcock […]

  • January 28,2020 - Kitson elected to chair Florida Board of Governors
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    January 15, 2020 Syd Kitson SPECIAL TO BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH Real estate developer Syd Kitson was elected last week as chairman of the Florida Board of Governors, succeeding outgoing Chairman Ned Lautenbach. The board is the 17-member governing body for the State University System of Florida. Fourteen board members are appointed by the Florida governor […]

  • January 27,2020 - “Go Fly a Kite” at Babcock Ranch Festival of Kites and model home tour
    Charlotte County Florida Weekly

    January 16, 2020 Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/S.R 31, is hosting the Festival of Kites from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in Jack Peeples Park — rain or shine. This family friendly event features a day of fun and free kite kits […]

  • January 27,2020 - Babcock Ranch brings Festival of Kites to Charlotte County

    Posted: 6:55 AM, Jan 22, 2020 Click link below to watch news video: https://www.fox4now.com/tasteseeswfl/babcock-ranch-brings-festival-of-kites-to-charlotte-county Updated: 8:13 AM, Jan 22, 2020 By: Noelani Mathews PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Babcock Ranch is preparing to celebrate their Festival of Kites on Saturday. The event is taking place at their newly enhanced Jack Peeples Park, Playground, and Nature Trail. Organizers say the […]

  • January 27,2020 - 4.2 miles of public trails opening at Babcock Ranch
    Charlotte Sun

    Staff Report  Jan 17, 2020 Updated Jan 19, 2020 Babcock Ranch solar town could one day offer 50 miles of trails for the public to enjoy.On Tuesday, 4.2 miles of trails within that system will open to the public. Following a brief dedication ceremony, Dr. Bill Hammond will lead an inaugural nature walk along the southern section […]

  • January 27,2020 - A new trail and its namesake
    Charlotte Sun

    Jan 22, 2020 Updated Jan 22, 2020 Charlotte Sun A gathering Tuesday honored Dr. Bill Hammond with the opening of 4.2 miles of a public trail system he helped to create in Babcock Ranch. The “Dr. Bill Hammond Trails” are part of a public trail system that will eventually stretch for 50 miles within the boundaries of […]

  • January 14,2020 - Coming in 2021: Crescent B Commons complete with chain grocery and an array of stores and services

    Previously published: April 10, 2019 BY EVAN WILLIAMS Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent The shops in Crescent B Commons will compliment rather than compete with those in Founder’s Square. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH The Crescent B brand is traveling a lot farther than the ranchers who once burned it into the hide of Cracker cows on Babcock […]

  • January 14,2020 - The all new CYPRESS LODGE ... designed to serve as a resident gathering spot

    By Jeff Cull | on November 13, 2019 BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com A NEW LAKESIDE CLUBHOUSE AND ACTIVITIES CENTER FOR BABCOCK Ranch residents, Cypress Lodge, is slated to begin construction late this year and to open up next fall or winter. Like the town itself and many of its buildings, it is a nod to […]

  • November 18,2019 - The cities of the future, here today
    Multibriefs Exclusive

    Dave G. Houser Wednesday, November 06, 2019 About 12,000 years ago, the Neolithic Revolution marked the transition in human history from nomadic hunting and gathering to settling in permanent communities. In all probability, from that time forward mankind has fantasized about a city of the future. Plato’s Atlantis was the source of inspiration for numerous literary and […]

  • November 18,2019 - Babcock Ranch: Learning From the World’s First Solar-powered Town
    Altenergy magazine

    Real estate developers, Kitson & Partners, have set a new standard for sustainable living. Their groundbreaking model of a 100 percent solar-powered town in South Florida called Babcock Ranch, is touted to be the largest self-sustaining community in the country. Real estate developers, Kitson & Partners, have set a new standard for sustainable living. Their […]

  • October 28,2019 - 40 Under 40 - Class of 2019: Amy Wicks, 37
    Business Observer

    Business Observer Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 1 week ago Amy Wicks, 37 Engineer, Kimley-Horn & Associates by: Mark Gordon Managing Editor Amy Wicks has been at the forefront of solving Florida’s myriad water quality issues long before it became a noted problem and, of late, a political debate. With a master’s degree in environmental engineering from […]

  • October 21,2019 - Tyler Kitson, 31 President of Talis Park, Kitson & Partners
    Business Observer

    Observer Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 3 days ago by: Mark Gordon Managing Editor Tyler Kitson long wanted to follow his father’s career path. But at first, that wasn’t going to be real estate. That’s where his dad, Syd Kitson, is now one of the most prominent developers in Florida and leads the charge of what’s […]

  • October 04,2019 - Home starts rebound in Sarasota-Manatee region
    Sarasota Herald Tribune

    By John Hielscher Staff Writer Posted Sep 17, 2019 Builders broke ground on 1,706 single-family homes during the April-June period in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. New home starts rebounded during the second quarter in Southwest Florida after a slow start to 2019. Builders broke ground on 1,706 local single-family homes during the April-June period, a 28% increase […]

  • October 04,2019 - We live in a popular place. Charlotte, Sarasota areas rank in top 5 places to move, report says
    Charlotte Sun

    By DANIEL SUTPHIN and ALEXANDRA HERRERA Staff Writers Sep 24, 2019 A move to Charlotte County must be a smart one — or at least a popular one — because a lot of people are doing it. The Punta Gorda metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Charlotte County, recently took the number three spot […]

  • September 17,2019 - Growth Opportunities

    FLORIDA TREND 9/17/2019  (click on link to see featured image of Babcock Ranch)https://www.floridatrend.com/article/27847/growth-opportunities Beth Luberecki | 9/17/2019 Lee County Ranked No. 7 in the nation for top metropolitan areas in percentage growth from 2010 to 2018 Lee County Projected to reach 1 million people in the next eight to 15 years 338,706 Workforce members 37% Residents with A.S. […]

  • September 17,2019 - Syd Kitson CHAIRMAN & CEO, KITSON & PARTNERS, PALM BEACH GARDENS

    Consistently mentioned among the most-admired executives in the state, Kitson has patiently led the development of Florida’s first solar-powered city, Babcock Ranch, which involved the largest land preservation acquisition in state history. A former guard for the Green Bay Packers, Kitson has served as chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and is the incoming […]

  • September 17,2019 - Florida Trend's annual list of the "Florida 500"

    Florida Trend has published it’s annual list of the “Florida 500” – the most influential business leaders in the Sunshine State.    You can access the full 2019 edition of “Florida 500” here:  https://floridatrend500.com/?_ga=2.203018129.1807091358.1568710903-1618686059.1558013454 Editor’s Letter   A Few Observations … My favorite part of producing the Florida 500 is reading the answers to the questionnaire […]

  • August 28,2019 - Planned roads could imperil Florida's panthers—and last remaining wilderness
    National Geographic

    The state has approved three toll roads through wild, sparsely inhabited areas, which could hurt wildlife and a rural way of life. BY DOUGLAS MAIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARLTON WARD JR.  ((use link: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/florida-toll-road-threatens-wildlife-panthers/ to view great photography of panthers at the Babcock Ranch preserve that accompanies this National Geographic feature)) PUBLISHED AUGUST 26, 2019 LABELLE, FLORIDA Southwest Florida is […]

  • August 02,2019 - New year, new focus for Babcock School

    By BRIANNA KWASNIK Staff Writer Jul 28, 2019 Updated Jul 28, 2019 Students at Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School will head back to school Thursday to a campus with a renewed purpose. The charter school, located in the Babcock Ranch community straddling Charlotte and Lee counties, recently dropped from an A grade to a C, according […]

  • August 02,2019 - ‘Finally Home’ builds mortgage-free home for U.S. Army Sergeant at Babcock Ranch

    Reporter: Breana Ross Published: July 26, 2019 5:16 PM EDT Updated: July 27, 2019 11:14 AM EDT U.S. Army Sergeant Howard Appleby of Cape Coral and his family received a mortgage-free home at a dedication ceremony Friday. PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program and Operation “Finally Home” unveiled a newly completed mortgage-free home to U.S. Army […]

  • August 02,2019 - Wounded combat veteran, family gifted new home

    By BRIANNA KWASNIK Staff Writer | Jul 26, 2019 Updated Jul 26, 2019 BABCOCK RANCH — Kiyomi Appleby ran to find her room in her family’s new home. Kiyomi, who turns 5 today, is having a weekend filled with all things new. Her family moved into their new home Friday morning – where she has a new room […]

  • August 01,2019 - Major developer COO expands role

    Al Dougherty named COO of Babcock Ranch; will continue in role of COO-Communities for Kitson & Partners. Friday, Jul. 12, 2019 by: Business Observer Staff BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners COO-Communities Al Dougherty has expanded his role with the company as COO of Babcock Ranch, the country’s first solar-powered town under development in northeast Lee and […]

  • August 01,2019 - Charlotte County approves fire/EMS services for Babcock Ranch

    Reporter: Erika Jackson Writer: Jack Lowenstein Published: July 11, 2019 4:26 PM EDT Updated: July 11, 2019 6:12 PM EDT With Family No. 500 getting ready to move to Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County, a focus on safety is key. But the closest fire station is outside the community at Station 9 along State Road […]

  • July 26,2019 - Tyler Kitson named president of Talis Park

    on July 25, 2019 KITSON Kitson & Partners has named real estate industry professional Tyler Kitson as president of Talis Park, the luxury master-planned community in Naples offering championship golf, a unique club experience, and new estate, waterfront and condominium homes. Mr. Kitson oversees all aspects of management and operations at Talis Park, leading a […]

  • July 26,2019 - Babcock Neighborhood School principal leads students to success

    Posted: 9:39 AM, Jul 24, 2019 By: Lauren Petrelli   PUNTA GORDA, Fla.– Inside Babcock Neighborhood School in Charlotte County, you’ll find Principal Shannon Treece fixing dinosaur costumes, listening to poems, and greeting students. “Making the move into administration is definitely where I found my passion,” said Principal Shannon Treece. Treece said she always loved playing teacher as a […]

  • July 18,2019 - Al Dougherty named chief operations officer at Babcock Ranch
    Sarasota Herald Tribune

    By Staff Report Posted Jul 12, 2019 at 12:59 PMUpdated Jul 12, 2019 at 4:27 PM     Al Dougherty has been named chief operations officer for Babcock Ranch, the southeastern Charlotte County development touted as the nation’s first solar-powered town. Dougherty will continue as COO-communities for Kitson & Partners, the developer of Babcock Ranch, where he has managed planning, land development and construction for the […]

  • July 09,2019 - Florida’s Utilities Keep Homeowners From Making the Most of Solar Power

    The political clout and incentives of the state’s big power companies have discouraged installation of rooftop solar panels. By Ivan Penn July 7, 2019 PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida calls itself the Sunshine State. But when it comes to the use of solar power, it trails 19 states, including not-so-sunny Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Maryland. […]

  • June 26,2019 - DeSantis signs bill to build hurricane evacuation center at Babcock Ranch

    It will be Charlotte County’s only Red Cross approved hurricane shelter. Monday, June 24th 2019, 6:03 PM EDT by Claire Lavezzorio Updated: Monday, June 24th 2019, 6:49 PM EDT BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. – The state is committing to improving storm safety for Floridians. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill dedicating $8 million toward construction of […]

  • June 26,2019 - State approves funding for hurricane shelter in Babcock Ranch

    Gabe Stern, Fort Myers News-Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET June 25, 2019 | ((this story was also picked up today in Politico Briefs) During hurricane season a few years from now, Southwest Florida residents will have another shelter they can turn to. A part of Florida’s appropriations budget was $8 million for a new hurricane shelter […]

  • June 24,2019 - Babcock hurricane shelter, field house get approved by Gov. DeSantis

    By LIZ HARDAWAY Staff Writer Jun 21, 2019   PUNTA GORDA — The Southwest Florida Regional Emergency Shelter is included in the $90.98 billion state budget that Governor Ron DeSantis approved. Rep. Michael Grant (R-Port Charlotte) originally proposed the shelter, asking for $8 million from the general revenue fund. The shelter will be built at […]

  • June 24,2019 - Governor DeSantis signs budget that includes funding for regional hurricane shelter

    BCOCK RANCH, Fla. (June 24, 2019) – The state appropriations bill signed Friday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis demonstrates the state’s commitment to improving storm safety for Floridians: The 2019-2020 budget provides a total $2.9 billion for hurricane preparedness and recovery statewide, including $8 million toward construction of the Southwest Florida Hurricane Evacuation Center at […]

  • June 17,2019 - Babcock requests approval for the next phase of development
    Your Sun

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Jun 12, 2019 Updated Jun 14, 2019 The next phase of Babcock Ranch is in the works as Babcock Holdings LLC requested approval for a mile-long new spine road to reach 10 new development tracts. “As in Babcock, all things are large,” Charlotte County Planner Steven Ellis said to the Planning and […]

  • June 17,2019 - New sheriff’s station to open soon in Babcock Ranch

    Babcock Holdings LLC donated the modular structure and will lease the land By BETSY CALVERT STAFF WRITER The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is coming to Babcock Ranch. The lease on the department’s new substation starts July 1, and the Sheriff’s Office hopes to be operational by late July or early August, CCSO public information officer […]

  • May 23,2019 - Floride : à la découverte de la ville la plus écolo du monde (One of the greenest cities in the world, is in Florida)

    Following is story that aired on TF1, the largest French language news outlet.  Original air date was 3/10/2019. English translation is below the French version.  JT 20H – L’une des villes les plus vertes du monde, se trouve en Floride. Elle a été construite il y a quatre ans sur les terres d’un ancien ranch. […]

  • May 23,2019 - A Brand New Florida Town Built for the Future

    5/22/2019 Mark Kelly anchor  WPBF news Click on following link to view interview with Syd Kitson: https://www.wpbf.com/article/a-brand-new-florida-town-built-for-the-future/27555217 Anchor Mark Kelly takes us to the brand new community here in Florida that promises to be the town of the future, and we meet the South Floridians who are already moving there. PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — There’s […]

  • May 08,2019 - New hurricane shelter neglects proper procedures, commissioner says

     BABCOCK RANCH   A major hurricane shelter could be coming to a much-needed area for people in Charlotte County. While there is no Red Cross approved shelters to take cover when a strong storm hits, Babcock Ranch might change that. But first, one commissioner said the people behind the project are not going through the […]

  • May 08,2019 - How you could save money on electric by going solar
    NBC-2.com

    On average, a Florida homeowner pays $118 per month for electricity. Tuesday, May 7th 2019, 6:43 PM EDT by Claire Lavezzorio Updated: Wednesday, May 8th 2019, 6:01 AM EDT BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. – Is the sun’s energy worth it for you? On average, a Florida homeowner pays $118 per month for electricity. However, some homeowners […]

  • May 06,2019 - Editorial: Misgivings aside, Babcock shelter will be asset

    May 5, 2019 OUR POSITION: Any controversy over its initial handling aside, a regional hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch will be a potential life-saving asset for Charlotte County. Barring an unlikely veto from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Legislature has approved $8 million for a regional hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch. Despite some misgivings and criticism, that’s […]

  • May 03,2019 - Driverless cars getting closer to hitting Florida roads
    ABC-7.com

    Self-driving buses have already logged hundreds of hours in Southwest Florida’s Babcock Ranch. Thursday, May 2nd 2019, 9:00 PM EDT by Ben Henry Click Link to watch video.  https://www.abc-7.com/clip/14815166/driverless-cars-getting-closer-to-hitting-florida-roads TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It could happen as early as this week, and if it does, our streets could look like a scene from a futuristic movie. Governor […]

  • May 02,2019 - Hurricane shelter funding for Babcock Ranch included in state budget

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer It seemed like a long shot, but $8 million in state funding for a hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch has survived the Florida legislature’s budget negotiations. Legislators on Tuesday agreed on a $90 billion-plus fiscal 2020 budget, including the shelter line item. They will not take a final vote until […]

  • April 09,2019 - Babcock Ranch: A Forward-Thinking Community Invites Couples & Families to Live Responsibly & Sustainably in Southwest Florida

    By: Amber Brooks | Posted: April 9, 2019 The Scoop: Environmental visionaries designed Babcock Ranch to be a solar-powered, tech-savvy, and family-friendly town that fosters sustainable growth adjacent to thousands of acres of preservation land. Hundreds of couples have chosen to make their home in this master-planned community just north of Fort Myers in Southwest Florida. After over […]

  • April 09,2019 - Kitson & Partners announces shopping center at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Naples Daily News Published 6:20 a.m. ET March 9, 2019         Crescent B Commons shopping center, will be anchored by a major grocery store. (Photo: Submitted) Kitson & Partners has announced plans for Crescent B Commons, an 85,600-square-foot shopping center anchored by a major grocery store at […]

  • April 05,2019 - Florida Lifestyle Homes introduces new design at Babcock Ranch

    Tani Hurley Public Relations, Special to Naples Daily News   Luxury home builder Florida Lifestyle Homes has introduced a new design, the Lily Rose, at Babcock Ranch, a new eco-centric town being built in Charlotte County east of Fort Myers off State Road 31. The Lily Rose features an exterior reminiscent of Southwest Florida architecture […]

  • April 05,2019 - Commissioner demands shelter legislation be withdrawn
    Charlotte Sun

    By BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer April 4, 2019 The battle continues between Charlotte County Commissioner Joe Tiseo and Rep. Mike Grant (R-Port Charlotte) over an $8 million legislative request to build a hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch. Tiseo on Thursday sent an email to Grant and about 35 members of the state Legislature asking Grant […]

  • April 03,2019 - Just a Little Bit Country: 9 Modern Farmhouses to Swoon Over
    Realtor.com

    By Becky Bracken | Apr 2, 2019 realtor.com Modern farmhouse has become a wildly popular design aesthetic, thanks in no small part to the tireless evangelism from renovation gurus Joanna and Chip Gaines. It’s their thing! New homes and renovated spaces alike now combine clean, modern spaces with comfortable touches of rustic appeal. These days, large […]

  • April 03,2019 - War veteran surprised with new home in Babcock Ranch
    Fox 4 News

    Posted: 10:32 AM, Mar 30, 2019 Updated: 10:32 AM, Mar 30, 2019 By: Allyssa Dickert     Organizations and community rally together to surprise Southwest Florida family with a mortgage free home.     BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. — Life is not a race, but indeed a journey is the motto the Appleby family lives by. […]

  • April 03,2019 - Smart Growth, Green Living
    Trend Mag

    Babcock Ranch has a multi-page spread in the April edition of Harbor Style Magazine. For those who want to view the whole magazine online, here’s the link: http://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=575189&ver=html5&p=78#{“page”:78,”issue_id”:575189}

  • April 02,2019 - Babcock Ranch launches Food Truck Fridays
    NewsPress.com

    Annabelle Tometich, Fort Myers News-Press March 19, 2019 Food trucks, live music coming soon to Babcock Ranch. Roy’s gets a new look in Bonita, and Nathan’s Famous brings a hot-dog qualifier to Cape Coral. All the news that’s fit to eat in A La Carte. Food Truck Fridays are coming to Babcock Ranch. The all solar-powered […]

  • April 02,2019 - Babcock Ranch: One year later
    Wink News

    Babcock Ranch: One year later

  • April 02,2019 - Veteran’s family surprised with mortgage-free home in Babcock Ranch
    Wink News

    Reporter: John-Carlos Estrada https://www.winknews.com/2019/03/29/veterans-family-surprised-with-mortgage-free-home-in-babcock-ranch/ Published: March 29, 2019 10:09 PM EDT Updated: March 29, 2019 10:58 PM EDT A veteran who has PTSD is moving to Babcock Ranch with his wife and their children. It was a hometown heroes’ welcome. It was a total shock for the family of six. The Appleby family’s move to […]

  • March 22,2019 - Running on the sun
    Washington Post

    Real Estate Running on the sun As environmental calamities rock Florida’s coast, an inland community seeks to live in harmony with nature. Kaia Freeman, 4, chases after her brother Jordan, 13, in Founder’s Square in Babcock Ranch. The 18,000-acre development is billed as the nation’s first solar-powered town. (Photos by Eve Edelheit for The Washington […]

  • March 19,2019 - Bill would fund Charlotte County's first ever storm shelter
    NBC-2.com

    There are currently no Red Cross-approved storm shelters in Charlotte County. Wednesday, February 27th 2019, 5:43 PM EST by Claire Lavezzorio PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – There are currently no Red Cross-approved storm shelters in Charlotte County. That deficit makes it very difficult for some people who can’t leave the area to find a safe place during hurricane season. […]

  • March 19,2019 - Babcock Ranch students build, test underwater robots

    By BRIANNA KWASNIK STAFF WRITER Sometimes competition isn’t all about who wins and who loses. It’s the experience of seeing hard work come to life, and spending time with friends.That’s how the seventh-graders in science and engineering at BabcockRanch Neighborhood School explained competing with remote-operated underwater vehicles. The students spent a month and a half constructing their robots […]

  • March 19,2019 - Babcock Ranch to get grocery store shopping center off SR 31

    March 1, 2019 Pine Island Eagle Babcock Ranch is planning a second community entrance and a shopping center. Kitson & Partners announced Friday plans for Crescent B Commons, an 85,600-square-foot shopping center to be anchored by a “major grocery store.” Crescent B Commons will be located at a new entrance to constructed about a mile […]

  • March 19,2019 - FPL "Solar Journey"
    youtube.com

    FPL ran this video during the Super Bowl. Click link to view:  FPL Solar Journey

  • March 19,2019 - Babcock’s first Food Truck Friday enjoys a warm welcome on a chilly evening

    February 13, 2019 BY EVAN WILLIAMS Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Food trucks set up around Founder’s Square awaiting patrons. VANDY MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH Sizzling batter, smoking brisket: A Friday night block party’s incense emanated from mobile vendors, lacing the brisk air in downtown Founder’s Square and drawing a crowd that came bundled up […]

  • February 25,2019 - Rep. Grant seeks $8M for regional hurricane shelter at Babcock Ranch
    yoursun.com

    Monday, February 25, 2019 NOT ENOUGH SHELTER HERE By ANDREA PRAEGITZER / ASSISTANT EDITOR There are no certified Red Cross hurricane shelters in Charlotte County, but a bill filed this month in the Florida House of Representatives could change that. The bill, HB 3139, from Rep. Mike Grant (R-Port Charlotte) seeks $8 million from the […]

  • January 22,2019 - At Babcock Ranch, the doctor is in

    By Jeff Cull | on January 16, 2019 BY EVAN WILLIAMS Syd Kitson and Dr. Larry Antonucci cut the ribbon at the opening of the Lee Physician Group primary care clinic at Babcock Ranch. VANDY MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH Finding a family doctor is a key step for most people moving to a new […]

  • January 18,2019 - First solar-powered town in America considered 'the way of the future'
    WSBTV News

    By: Clark Howard Updated: Jan 17, 2019 – 7:11 PM Click link below to watch video. https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/first-solar-powered-town-in-america-considered-the-way-of-the-future-/905044341 FLORIDA – Channel 2’s consumer adviser, Clark Howard, is passionate about solar power. So, when he heard about Babcock Ranch, the first solar-powered town in America, he needed to see it for himself. Located 30 minutes northwest of […]

  • January 17,2019 - PULTE HOMES EXPANDS IN BABCOCK RANCH MP

    Wednesday Jan. 16,2019 Adds lots in the Florida community’s newest neighborhood. Pulte Homes is expanding its footprint in the Babcock Ranch, Florida master plan with the purchase of additional home sites in the town’s newest neighborhood, Lake Babcock. Pulte recently completed the purchase of new home sites within the new 323-home Lake Babcock neighborhood, which offers larger […]

  • January 08,2019 - SAE Standards News: J3016 automated-driving graphic update
    SAE.org

    2019-01-07 Jennifer Shuttleworth SAE updates J3016 Levels of Automated Driving graphic to reflect evolving standard. SAE International recently unveiled a new visual chart (below, and in gallery) that is designed to clarify and simplify its J3016 “Levels of Driving Automation” standard for consumers. The J3016 standard defines six levels of driving automation, from SAE Level […]

  • January 08,2019 - Staying on course - Despite national downturn, golf thrives here
    Yoursun

    By DANIEL SUTPHIN Staff Writer Jan 6, 2019 Updated Jan 6, 2019 Kingsway club members Rick Bailey and Gordon “Moe” Devries on the 9th green last month at Kingsway Country Club. By DANIEL SUTPHIN/Staff Writer Kingsway club member John Peterman teeing off. See page 5 for where to golf in your area. SUN PHOTO BY […]

  • January 08,2019 - The rock or the jelly doughnut? Journey to the Future presenters talk change, growth in Charlotte County
    newsedge

    Charlotte Sun (Published: 8-Jan 2019, Received: 10:41:34) The rock or the jelly doughnut. Which would you prefer to eat? That was the question posed by Victor Dover of Dover Kohl & Partners at the “Journey to the Future: Let’s learn together” conference. The informational event, held at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center on Monday, featured multiple presenters, along with keynote […]

  • January 08,2019 - Babcock Ranch surpasses 250-homes sold milestone
    news-press.com

    Special to Fort Myers News-PressPublished 6:22 a.m. ET Jan. 5, 2019 Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Fort Myers News-Press Published 6:22 a.m. ET Jan. 5, 2019 The front-porch lifestyle at Babcock Ranch is proving popular with homebuyers.(Photo: Submitted)   Babcock Ranch – the world’s first solar-powered town located just northeast […]

  • January 08,2019 - Planning for smarter growth
    Planning.org

    2019-01-05 | THE BANNER Guest Columnist – Syd Kitson With the world’s 17th-largest economy, Florida is already woven into the global marketplace like never before. Not only do we welcome more than 116 million visitors each year, but Florida currently accounts for approximately 25 to 30 percent of U.S. exports to many emerging Latin American […]

  • January 08,2019 - REAL ESTATE BRIEFS: Babcock Ranch passes 250-home sold milestone
    Herald Tribune

    By Staff report Saturday Posted Jan 5, 2019 at 2:01 AM Babcock Ranch has surpassed the 250-home sold milestone, with 254 new home contracts recorded through the middle of December. The world’s first solar-powered town is located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. “Homebuyers are attracted by our commitment to sustainability, technology, health and wellness […]

  • December 18,2018 - Lee BOCC to vote on purchase of GS-10 parcel
    Lehigh Acres Citizen

    December 17, 2018 By MELISSA?BILL (news@breezenewspapers.com) , Lehigh Acres Citizen            Lee County Board of County Commissioners will meet on Tuesday to discuss an agreement to purchase the nearly 600-acre “GS-10” parcel in Lehigh Acres. The acquisition and development of the former mine areas known as Section 10 will be considered by board members during […]

  • December 17,2018 - Autonomous vehicle demo days at Babcock Ranch

    Fox 4 Morning News at 5am 12/14/2018 5:36:30 AM Take a ride in a self- driving car in the Babcock Ranch community. Learn more, click link below to watch video. Babcock Ranch on WFTX-FTM (FOX) – Fort Myers, FL

  • December 17,2018 - Self-driving car demos at Babcock Ranch

    Fox 4 News at Six 12/13/2018 6:35:24 PM Babcock Ranch is hosting demonstrations of self-driving car in community. Click on link below to watch video. Babcock Ranch on WFTX-FTM (FOX) – Fort Myers, FL

  • December 17,2018 - SAE Demo Days at Babcock Ranch

    The Now 12/13/2018 5:36:59 PM SAE Demo Days Have the chance to ride in a self-driving car at the Babcock Ranch community. the development .. which bills itself as ranch community. Click on the link to watch the video. Babcock Ranch on WFTX-FTM (FOX) – Fort Myers, FL  

  • December 13,2018 - Babcock Ranch gives self-driving car demonstrations
    Wink News

    Reporter: Gina Tomlinson Published: December 12, 2018 5:28 PM EST Updated: December 12, 2018 8:14 PM EST People hopped inside brand new self-driving cars at Babcock Ranch Wednesday to see what the future of driving might look like. The technology that runs these driver-less cars is very similar to the technology behind the self-driving school […]

  • December 13,2018 - How can Florida grow smarter? A new plan by the Florida Chamber Foundation aims to answer that question
    Naples News

    Laura Layden, Naples Daily News Smarter buildings and more electric cars. Millions more people and yet a crushing need for talent. Those are all part of the picture that emerged of the near future as dozens of business, industry, community and elected leaders from around the state gathered for the Florida Growth & Infrastructure Summit […]

  • December 13,2018 - Look, no hands! Driverless vehicles showcased at Babcock Ranch

    By LIZ HARDAWAY Staff Writer Dec 13, 2018 Updated 11 min ago A tablet was present to direct the vehicle to “start/pause/stop a specific mission” it’s supposed to drive, said Perrone Robotics chief marketing officer, Dave Hofert. “We can use the screen to look at sensor data including GPS, Lidar, and radar and we can […]

  • December 13,2018 - Babcock Ranch testing self-driving cars

    Wednesday, December 12th 2018, 6:34 PM EST by Claire Lavezzorio The first, all-solar-powered community in the nation is working on another first: bringing self-driving cars to its streets. Babcock Ranch already has self-driving buses run by the company Transdev, that came under fire by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The first, all-solar-powered community in the […]

  • December 11,2018 - Editorial: Daunting issue of climate change can be tackled locally, too

    Editorial Board, Naples Daily News, USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA We’re often told to think globally, act locally. Rarely is that advice more relevant than it is when the discussion turns to climate change. The release last month of the federal government’s Fourth National Climate Assessment frames it. The Earth is getting warmer. While warming […]

  • December 11,2018 - Editorial: Pears leaves big shoes to be filled

    North Port Sun (Published: 1-Dec 2018) OUR POSITION: Charlotte County’s loss is Babcock Ranch’s gain when it comes to Economic Development Director Lucienne Pears. Syd Kitson would have been a good Texas Ranger. You know, the guys who always get their man. In this case, however, it was a woman. When Lucienne Pears announced she would leave her post as Charlotte County […]

  • December 11,2018 - Lee County commissioners vote to end talks to buy 1,500 acres near Babcock Ranch

    Bill Smith, Fort Myers News-Press Lee County and the developer of Babcock Ranch have broken off talks over the sale of a 1,500-acre parcel near the sprawling development near the Lee County-Charlotte County line. Commissioners voted 3-2 to terminate the ongoing negotiations with Babcock Property Holdings on the recommendation of County Manager Roger Desjarlais. Babcock […]

  • December 11,2018 - Why they live at Babcock Ranch solar town

    BY BETSY CALVERT Staff Writer Nov 25, 2018 An open field view is seen from the front porch of a home under construction, in Babcock Ranch, Florida. From the official website: “Babcock Ranch will ultimately include 19,500 homes and 6 million square feet of commercial space.” SUN PHOTOS BY JERRY BEARD Ernie and Karen von […]

  • December 10,2018 - Public medical clinic opens today at Babcock Ranch

    By LIZ HARDAWAY Staff Writer Dec 6, 2018   Babcock Ranch residents will have more health-care options closer to home. The Lee Physician Group Clinic is opening today in the emerging solar community. Operated by Lee Health, a public, nonprofit health care system out of Lee County, the clinic will be able to provide routine […]

  • December 10,2018 - Babcock Ranch partners with Lee Health to provide community doctors

    America’s first solar city now has its own doctors. Thursday, December 6th 2018, 5:38 PM EST by Claire Lavezzorio America’s first solar city now has its own doctors. In a partnership with Lee Health, Babcock Ranch now offers physicians in addition to its Healthy Living Center, which opened about eight months ago. And you don’t […]

  • December 03,2018 - SAE International Announces Self-Driving Car

    Demonstration at Babcock Ranch in Florida – Public Invited To Ride in A Self-Driving Car Proper testing of autonomous technology is crucial to the success of self-driving vehicles. And, the public’s acceptance and comfort is key to that testing.” – SAE International Chief Product Officer, Frank Menchaca FORT MYERS, Fla. (PRWEB)December 03, 2018 For three […]

  • November 27,2018 - Babcock Ranch: a sustainable ‘all-solar’ city in Florida

    People are starting to move into Babcock Ranch, an ambitious development in Florida more than a decade in the making. With a solar field and self-driving shuttles, it’s a suburb that its creators hope will be revolutionary. In an attempt to “do it the right way,” developer Syd Kitson is building Babcock Ranch, an 18,000-acre […]

  • November 27,2018 - City of the Future’ is First Solar-Powered Town in America – and It Was Created by a Former NFL Player
    Good News Network

    By Ryan Morris – November 14, 2018 It’s being hailed as the city of the future. Babcock Ranch is a town in Florida that is being hailed as America’s first ever city that is completely powered by solar panels—and it is quickly shaping up to be an eco-friendly role model for the rest of the […]

  • November 27,2018 - FGBC presents ‘Florida Green’ certification to Babcock Ranch
    Florida Construction News

    By Mark Buckshon – November 23, 2018 FGBC president Jeremy Nelson (left), exectutive director C.J. Davila and developer Syd Kitson of Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch. (Photo by Nancy Beecher) Southwest Florida’s Babcock Ranch, with sustainability designed into the entire fabric of the community, has been certified a Platinum “Florida Green” community by […]

  • November 27,2018 - America's first solar-powered town. Sort of

    Building a completely solar-powered town is a challenge, even in very sunny Florida. And not just for technical reasons. Getting average buyers to go green sometimes means having to compromise. Babcock Ranch looks like any other comfortable Floridian town. Bright homes with pitched roofs, wooden panels and large front porches form neat neighborhoods on a […]

  • November 27,2018 - FGBC Presents ‘Florida Green’ Certification to Babcock Ranch
    Florida Green Building Coalition

    by Florida Green | posted in: Homepage | 0 Developer Syd Kitson of Kitson & Partners recognized at group’s annual meeting Florida Green Building Coalition President Jeremy Nelson (left), Executive Director C.J. Davila and Developer Syd Kitson of Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch. (Photo by Nancy Beecher) ORLANDO, Fla. – Southwest Florida’s Babcock […]

  • November 14,2018 - New family card game helps bring 'conversation to the dinner table'

    Friday, November 9th 2018, 6:41 PM EST by Annie Hubbell Ditching the phone for a deck of cards — a Southwest Florida gaming company is now partnering with schools to help families with a digital detox. http://www.abc-7.com/story/39455511/new-family-card-game-helps-bring-conversation-to-the-dinner-table   Rehab Gaming USA created the game “Rehab, A Family’s Release,” to bring the conversation back to the […]

  • November 14,2018 - PBS Series: "Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change"

    Here is a link to watch the PBS Newshour feature story on Babcock Ranch: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/can-an-entire-town-run-on-solar Below is the full transcript: HARI SREENIVASAN: When we think of the source of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global climate change, transportation and industry are likely the first things that come to mind. In reality, 40 percent of those […]

  • November 14,2018 - Stock’s November Tour of Homes this weekend across Southwest Florida

    Whalen Public Relations, Special to the Naples Daily News Published 6:24 a.m. ET Nov. 10, 2018         Stock Development is hosting the November Stock Tour of Homes event this weekend. The Stock Tour of Homes runs Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 and 11 from noon to 5 p.m. For full details, visit the company’s website at www.stockdevelopment.com/Tour. “With 22 models […]

  • November 14,2018 - Braves spring training complex will be a ‘game changer’ for North Port, analyst says

    By Earle Kimel / Staff Writer  https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20181109/braves-spring-training-complex-will-be-game-changer-for-north-port-analyst-says   NORTH PORT — Mike Dunn, vice president of Florida Operations for the Atlanta Braves, always generates excitement when he talks to local groups about the ongoing construction on the team’s new $140 million spring training facility in the West Villages. That alone made him a natural to give the […]

  • November 14,2018 - Garages could become extinct

    St. Louis Post Dispatch Nov 9, 2018 The technology to power driverless vehicles is here, and greater tests of autonomous vehicles are already hitting the roadways. As autonomous vehicles are spread around and the popularity of car-share programs rise, housing analysts are calling on the death of the garage in residential homes. Babcock Ranch, located […]

  • November 06,2018 - LENNAR ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR BABCOCK NATIONAL

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Contact: Danielle Tocco, Vice President Communications,Lennar Corporation Danielle.Tocco@lennar.com / Direct Line: 949.789.1633 New Golf and Country Club Community Coming Soon to Southwest Florida’s Babcock Ranch BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (October X, 2018) — Lennar (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), the nation’s leading homebuilder, today announced plans to develop Babcock National, a stunning new golf and […]

  • November 06,2018 - Lennar teed up to bring golf to Babcock

    Babcock National will follow builder’s country club model By Jeff Cull | on October 10, 2018    BY EVAN WILLIAMS  ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com   Babcock National golf and country club community on Lake Babcock will be similar in concept to Lennar’s Bonita National golf and country club. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH COURTESY IMAGE             […]

  • October 16,2018 - Autonomous Vehicles Come to Babcock Ranch
    Builder Online

    The self-driving school bus is a big hit with the kids and the parents. By Scott Sowers Posted on: October 11, 2018 Kids at Babcock Ranch are trying out an autonomous school bus. Babcock Ranch, located north of Ft. Meyers, Fl., continues to establish itself as the country’s first solar city and an early adopter […]

  • October 16,2018 - Home construction booming at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press.com

    By Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-PressPublished 6:30 a.m. ET Oct. 13, 2018 | Updated 4:28 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2018 It looks like a massive construction zone on the streets in Babcock Ranch where Pulte and Lennar are building. Dozens of homes are under construction and homeowners continue to move into completed houses. At Babcock Ranch it […]

  • October 09,2018 - LENNAR PLANS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB COMMUNITY IN BABCOCK RANCH
    Builder Online

    October 05, 2018 Lennar (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B) today announced plans to develop Babcock National, a new golf and country club community in the premiere master-planned community of Babcock Ranch in Florida. Situated on the northeast side of Founders Square across Lake Babcock, the new Babcock National will offer a wide array of home designs […]

  • October 09,2018 - Lennar (LEN) Banks on Robust Housing Demand at Babcock Ranch

    October 08, 2018 Lennar Corporation (LEN – Free Report) announced that it will develop a new golf and country club community, Babcock National, situated northeast of Founders Square across Lake Babcock. The community will be located in the master-planned development in southwest Florida, Babcock Ranch. Through Babcock National, Lennar will offer 18 home designs, a mix of multi-family […]

  • October 09,2018 - Lennar announces its second community at solar-powered Babcock Ranch
    The Real Deal

    October 07, 2018 12:40PM Lennar will build a mix of condos and houses priced from the $200,000s at its Babcock National community, part of a master-planned town that will draw energy from a 440-acre field of solar panels   Miami-based Lennar announced plans to develop its second residential community at the master-planned Babcock Ranch development […]

  • October 09,2018 - A new era: Self-driving shuttle ushers students to school at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press

    Thyrie Bland, Fort Myers News-Press Published 3:01 p.m. ET Oct. 5, 2018 | Updated 4:24 p.m. ET Oct. 5, 2018  The future is here: Driverless shuttle transports students to school at Babcock Ranch Andrew West, News-Press The wheels on the shuttle go round and round even when nobody is driving it. A self-driving, electric […]

  • October 05,2018 - Transdev Launches Pilot Program for Driverless School Buses in Florida

    【Summary】Transdev has been managing driverless shuttles in the city since January. The pilot involving autonomous school buses is expected to turn into a full-service operation by 2019. Michael Cheng    Sep 28, 2018 6:00 AM PT author: Michael Cheng Autonomous vehicles are being developed to transport different types of cargo, objects, as well as individuals. From […]

  • October 05,2018 - Viodi View on Babcock Ranch's Autonomous School Bus

    by Ken Pyle, Managing Editor • September 29, 2018 • 0 Comments http://viodi.com/2018/09/29/viodi-view-09-29-18/   The recent announcement from Babcock Ranch – the Florida planned community, which aspires to be an environmentally friendly and technologically advanced city of 50,000 people – regarding its pilot of an autonomous school bus hints at how automation will have an impact on almost all facets […]

  • October 05,2018 - Florida town to test world's first driverless school shuttle
    Smart Cities DIve

    Author By Jason Plautz @Jason_Plautz Published  Sept. 20, 2018 Dive Brief: Babcock Ranch, FL will run the world’s first on-road tests of an autonomous school shuttle from Transdev this fall, according to a release from the company. The yellow shuttle will transport up to 12 children and will operate from a designated pick-up spot on […]

  • October 05,2018 - Freshwater Fishing in the Midst of Sustainability
    Charlotte Harbor Travel

    Friday, September 21, 2018 1:00 PM by Debbie Hanson As I stood along the shoreline and sipped on my organic Chiapas dark roast, the sun started to peek over the eastern edge of Lake Babcock. The pine flatwoods off in the distance seemed to cradle the bright golden rays as they glimmered down from the […]

  • September 27,2018 - Here comes the sun: America’s first solar town has a Pittsburgh connection
    News interactive Post-Gazette

    The first U.S. solar town draws its energy from solar fields in southwest Florida and the world’s largest solar battery storage facility.  Patricia Sheridan   psheridan@post-gazette.com Fall 2018 BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. — People aren’t the only ones soaking up the Florida sunshine. About 440 acres of solar panels are helping to power the first solar town […]

  • September 19,2018 - Sun Power in the Sunshine State

    09/17/2018 Florida Crossroads Florida gets more sunshine every day than most states, but a number of other states – including New Jersey and North Carolina – far surpass Florida in solar energy generation.  Florida produces less than 1% of its electricity using solar energy.  In this edition of Florida Crossroads, we look at the factors […]

  • September 19,2018 - Another first at Babcock Ranch - Neighborhood school unveils self-driving school buses
    www.yoursun.com

    By KAYLA GLEASON Staff Writer Sep 6, 2018 A student boards an autonomous bus at Babcock Ranch. PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRANSDEV An autonomous school bus and autonomous public transportation at Babcock Ranch. PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRANSDEV BABCOCK RANCH — In another leap to become a city of tomorrow right here in Charlotte County, Babcock Ranch […]

  • September 19,2018 - Florida Trend Magazine - special edition - names Syd Kitson as one of the 500 Most Influential Executive in Florida.

    September, 13,2018 THE FLORIDA 500 Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Florida 500, a special section that highlights the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state. This immense, year-long research initiative by the editors of Florida Trend has resulted in a personal, engaging look at the states most influential business […]

  • September 12,2018 - New school can accommodate more students in master-planned community
    Business Observer Florida

      Business Observer Friday, Sep. 7, 2018 5 days ago by: Andrew Warfield Lee-Collier Editor While consulting with Syd Kitson of Kitson Development at the beginning of Babcock Ranch, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a charter education advocate who sits on the Babcock Ranch Advisory Board, insisted on the best say to start a town: […]

  • August 31,2018 - Transdev, Babcock Ranch Debut First Autonomous School Shuttle
    globenewswire.com

    Babcock Ranch, Fla., Aug. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Highlights Transdev, a global leader in mobility solutions, will operate school shuttle service starting this fall with an autonomous vehicle, the first in the world. Transdev is the mobility provider for Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solar-powered community located just northeast of Fort Myers, Fla. The […]

  • August 31,2018 - Babcock Ranch school expands to meet popularity
    Sarasota Herald Tribune

    Former Gov. Jeb Bush joined Syd Kitson, elected officials and community and education leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the new Babcock Neighborhood School in Babcock Ranch. The school, completed two years ahead of schedule to meet growing demand after BNS’ initial year of operation, features a project-based learning curriculum that earned the school […]

  • August 31,2018 - Lesson in priorities
    Business Observer

    MONDAY, AUG. 20, 2018 1 week ago Before the first home was completed in Babcock Ranch, the first community school opened. Then work immediately began on its replacement. by: Business Observer taff Having risen from a field of dirt to a completed school in a mere seven months, class is now in session at the second Babcock Neighborhood School […]

  • August 16,2018 - Babcock Neighborhood School opens with a visit from Jeb Bush
    Fort Myers Weekly

    | on August 15, 2018 BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@floridaweekly.com Dr. Larry Antonucci, Syd Kitson and Jeb Bush talk at the grand opening of the 43,000-square-foot kindergarten through eighth grade Babcock Neighborhood School. COURTESY PHOTO More than doubling its enrollment in 2018, Babcock Neighborhood School outgrew its first building in downtown Founder’s Square only a year […]

  • August 16,2018 - Lennar’s Sylvester model home open for viewing at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Naples Daily News Published 6:19 a.m. ET Aug. 4, 2018 Lennar’s Sylvester model in Trail’s Edge at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch, Southwest Florida’s unique eco-centric, solar-powered town on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, announced the new, single-family Sylvester model by Lennar is […]

  • August 16,2018 - Health Matters: A Peek Inside Babcock Ranch
    NBC 2

    Monday, August 6th 2018, 8:54 am EDT by Health Matters Updated: Monday, August 6th 2018, 8:55 am EDT Babcock Ranch is the first community of its kind. The Healthy Life Center in the community offers members a place to focus on their health. “On the second floor of our Babcock Ranch location you’ll find the […]

  • August 16,2018 - Welcome to Babcock Ranch: America's First Solar-Powered Town

    Natalie Delgadillo, Governing – McClatchy On Aug 6, 2018 Syd Kitson is an ex-NFL guard for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. He’s also a real estate developer and the hopeful, optimistic developer of Babcock Ranch in Florida, the first almost entirely solar-powered town in the country. Kitson has been planning the development […]

  • August 09,2018 - Babcock Ranch New School Solely Focused on Project-Based Learning
    Hello SWFL

    4 hours ago by Tamika Cody As the 2018-2019 school year gets back into full swing, Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School is opening its doors to a new way of learning. The new school will focus on project-based learning, PBL. In a PBL setting, students work on a project over an extended period, possibly for one […]

  • August 09,2018 - Bush tours Babcock school

    By KAYLA GLEASON STAFF WRITER Former Florida governor Jeb Bush visited the brand-new Babcock Neighborhood School campus just days before the start of the new academic year. Bush — a member of the Kitson & Partners advisory board, the group responsible for Babcock’s development — toured classrooms and met teachers and staff just hours before […]

  • August 09,2018 - Jeb Bush, Syd Kitson celebrate innovation in education at new Babcock Neighborhood School
    Babc

    8 August, 2018   BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. (Aug. 8, 2018) – Former Gov. Jeb Bush joined Syd Kitson, elected officials, and community and education leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the new Babcock Neighborhood School in Babcock Ranch. The school, completed two years ahead of schedule to meet growing demand after BNS’s initial year […]

  • July 31,2018 - Online "Saturday Magazine" Babcock Ranch is Powered by the Sun

    by Lucy Tobias While growing up, my passions ebbed and flowed – in second grade, horses galloped across my landscape always with me riding out front. By fourth grade being a ballerina took center stage. Did you dream dreams as a kid of what you’d like to be grown up? Yep. Thought so. But even […]

  • July 31,2018 - Sustainable living: Babcock Ranch in Florida is the Tesla of communities
    Redgreenandblue.org

    By Steve Hanley Cleantechnica Tucked into a corner of Southwest Florida about a half-hour from Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch is what developer Syd Kitson calls the most sustainable new community in America. It started when Kitson, a former NFL player, purchased the 91,000 acre ranch in 2006. He immediately struck a deal to sell 73,000 […]

  • July 17,2018 - Stock’s best on display; move-in ready homes available
    Naples News

    Whalen Public Relations, Special to Naples Daily News Published 6:30 a.m. ET July 14, 2018 Stock has completed new inventory homes. Shown is the Bartow at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: DIANA TODOROVA) Stock Signature Homes is showing off its best this summer with the completion of new inventory homes throughout Southwest Florida. “With 30 models in 11 […]

  • July 17,2018 - PB Gardens firm to build on riverfront site in Jacksonville that sold for $18.6M
    The Real Deal

    The buyer has arranged for Palm Beach Gardens-based Kitson & Partners to build a mixed-use complex on the 30-acre downtown property July 14, 2018 04:05PM Southside Generating Station site that the Jacksonville Electric Authority sold (Credit: Jacksonville Daily Record) A municipal electric utility got $18.6 million for selling a 30-acre riverfront site in Jacksonville, where […]

  • July 16,2018 - Florida, the ultra modern $ 2 billion solar city of the former football star
    Business Insider - Italia

    Luciana Grosso     July 15, 2018  11:45 am   (translated from Italian to English) An image from above of the solar city created by Syd Kitson – Babcock Ranch / Youtube A utopian city in Florida is about to be born : a city surrounded by greenery, where everything will be completely sustainable. Where food will come only from organic crops and […]

  • July 16,2018 - Babcock Ranch In Florida Is To Sustainable Living WhatTesla Is To Sustainable Transportation
    Cleantechnica.com

    July 15th, 2018 by Steve Hanley Tucked into a corner of Southwest Florida about a half-hour from Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch is what developer Syd Kitson calls the most sustainable new community in America. It started when Kitson, a former NFL player, purchased the 91,000 acre ranch in 2006. He immediately struck a deal to […]

  • July 16,2018 - How A Former Football Star Is Building An All-Solar City
    The Daily Good

    by Gillian Neimark July 11, 2018 Just 15 miles northeast of Fort Myers, Florida, a massive array of glinting solar panels — 350,000 of them — stretch across land the size of 200 football fields. This futuristic array heralds the dawn of America’s all solar-powered city: Babcock Ranch. The new planned community, which just began to see […]

  • June 29,2018 - Babcock Neighborhood School earns A in first state report card

    RELEASE DATE:                                CONTACT: Lisa Hall   June 29, 2018                                                          850.508.7782                                                                                 lisa@hallmediastrategies.com Babcock Neighborhood School best in class School in solar-powered town earns an A on its first state report card Babcock Ranch, Florida – From the day that Babcock Neighborhood School (BNS) first opened its doors, there’s been little doubt that the school’s project-based curriculum was inspiring a passion for […]

  • June 27,2018 - Building a Mobility Ecosystem From Scratch
    NewCities.org

    Yann Leriche In a new town in Southwest Florida, we are all about to discover what happens when you build an entire 21st Century Mobility Ecosystem from scratch. And the results could shape how people access transit services for decades to come. This month in the solar-powered, sustainable community of Babcock Ranch, Transdev will begin […]

  • June 27,2018 - Health Matters: A Healthy Partnership with Babcock Ranch
    NBC

    Monday, June 25th 2018, 10:54 am EDT by Health Matters Updated: Monday, June 25th 2018, 10:55 am EDT From the equipment to the health experts, the new Healthy Life Center at Babcock Ranch is starting the new town with a clear vision of health and wellness.  “It’s part of our mission. Our mission is to […]

  • June 27,2018 - Can sustainable tech save the world? - BBC Click

    Published on Jun 25, 2018 Click visits “featuring Babcock Ranch as the “host” location for this episode”, America’s first sustainable solar-powered town, dives into a hurricane simulator, and looks at drones helping to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

  • June 13,2018 - Florida's 'city of the future' is first soalr-powered town in America
    Impact Lab

    June 9th, 2018 at 11:30 am Developers hope Babcock Ranch will become America’s first self-sustaining city; Phil Keating reports on the progress. Video America’s first solar community coming to life in Florida Developers hope Babcock Ranch will become America’s first self-sustaining city; Phil Keating reports on the progress. Jasmin Day is pregnant and when her […]

  • June 13,2018 - Short Clip - Flying High Over Babcock Ranch

    Short clip from yesterday at Babcock Ranch. Enjoy! ?#mavicpro . . . #babcockranch #swfl #paradise #aerialphotography #videography #cinematography #dji #drone #dronestagram #instadrone A post shared by FlyHigh Imagery (@flyhighimagery) on Jun 10, 2018 at 4:26am PDT

  • June 12,2018 - America's first solar community coming to life in Florida

    Jun. 07, 2018 – 2:09 – Developers hope Babcock Ranch will become America’s first self-sustaining city; Phil Keating reports on the progress. http://video.foxnews.com/v/5794757122001/?#sp=show-clips

  • June 12,2018 - Solar Powered in the Sunshine State
    Flamingo Magazine

    Flamingo Magazine  by MICHAEL ADNO | MAY 28, 2018 While Florida, with its abundance of the necessary natural resource, is poised to become a leader in solar energy, it still lags behind the rest of the country. One man wants to change that. Solar visionary and Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson overlooking the solar field he erected in […]

  • June 12,2018 - Babcock Ranch and the Preserve on "The Shark Brothers"

    Both our new town and the Preserve are featured in the latest episode of “The Shark Brothers” – a program produced in partnership with the Punta Gorda Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Here’s a link to access the full program -now that it has aired locally, they are pushing it out via their social media channels. […]

  • June 12,2018 - Babcock Ranch aims to be first solar-powered town in US

    May 30, 2018 Be sure to click on the link below to view the story airing internationally on Al Jazeera english language outlets. Babcock Ranch aims to be first solar-powered town in US Development near Fort Myers in Florida, with more than 340,000 solar panels, aspires to be a model of sustainability. Sustainable living is […]

  • June 12,2018 - Fla.’s Babcock Ranch: America’s first solar-powered town
    Florida Realtors

    FORT MYERS, Fla. – June 4, 2018 – Syd Kitson is an ex-NFL guard for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. He’s also a real estate developer and the hopeful, optimistic developer of Babcock Ranch, the first almost entirely solar-powered town in the country. Kitson has been planning the development of this southwest […]

  • June 12,2018 - Self-driving cars can deliver huge safety gains if we resist the urge to overregulate them
    Orlando Sentinel

    Baruch FeigenbaumGuest Columnist , June 6/2018 Self-driving vehicles promise to revolutionize the way we travel and get around. However, true driverless cars will not be commonplace in the next few years. Thus, a big issue is going to be how federal transportation regulators and Florida’s officials approach public safety without strangling the evolution and development […]

  • June 12,2018 - Florida's 'city of the future' is first solar-powered town in America
    Fox News

    By Phil Keating | Fox News  June 6, 2018 America’s first solar community coming to life in Florida (click link above) Developers hope Babcock Ranch will become America’s first self-sustaining city; Phil Keating reports on the progress. Jasmin Day is pregnant and when her girl or boy is born later this year—she’s keeping the gender […]

  • May 21,2018 - Lennar unveils new neighborhood of Trail's Edge at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to Naples Daily News Published 6:14 a.m. ET May 19, 2018 Palmetto model at Babcock Ranch in neighborhood of Trail’s Edge(Photo: Submitted) Lennar Homes has introduced its new Trail’s Edge neighborhood featuring five Wi-Fi Certified models at Babcock Ranch, the world’s first solar-powered town located just northeast of Fort […]

  • May 21,2018 - Lennar unveils Alexa-powered smart homes at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press

    By Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-PressPublished 6:07 a.m. ET May 19, 2018 All Lennar homes at Babcock will be Amazon smart homes.(Photo: Andrea Stetson/Special to The News-Press) When Josh Day moves into his new home at Babcock Ranch at the end of the month, he will be one of the first to have an […]

  • May 18,2018 - Best of the Gulfshore 2018: Eating & Drinking
    Gulfshore Lifr

    Our food and wine editor picks her best bites and drinks of the past year. By Dorothea Hunter Sönne Best news for downtown Naples food lovers: The same group behind the enduringly popular The Bay House and The Turtle Club have launched The Claw Bar in the Bellasera hotel on U.S. 41—longtime Bay House head […]

  • May 18,2018 - Best of the Gulfshore 2018: People & Projects
    Gulfshore Life

    Our editors highlight the people who made the Gulfshore great over the last year. By Staff Best moves: It’s official: Babcock Ranch (left) has gone from developer Syd Kitson’s dream to somebody’s actual home. The first residents, the Kinleys and the Avecks, moved in after the holidays. Best No-show: Southwest Florida became all aflutter when […]

  • May 09,2018 - Can a New 'Solar City' Make Suburbia Green?
    City Lab

    Can a New ‘Solar City’ Make Suburbia Green? Richard Luscombe May 3, 2018 People are starting to move into Babcock Ranch, an ambitious development in Florida more than a decade in the making. With a solar field and self-driving shuttles, it’s a suburb that its creators hope will be revolutionary. BABCOCK RANCH, FLORIDA—Like a lot […]

  • May 09,2018 - Welcome to Babcock Ranch, Florida's New Solar Suburb
    builderonline

    Posted on: May 08, 2018 Adobe Stock/Elenathewise Florida’s Babcock Ranch is billing itself as the the country’s first solar-powered city, says CityLab contributor Richard Luscombe. Property developer Syd Kitson already has 440 acres of solar panels at the community, which he envisions consisting of 19,500 homes with a downtown, schools, restaurants, shopping and leisure facilities, […]

  • May 09,2018 - Babcock Ranch, Lee Health leaders light it up with friendly power competition
    News-Press

    Handel, CHANDEL@NEWS.COM Published 9:30 a.m. ET May 8, 2018     Babcock Ranch, Lee Health Leaders in a friendly power competition        A friendly competition between Babcock Ranch developer Syd Kitson and Lee Health president and CEO was part of opening ceremonies at The Ranch’s Healthy Living Center Craig Handel Lee Health president and CEO Larry […]

  • May 04,2018 - Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils 'Autonomous Florida'
    Targeted News Service

    Targeted News Service (Published: 29-Apr 2018 23:04, Received: 23:47:23) By Targeted News Service   TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 27 — The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued the following news: The Florida Chamber of Commerce today announced a new chapter in Florida’s leadership in autonomous vehicles: Autonomous Florida. This innovative program will build on the business community’s successes to position Florida as the state to research, deploy, […]

  • May 04,2018 - Babcock Ranch unveils fitness center that generates power
    Charlotte Sun

    By ANDREA PRAEGITZER STAFF WRITER-Charlotte Sun   As two CEOs exercised on bikes Tuesday at the emerging town of Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County, they did more than burn calories. On one of the bikes was Syd Kitson, chairman & CEO of Kitson & Partners, which is developing the new Babcock Ranch community off of […]

  • May 04,2018 - Can a New 'Solar City' Make Suburbia Green?
    City Lab

    Richard Luscombe  May 3, 2018 People are starting to move into Babcock Ranch, an ambitious development in Florida more than a decade in the making. With a solar field and self-driving shuttles, it’s a suburb that its creators hope will be revolutionary. BABCOCK RANCH, FLORIDA—Like a lot of Floridians, Syd Kitson loves the sun. But his […]

  • April 26,2018 - Babcock Ranch offers Lee County 2,250 acres valued at $23.6M
    News-Press.com

    Bill Smith, BSMITH@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 6:26 p.m. ET April 24, 2018 | Updated 6:58 p.m. ET April 24, 2018 Making good on promises made at a series of community meetings, the developer of Babcock Ranch has offered to sell 2,250 coveted acres to Lee County’s 20/20 program. Kitson and Partners LLC has filed an application to sell […]

  • April 16,2018 - Babcock Ranch offering tours of Solar Energy Center through May
    News-Press

    Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, Special to The News-PressPublished 6:30 a.m. ET April 14, 2018 BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch, the world’s first solar-powered town on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, is offering tours of the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center Saturday mornings through May. The tours are free, though advance […]

  • April 16,2018 - Two startups share top honors at VenturePitch at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press

    Casey Logan, CLOGAN@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 11:57 a.m. ET April 13, 2018 | Updated 3:42 p.m. ET April 13, 2018 Shift Coffee Bar serves nitrogen-infused cold brew “The Price is Right” would have been proud. It was a night of showcases, with Southwest Florida’s budding startup community the top draw, with nearly 40 businesses on display and a […]

  • April 13,2018 - FL Community Set to Become Nation's First Solar-Powered Town
    Public News Service

    April 2, 2018 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – One brand-new Florida town has taken its first steps toward becoming completely solar powered. Babcock Ranch, just north of Ft. Myers, already has residents moving in and businesses looking to get in on the action. The town’s developers hope its success will keep the federal government from imposing high […]

  • April 13,2018 - Spring at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press

    Casey Logan, CLOGAN@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 8:45 a.m. ET April 2, 2018 March 10 was a big day, as the town offered a “hometown grand opening” that the developer estimates attracted 8,000 people. Folks piled onto a bus in the overcast afternoon, with monitors playing a Florida Power & Light video on a loop touting the Babcock Ranch […]

  • April 13,2018 - Babcock Ranch future in Lee: ‘We’re working on it’
    News-Press

    Casey Logan, CLOGAN@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 8:45 a.m. ET April 2, 2018 Babcock Neighborhood School is filled to capacity and has attracted a high percentage of Lee County students. Parents says they signed their kids up for the school because of the green, STEAM curriculum. Andrea Melendez/news-press.com Babcock Ranch, Southwest Florida’s emerging solar city, attracted lots of attention […]

  • April 13,2018 - La ciudad del futuro se construye en sur de Florida
    Telemundo 51

    Babcock Ranch es la primera ciudad ecológica que se abastece solo con energía solar. Por TELEMUNDO 51 Publicado jueves 29 de marzo de 2018 Babcock Ranch está considerada “la ciudad del futuro”, por su condición de ser la primera en todo el país que se abastecerá únicamente de energía solar. La granja solar se extiende […]

  • April 13,2018 - Florida community set to become nation's first solar-powered town
    Orlando Weekly

    Posted By Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection on Mon, Apr 2, 2018 at 10:45 am One brand-new Florida town has taken its first steps toward becoming completely solar powered. Babcock Ranch, just north of Fort Myers, already has residents moving in and businesses looking to get in on the action. The town’s developers hope its […]

  • April 13,2018 - Babcock Ranch health facility powered by users’ workouts
    Wink News

    Reporter: Kristi Gross Writer: Erica Brown Published: April 2, 2018 5:35 PM EDT The Healthy Life Center at Babcock Ranch is where health, technology and sustainability meet. “So far it’s everything I’ve kind of been interested in being apart of,” said Richard Kinely, one of the first homeowners to move into Babcock Ranch. Kinely is […]

  • March 23,2018 - Automotive's Amazing Race
    Expansion Solutions Magazine

    Thursday, 22 March 2018 By Dawn Baetsen, president of D.E. Baetsen & Associates LLC The race for automotive market share is intense, while the race for mobility dominance is inspiring and spectacular. The mobility culture disrupts the automotive industry in every aspect. We are at a crossroads where the world needs efficient, safety-first movement by […]

  • March 23,2018 - This Brand New Town Will Be 100% Powered by Solar Energy
    Fool.com

    Could Babcock Ranch, Florida, become a template for green developers? Travis Hoium (TMFFlushDraw) Mar 22, 2018 at 9:06AM One of the most common attacks on solar energy — and renewable energy more broadly — has been that it doesn’t produce a consistent flow of electricity 24/7, and is therefore unsuitable to power a large percentage […]

  • March 23,2018 - Florida Power & Light adds advanced batteries to Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center
    Daily Energy

    Published on March 22, 2018 by Kevin Randolph Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) recently announced that it incorporated advanced battery storage into the operations of its Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center in Charlotte County, Florida. © Shutterstock The project is the largest solar-plus-storage system built in the United States to date, FPL said. It […]

  • March 23,2018 - This Florida City Is 100% Solar-Powered
    Bloomberg.com

    Babcock Ranch was featured in Bloomberg Businessweek! Read the full article by following the link below. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-03-23/this-florida-city-is-100-solar-powered

  • March 23,2018 - Developer of solar-powered town selected to lead The District development

    By Allison Colburn  – Reporter – Real Estate & Economic Development, Jacksonville Business Journal Mar 22, 2018, 4:48pm The development company behind the nation’s first solar-powered town, Kitson & Partners, has been hired to execute the development plan for The District. Elements of Jacksonville LLC, lead by Peter Rummell and Michael Munz, announced the decision Thursday. They did not disclose terms […]

  • March 21,2018 - HAROLD BUBIL: The power is on at Babcock Ranch
    Herald Tribune

    Posted Mar 18, 2018 at 7:06 AM Saving, generating and storing energy is the plan at Babcock Ranch, “the nation’s first solar-powered city,” in southeastern Charlotte County. Developer Syd Kitson’s 18,000-acre green utopia is coming together according to plan, in partnership with FPL, which has set up a huge farm of solar-energy panels, and a number of house-building companies, which […]

  • March 16,2018 - Babcock Ranch takes solar energy to the next level with new technology
    WINK News

    Reporter: Kristi Gross Published: March 9, 2018 3:18 PM EDT Updated: March 9, 2018 4:18 PM EDT Babcock Ranch is taking solar energy to a new level, unveiling the first solar to battery storage system in the country. “We’ll be able to improve the predictability and the reliability of solar energy to the grid,” said […]

  • March 16,2018 - Florida Power & Light Unveils Solar Energy Center Expansion
    WGCU News

    By Quincy J Walters • Mar 12, 2018 Utility company Florida Power & Light unveiled a new component to their solar field in Punta Gorda  for members of the media Friday . FPL is saying it’s one of the biggest of its kind in the country. On a newly built, 35-foot observation tower, you can […]

  • March 16,2018 - FPL adds 40 MWh of storage to 74.5-MW solar park in Florida
    Renewablesnow.com

    March 12 (Renewables Now) – A 10-MW/40 MWh battery storage facility will work in combination with Florida Power & Light Co’s (FLP’s) 74.5-MW Babcock Ranch solar park in Florida, the utility said on Friday. FLP, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE), explained that the battery system will dispatch power to the grid to compensate […]

  • March 15,2018 - Babcock Ranch holds grand opening
    NBC news

    Posted: Mar 10, 2018 7:28 PM <em class=”wnDate”>Saturday, March 10, 2018 7:28 PM EST</em>Updated: Mar 10, 2018 7:32 PM EST <em class=”wnDate”>Saturday, March 10, 2018 7:32 PM EST</em> By Joe Putrelo, Reporter A Southwest Florida dream, more than a decade in the making, is a reality at last. Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County, the only […]

  • March 14,2018 - Florida Power & Light Unveils Solar Energy Center Expansion
    WJCT.org

    By Quincy J Walters • Mar 12, 2018 Florida Power & Light Unveils Solar Engery Center Expansion By Quincy J Walters • Mar 12, 2018 A glimpse of FPL’s 440 acre solar field in Punta Gorda. Quincy J Walters / WGCU News Utility company Florida Power & Light unveiled a new component to their solar […]

  • March 14,2018 - All-Solar Babcock Ranch Has ‘Grand Opening’ in Charlotte County

    By WENG Newsroom on March 12, 2018 in Latest News America’s first-ever, all-solar powered town celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County was the brainchild of owner Syd Kitson. Over the weekend, he and FPL officials unveiled a solar facility that stories and produces enough electricity to power 15,000 homes per […]

  • March 07,2018 - Babcock Ranch aims to be America's greenest city — and an inspiration
    NBC News

    Development near Fort Myers, Florida is being built for sustainability from the ground up. by Katya Zimmer / Mar.07.2018 / 10:22 AM ET by Katarina Zimmer / Mar.07.2018 / 10:22 AM ET The green homes start around $190,000 for a three-bedroom family home, and range over $750,000 for some 3,000 square feet larger homes.Babcock Ranch /   On a […]

  • February 27,2018 - The Country’s First Solar-Powered Town Has Arrived in Florida
    Coastal Living

    And You Can Live There For Less Than $200K Babcock Ranch – It’s being called the city of the future. By Marisa Spyker In a state nicknamed after sunshine, Floridians—and loads of tourists—bank on the sun for many things: warmth, Vitamin D, the perfect weather for lazy-day beach lounging. And in the new community of […]

  • February 16,2018 - Babcock Ranch: the US’ first solar town
    Energy Digital

    By Sophie Chapman . Feb 13, 2018, 7:27AM Syd Kitson, the former NFL player has developed the US’ first solar town, dubbed Babcock Ranch. The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys player purchased a large mass of land 30 miles from Fort Myers in 2005. The majority of the land was sold to local government […]

  • February 16,2018 - Housing Developer Wants to Design a Driverless Town
    Engineering 360

    Marie Donlon 12 February 2018 As the reality of fully autonomous vehicles draws nearer, housing developer Syd Kitson is at work readying his eco-friendly smart city for driverless technology. Located in Florida, Kitson’s Babcock Ranch already includes a solar farm addressing the town’s energy needs, rain gardens, an irrigation system using recycled water, restaurants, stores, a school […]

  • February 16,2018 - FLORIDA HAS THE WORLD´S FIRST SOLAR-POWERED TOWN
    The Colombian Post

          Solar energy   United States   Environment   Energy To inhabit a 100% sustainable city, free of polluting emissions, organic and functional through solar energy, sounds like an ecological utopia or the scenario of a science fiction movie. However, this idea could be possible thanks to the initiative of a former football player, who […]

  • February 16,2018 - Here Comes The Solar-Powered Self-Driving Shuttle Network
    Popupcity

    Friday 2 February 2018 by Harmen Pelders A Floridan town aims to get families to go from owning two, to one, to no cars at all. Eventually the inhabitants (to-be) might even get rid of their driving licence altogether. With the development of its autonomous shuttle network Babcock Ranch premiers as a town and sets […]

  • February 14,2018 - In Florida, the first city in the United States powered by green energy was born.

    Last updated 12/02/2018 | 16:45 If you speak French!  Francetvinfo  did a very comprehensive look at our new town – beautiful videography, and of course our beautiful first residents, students and parents at our school, visitors enjoying our downtown, TransDev autonomous vehicle, etc… Read the full story which has the video (narrated in French) – it runs just […]

  • February 14,2018 - Inside America's first solar-powered town - but is it a vision of the future?
    Telegraph UK

    David Millward, us correspondent, babcock ranch, florida   12 FEBRUARY 2018 • 6:00AM By his own admission, Syd Kitson’s  50-game American football career was a modest one. He spent four years with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys before injuries took their toll. But while sporting fame eluded him, Mr Kitson has made his mark by […]

  • February 14,2018 - FPL Unveils First Solar-Plus-Storage System In The U.S. That Can Increase Solar Power Plant Output

    Feb. 10, 2018 4:24 PM ET|About: First Trust New Opportunities MLP & Energy Fund (FPL), NEE Summary – Cutting-edge battery technology captures surplus energy generated by solar panels when sun’s rays are strongest. – First large-scale application of the promising new technology at a solar power plant in the U.S. DESOTO COUNTY, Fla., Feb. 9, […]

  • February 14,2018 - Babcock Ranch Becomes First Solar-Powered Town In United States
    Green Matters

    By Brian Spaen 2/09/2018 Babcock Ranch is a new town in Florida that’s going to run 100 percent on solar power. At first glance, it’s not very different from your typical community. For example, it has restaurants, stores, a school, and thousands of households. The solar power, of course, is what makes it so unique. […]

  • February 14,2018 - Developer wants to build a town where no one will need to drive
    Yale Climate

    By Bruce Lieberman Thursday, February 8, 2018 A brand-new town is going green from the ground up. Kitson: “Our goal has been to create the most sustainable new town in America.” Twelve years ago, developer Syd Kitson bought a Florida ranch about five times the size of Manhattan. He sold most of it to the […]

  • February 05,2018 - In Southwest Florida, taking a shine to the nation’s first solar-powered town
    Washington Post

    Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the Babcock Ranch autonomous shuttle was designed by transit company Transdev. In fact, the shuttle was designed by EasyMile and is operated by Transdev. By Diane Daniel By Diane Daniel February 1 A model home at Babcock Ranch, billed as the country’s first solar-powered town, in […]

  • January 31,2018 - Babcock Ranch lights up the Holidays

    Future residents help launch a great hometown tradition By Staff | on December 07, 2017   Above: Kindergarten students from Babcock Neighborhood School kicked off the holiday music performances under the Band Shell. Right: Children perched on Santa’s knee to share their wish lists. Far Right: Clydesdale horses posed for photos at Founder’s Square after […]

  • January 31,2018 - Architectural Metal Flashings Earns Florida Product Approval Rating

    Architectural Metal Flashings Earns Florida Product Approval Rating Architectural Metal Flashings, LLC (AMF) Becomes Preferred Manufacturer for World’s First All-Solar Community January 16, 2018 A brave, new town is rising in Southwest Florida. The first home models are open at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County—the world’s first solar-powered town—and the eco-centric community will be years […]

  • January 31,2018 - Green business good for environment, bottom line
    Florida Weekly

    | January 24, 2018 BY CHELLE KOSTER WALTON Florida Weekly Correspondent Prior to 2008, Richard Johnson, co-owner of Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel Island, was paying $22,000 a month on electricity for the store. “My bill for (December) was only $8,200,” he said. What happened in the ensuing 10 years, to bring about such an extreme […]

  • January 31,2018 - Master-planned community names vice president
    Business Observer

    January 26, 2018 Laura Keller BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners named Laura Keller as senior vice president of marketing and sales for Babcock Ranch, the master-planned community and solar-powered town that straddles the border of Charlotte and Lee counties. Keller will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategic marketing plan for Babcock Ranch, […]

  • January 31,2018 - President Trump's solar tariff hits home for SWFL
    NBC-2.com

    Posted: Jan 26, 2018 6:09 PM <em class=”wnDate”>Friday, January 26, 2018 6:09 PM EST</em>Updated: Jan 26, 2018 6:30 PM EST <em class=”wnDate”>Friday, January 26, 2018 6:30 PM EST</em> By Devin Turk, Reporter President Trump’s new solar tariffs seem to be making a substantial impact in the Southwest Florida region. Dominick Zito has been in the […]

  • January 24,2018 - Babcock Ranch, Lee Health bring back the hometown family doctor
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+EmailCopy LinkFacebook MessengerPrintFriendlyShare Top: The Babcock Ranch Health & Wellness Center anchors the east side of Founder’s Square. Middle Left: Lee Health will offer exercise classes as part of the Health & Wellness memberships available to Babcock Ranch residents and neighbors from surrounding areas. Middle Right: Fitness is fun for the whole family at Babcock […]

  • January 24,2018 - Babcock Ranch prepared for new solar technology tariff
    Wink News

    Reporter: Chris Grisby Writer: WINK News Published: January 23, 2018 7:35 PM EST Southwest Florida’s solar-powered city, Babcock Ranch, is benefiting from the power of the sun. Its solar panels are made in South Korea — something President Donald Trump is discouraging with a new tariff. Trump’s move Tuesday to tax imported solar cells is […]

  • January 24,2018 - Welcome to America's first solar-powered town
    ABC News

    By ANDREA MILLER,  Jan 22, 2018, 4:21 PM ET Richard and Robin Kinley are among the retirees who move to Florida every year.  However, this couple gets to watch the sunset every night over a lake that’s named after them — Lake Kinley. The sustainable Babcock Ranch, just north of Fort Myers, Florida, was built to […]

  • January 17,2018 - Is Florida’s Babcock Ranch the City of the Future?

    The brainchild of former football star and developer Syd Kitson is getting attention as a potential model for forward-thinking cities. BY DANIEL SHOER ROTH, MIAMI HERALD / JANUARY 11, 2018 (TNS) — BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. — The city of the future will not be the cold metal domes or Mars settlements of science fiction movies. It will […]

  • January 17,2018 - Lee Health gets exclusive Babcock Ranch medical rights
    News Press

    FRANK GLUCK, FGLUCK@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 4:43 p.m. ET Jan. 11, 2018 | Updated 5:59 p.m. ET Jan. 11, 2018   Lee Health and Babcock Ranch have sealed a deal to give the public hospital system exclusive rights to perform medical services in the new, ecologically minded community northeast of Fort Myers. The deal, which the hospital system’s elected governing […]

  • January 17,2018 - New Florida city will produce its own power and run self-driving buses
    Lakeland Ledger

    By Daniel Shoer Roth / Miami Herald Posted Jan 14, 2018 at 12:03 PM    BABCOCK RANCH — The city of the future will not be the cold metal domes or Mars settlements of science fiction movies. It will be a community of 19,500 homes surrounded by thousands of acres of green space and capable of producing its own energy […]

  • January 17,2018 - New driverless shuttles to hit the roads in Babcock Ranch
    Wink News

    Published: January 12, 2018 6:26 PM EST Driverless shuttles were test driven today in America’s only solar city. This comes one week after the first owners moved into their solar home in Babcock Ranch. Passengers in these shuttles say they’re taking everything pretty slowly, but add that this technology might just be the future of […]

  • January 17,2018 - Inside Florida's solar-powered Babcock Ranch
    CBS News

    CBS This Morning Click on the Read More Link to view the segment that reached the 3.9 million viewers of CBS This Morning today – be sure to watch, and use the social media links to share!! 16, 2018, 7:40 AM| Families are starting to move into what is being called America’s first solar-powered town. Babcock […]

  • January 16,2018 - Babcock Ranch testing 1 of 65 driverless shuttles worldwide
    NBC-2

    Posted: Jan 16, 2018 7:59 AM EST <em class=”wnDate”>Tuesday, January 16, 2018 7:59 AM EST</em>Updated: Jan 16, 2018 7:59 AM EST <em class=”wnDate”>Tuesday, January 16, 2018 7:59 AM EST</em>  CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – There are only 65 automated shuttles in the world, and now Babcock Ranch is home to one of them. The driverless vehicles is […]

  • January 16,2018 - Modern-day pioneers

    By Harold Bubil Real Estate Editor Emeritus Sunday Posted Jan 14, 2018 at 6:46 AM Richard and Robin Kinley are first residents of 17,500-acre master-planned community of Babcock Ranch BABCOCK RANCH To the locals near Southwest Florida’s bays and beaches, Babcock Ranch seems “way out there” — 30 minutes southeast of downtown Punta Gorda and 20 northeast of Fort Myers. […]

  • January 10,2018 - Babcock Ranch welcomes its very first residents (and soon, their first neighbors)

    By Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-PressPublished 11:41 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2018 | Updated 12:10 p.m. ET Jan. 10, 2018 Richard and Robin Kinley are the first residents to move into Babcock Ranch. Being first comes with lots of perks. They had a lake named after them. They received Babcock Ranch bicycles and there were several ceremonies […]

  • December 27,2017 - A year filled with major milestones is just the beginning for Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers

    By Florida Weekly Staff | on December 27, 2017   Top: The iconic Lake House at the entrance to Babcock Ranch sets the architectural tone. Above Left: FPL’s Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center generates more clean, renewable energy than the town will consume. Right: Founders Square – to be completed in March – has been […]

  • December 27,2017 - Babcock Ranch, the solar town, ramps up in 2018
    news-press.com

    CASEY LOGAN, CLOGAN@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 7:45 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017 | Updated 8:00 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017 curriculum. Andrea Melendez/news-press.com Santa Claus, depicted by town ambassador Rick Vorell, sits in the shade of a Christmas tree on a warm December day as he awaits a visit from schoolchildren. In the background, construction work is […]

  • December 15,2017 - Winners Announced for the 6th Annual IMAG Solar Energy Cook-Off
    Gulf Main Magazine online

    Dec 08, 2017 08:46PM ● Published by Melanie Heisinger Early December 2017, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in collaboration with the city of Fort Myers IMAG – History & Science Center, co-hosted the 6th Annual Solar Energy Cook-Off. Students from grades K-12 worked together in teams to design and build a solar cooker, demonstrating the utility […]

  • December 12,2017 - Electric Slide: Buy Home, Get Car
    Builderonline.com

    Florida Lifestyle Homes has added a mobile, and environmentally sound, sales incentive. Florida Lifestyle Homes is zapping the buyer of its top line two-story Lauren model in Babcock Ranch, just north of Fort Myers: The home will come equipped with a brand new electric car for the garage. “When we started looking at the types […]

  • December 12,2017 - Calling all entrepreneurs: VenturePitch SWFL to be held at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Herald

    by Justin Martin December 7, 2017 Judges look on as local businesses make their pitch at a previous VenturePitch SWFL event. © Naples Herald Entrepreneurs will compete for up to $50,000 of investment funding in a “Shark Tank” style competition held as part of 2018 VenturePitch at Babcock Ranch in April. Contestants have until February […]

  • December 12,2017 - Self-Driving Cars Will Transform the World as We Know It—Including Where We Live
    Realtor.com

    By Clare Trapasso | Dec 7, 2017   mercedes-benz.com; iStock; realtor.com The revolution is coming—and it’s driving itself. As autonomous cars make their autobahn-paced transition from fanciful, emerging technology to mainstream reality, they’re expected to leave a forever-altered world in their rear-view mirrors. And it isn’t just highways and commutes that will be transformed—it’s also the homes and towns […]

  • November 28,2017 - Florida is leading the way to a driverless future
    Tampa Bay Times

      By Joe Rinzel, special to the Tampa Bay Times Published: November 16, 2017 There is a new city being developed in southeast Florida near Babcock Ranch where some 50,000 residents will have access to one of the first driverless taxi networks in the country. This is yet another example of how Florida is now an […]

  • November 28,2017 - Florida Lifestyle Homes introduces Sidney design at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Tami Hurley Public Relations  Publishes 6:09 am ET Nov. 25, 2017 An artist’s conception of Florida Lifestyle Homes’ new Sydney model at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) Florida Lifestyle Homes has introduced the Sidney, a new custom home design nearing completion at Babcock Ranch, a new eco-centric town being developed in Charlotte County, east of Fort […]

  • November 20,2017 - Business leaders describe use of sustainable, natural resources in corporate development

    Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, Sophia Mendelsohn, Head of Sustainability at JetBlue Airways, and Malcolm Woolf, Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Advanced Energy Economy, discuss how corporations can invest in sustainable and natural resources for their companies and how to reduce energy consumption in big business. November […]

  • November 20,2017 - Pre-construction incentives top list of reasons to visit Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Hall+Media Strategies Published 6:03 a.m. ET Nov. 18, 2017 Model homes in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch are open daily for tours.(Photo: Submitted)   BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch is serving up plenty of reasons to spend some time at in the solar-powered city over the next few weeks. In addition to […]

  • November 20,2017 - A World in Balance: Solutions for Sustainability

      (Washington Post Live) The business of sustainability with Syd Kitson, Sophia Mendelsohn and Malcolm Woolf Read More Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, Sophia Mendelsohn, Head of Sustainability at JetBlue Airways, and Malcolm Woolf, Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Advanced Energy Economy, look at how businesses can […]

  • November 20,2017 - Solutions for Sustainability
    Washington Post

    A World in Balance: Solutions for Sustainability Humans are changing the Earth in unprecedented ways. Global population growth, changes in behavior and migration, and new trends in industry and technology may leave lasting impacts on natural resources and the environment. On November 16, The Washington Post brought together business leaders and experts in the sustainability […]

  • November 10,2017 - Lee Health inking deal to become Babcock Ranch's sole medical provider next year
    News-press.com

     FRANK GLUCK, FGLUCK@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 7:20 p.m. ET Nov. 9, 2017 | Updated 7:38 p.m. ET Nov. 9, 2017 Representatives from several building and development companies joined Babcock Ranch developers to assess their territory and provide an overview of home styles and features they will be incorporating into the very first neighborhood. Ricardo Rolon / news-press.com […]

  • November 06,2017 - Massive community posts big sales day
    Business Observer

    By: Business Observer November 06, 2017 BABCOCK RANCH — More than 1,000 people attended a showcase event over the weekend for Babcock Ranch, the master-planned community and solar-powered town that straddles the border of Charlotte and Lee counties. Dubbed “Make the Move,” Babcock Ranch officials say the launch of two new neighborhoods, from Lennar and Pulte, […]

  • November 06,2017 - Weather warnings: Lightning protection in Babcock Ranch
    Floridatrend.com

    October 26, 2017 Photo: Babcock Ranch has installed a lightning-protection system on its property.   Babcock Ranch, the community under construction on a parcel that straddles the Lee County-Charlotte County line, aims to be both the nation’s first solar-powered city and the first to have its own lightning-protection system. The system, made by Sunrise-based Thor […]

  • November 06,2017 - BABCOCK RANCH HOME SALES BOOMING

    November 6, 2017                     MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Hall  /  lhall@kitsonpartners.com  /  850.508.7782                                                                                                                                     “Make the Move” sales event nets multiple contracts   Babcock Ranch, Fla. – The launch of two new neighborhoods with home prices starting in the $190s is spurring rapid growth for Babcock Ranch. The innovative new solar-powered town opened pre-construction sales of homes by Lennar and […]

  • November 06,2017 - Babcock Ranch serves up some hometown charm
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    Founder’s Square provides great places to meet your neighbors By Florida Weekly Staff | on October 31, 2017   Top: Slater’s Goods & Provisions is more than a general store – the attached ice cream and coffee shop is a great place to meet your neighbors. Below: The Lakehouse at Lake Timber provides indoor and […]

  • October 31,2017 -
    gulfreturns.com

    Solar Powers Babcock Ranch Posted on October 18, 2017 The innovative community of Babcock Ranch includes an impressive collection of homes, businesses and amenities, but its what’s behind the scenes that’s just as notable. With a real commitment to the force of solar energy, even some new additions to the world’s only ‘solar powered town’ […]

  • October 31,2017 - The Lakehouse at Babcock Ranch
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    By Jeff Cull | on October 18, 2017 BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com The Lakehouse at Babcock Ranch is a neighborhood clubhouse that is set to open in November. PHOTOS BY VANDY MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH When it opens near the beginning of November, The Lakehouse at Babcock Ranch will be a neighborhood clubhouse and […]

  • October 31,2017 - Model mania at Babcock Ranch reflects town’s emphasis on front-porch Living
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    By Jeff Cull | on October 18, 2017 BY NANCI THEORET ntheoret@babcockranchtelegraph.com Stock Development’s Crystal model, above, The Taylor By Florida Lifestyle Homes, far left, and a rendering of Fox Premier Builders’ Timberbuilt Cabin model, left. COURTESY PHOTOS What it’s like to live at Babcock Ranch is no longer a guessing game. Now offering 12 […]

  • October 30,2017 - Transdev to start AV shuttle network in Babcock Ranch

  • October 30,2017 - Lee County students drawn to Babcock charter for innovative, hands-on learning
    News-press.com

    PAMELA McCABE, PMCCABE@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 7:46 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2017 | Updated 9:48 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2017 Babcock Neighborhood School is filled to capacity and has attracted a high percentage of Lee County students. Parents says they signed their kids up for the school because of the green, STEAM curriculum. Andrea Melendez/news-press.com In the […]

  • October 18,2017 - Growth and preservation work hand in hand at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    By Florida Weekly Staff | on October 18, 2017   Top: The new town is designed to be an environmentally-friendly neighbor for the Babcock Ranch Preserve. Immediately below: Classic-styled homes are powered by the sun and wired for the future. Below: The general store at Babcock Ranch, “Slaters Goods and Provisions,” is a place to […]

  • October 18,2017 - Pulte plans at least 137 homes at Babcock Ranch
    The Real Deal

      October 15, 2017 01:00PM The Atlanta-based builder and Miami-based Lennar will construct the lowest-priced homes at the 18,000-acre, solar-powered development Atlanta-based home builder PulteGroup plans to build at least 137 houses at Babcock Ranch, a master-planned development near Fort Myers that will run mainly on solar power. Pulte and Miami-based Lennar Corp. will build […]

  • October 18,2017 - PULTE PREPS FOR MORE THAN 135 NEW HOMES IN FLORIDA‘S BABCOCK RANCH
    Fort Myers News Press

    The News-Press October 12,2017 Pulte is getting ready to build its first spec house in the inaugural Lake Timber neighborhood in Babcock Ranch, Fla. The company’s Arbordale floor plan – a three bed, two bath, 1,980 square foot home – will be presented unfurnished. Pulte is slated to construct six new homes in Lake Timber […]

  • October 18,2017 - Babcock Ranch adds cutting edge transportation
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    Eco-friendly town will have the nation’s first AV network By Florida Weekly Staff | on October 11, 2017   Top: The self-driving shuttles will be running regular routes from Founder’s Square starting in November. Above: The initial route will run to model homes in the Lake Timber neighborhood from Woodlea Hall located at Founder’s Square. […]

  • October 11,2017 - Pulte preparing for new homes, neighborhood at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    By Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-Press Published 7:01 a.m. ET Oct. 7, 2017 This is one of the spec homes Pulte is building at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted)   Pulte is getting ready to build its first inventory home in Babcock Ranch. It’s just the beginning of their plan to build more than 135 homes […]

  • October 11,2017 - This Solar-Powered Town Is Home To America’s First Self-Driving Shuttle Network
    fastcompany.com

    10.10.17 Babcock Ranch, a planned, sustainable community in Florida, wants to help its residents ditch their cars. “As we planned the community, it was with that in mind–someday, we’re not going to need these parking lots.” [Photo: Babcock Ranch] By Adele Peters  3 minute Read Later this year, if someone moves into a house in […]

  • October 10,2017 - Syd Kitson: Proud to be a Floridian
    SaintPetersBlog

    Published on September 28, 2017 in Apolitical/Top Headlines by Guest Author Storms are a fact of life for the 20-plus million that call ourselves Floridians. Mother Nature reminded us of this when Hurricane Irma made her one-two punch – the first major hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma in 2005. Before and after […]

  • October 10,2017 - Fall schedule promotes active, engaged living at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Hall+Strategies Inc. Published 6:05 a.m. ET Oct. 7, 2017 Classic cars, music, food and fun are on tap for Saturday, Oct. 14 at Founders Square.(Photo: Submitted) BABACOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch is swinging into the fall season with a full calendar of events and activities. From soccer camps and road races to seasonal celebrations and a […]

  • October 09,2017 - Fall schedule promotes active, engaged living at Babcock Ranch
    Florida Weekly

    October 05, 2017 Babcock Ranch is swinging into the fall season with a full calendar of events and activities. From soccer camps and road races to seasonal celebrations and a “Classic Car Cruise In”, the activities at Founder’s Square provide opportunities for people from all around the region to be part of the active, engaged […]

  • October 09,2017 - Transdev Set to Start First AV Shuttle Network in North America
    Transdevna.com

    October 9, 2017 — Chicago Transdev, the global leader in multi-modal mobility solutions, together with development group Kitson & Partners, today announce the opening of the first autonomous shuttle network in North America scheduled to begin operations in November 2017. Babcock Ranch, a new town under construction in Southwest Florida, will start running multiple Transdev-operated […]

  • October 04,2017 - Octagon’s friends, volunteers help restore the battered sanctuary

    September 27, 2017 BY BOB MASSEY bmassey@floridaweekly.com   When Hurricane Irma’s eye passed over Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, offering a brief reprieve from battering winds and driving rain before returning to its previous state of rage, Lauri Caron ventured into the compound to assess the damage. She had chosen to remain on the property with her […]

  • October 02,2017 - Offer to FGCU from Babcock Ranch still stands
    Charlotte Sun

    Charlotte Sun 9/21 By ANDREA PRAEGITZER Staff Writer Ten years ago, a commitment of about $3 million and 70 acres of land at Babcock Ranch was extended to Florida Gulf Coast University. And today, the offer still stands, said Syd Kitson, chairman & CEO of Kitson & Partners, the new town’s maker. Kitson has served […]

  • October 02,2017 - Babcock Ranch withstands Irma full force
    Charlotte Sun

    Charlotte Sun 9/27 By GARY ROBERTS STAFF WRITER EAST OF PUNTA GORDA — Due to a last-minute change in course, Hurricane Irma moved east of Charlotte County’s population centers, sparing most residents the worst of her wrath. But her new path took Irma directly through Babcock Ranch, an innocent newborn when it came to defending […]

  • October 02,2017 - Babcock Ranch storm readiness put to test

    Florida Weekly September 29, 2017   Located away from the coast on some of the highest ground in Southwest Florida, Babcock Ranch was designed with resiliency in mind. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, a survey of storm impacts at Babcock Ranch is strong evidence of the benefits of Florida’s enhanced building codes and the […]

  • October 02,2017 - America’s first solar city, Babcock Ranch, escapes Irma’s grip

    September 29, 2017 PUNTA GORDA, Fla.  A town powered by solar energy fared well during Hurricane Irma. Babcock Ranch uses the solar panels to keep the lights on. Rick Vorell, Babcock Ranch town ambassador said, “People that have been coming in you can see the stress when they talk about going through the storms and having […]

  • October 02,2017 - Parkside Neighborhood Set at Babcock Ranch
    Sarasota Bay Real Estate

    SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 27, 2017 – The Palm Beach Gardens-based Kitson & Partners has recently added Parkside as another neighborhood in its 17,000-acre Babcock Ranch project in Charlotte County, which is touted as the world’s first solar-powered city. National homebuilding giant Pulte Homes is the designated builder for Parkside’s plat of 150 home sites. In […]

  • September 27,2017 - Babcock Ranch storm readiness put to test
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    September 27, 2017 Above: Located on some of the highest ground in the area, homes and businesses built to meet or exceed Florida’s enhanced building code requirements stood up to the storm. Left: “Filter marshes” are an attractive and environmentally friendly part of the comprehensive storm-water management system at Babcock Ranch. Below: A week after […]

  • September 19,2017 - Babcock Ranch hosts 330 UF/IFAS extension agents for luncheon and training
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    September 13, 2017 Babcock Ranch, a new solar powered town being developed by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County off Florida State Road 31, hosted 330 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/ IFAS) Extension Agents for a luncheon and individualized in-service training. UF/ IFAS is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing […]

  • September 06,2017 - Produce from neighborhood garden now served at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

      August 30, 2017 Above: Farm-to-table produce and herbs from the Lake Timber neighborhood garden now served at the Table & Tap restaurant at Babcock Ranch will be available to customers at the Slater’s Goods & Provisions market nearing completion in the new town’s Downtown District. Far Left: Chef David Rashty continues to develop menu […]

  • September 06,2017 - The Latest Affordable Electric Car Arrives in Orlando
    Orlando Sentinel

    BOLTING ACROSS THE STATE By Tod Caviness  As electric cars forge ahead into the mainstream, we test drive the latest offering — the Chevy Bolt EV — on a road trip from Miami to the west coast and through Central Florida to Orlando The future isn’t easy to see sometimes. My mother, for one, nearly […]

  • September 06,2017 - Furnished models open for viewing at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Published 5:44 a.m. ET Aug. 19, 2017 Homes by Towne’s 2,545-square-foot West Indies style Sungold model is one of the furnished model homes open for viewing at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: BOB DENNION) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that furnished models by Homes by Towne, Stock Development, Florida Lifestyle Homes, and […]

  • September 06,2017 - Babcock Ranch makes learning fun
    Florida Weekly

    Solar-powered town seeks to attract families with high-quality education  Months before the first residents of Babcock Ranch start settling, the nation’s first solar-powered town is delivering on the promise of putting education first. Babcock Neighborhood School (BNS) opened August 10th at full capacity in Kindergarten through grade six. For developer Syd Kitson, it is the […]

  • August 18,2017 - 2017 Chevrolet Bolt more functional than fetching, but that's OK
    Detroit Free Press

    Larry Printz, Tribune News Service Published 10:17 p.m. ET Aug. 16, 2017 Chevrolet’s new electric car is a milestone in the segment, setting the bar for range, price, features and comfort. The Bolt EV has electric-car looks but drives a lot like a regular car — with just a few exceptions. Watch the video for […]

  • August 10,2017 - Babcock Ranch announces new building partner
    Fort Myers Weekly

    2017-08-09 / Real Estate News Pulte Homes joins the select ranks of homebuilders in solar-powered town Babcock’s architecture was inspired by original Florida homes and pre-World War II neighborhoods in Southwest Florida. Parkside at BabcockRanch will be in the area marked Phase 1B2, southeast of Founder’s Square. The new Pulte neighborhood is within easy walking […]

  • August 10,2017 - Chevy Bolt EV rolls out in Florida with a road trip to Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Babcock Ranch Submitted by Kitson & Partners Published 10:35 a.m. ET Aug. 7, 2017 General Motors marked the Florida debut of the Bolt EV with a road trip from Miami to Babcock Ranch on July 21.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH – General Motors marked the Florida debut of the Bolt EV with a road trip from Miami […]

  • August 10,2017 - Babcock Ranch announces Pulte Homes as new building partner

    by Kitson & Partners Published 6:16 a.m. ET Aug. 5, 2017   The Arbordale by Pulte Homes at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH – An agreement between Kitson & Partners and Pulte Homes will bring one of the nation’s leading builders to Babcock Ranch. Pulte will be building a new neighborhood, Parkside at Babcock Ranch, just […]

  • August 04,2017 - As Babcock Ranch adds builder, CEO Kitson talks future
    news-press.com

    CASEY LOGAN, CLOGAN@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 7:00 a.m. ET Aug. 4, 2017 | Updated 7:59 a.m. ET Aug. 4, 2017 It may be early August, but Babcock Ranch is preparing for season, the time of year home sales spike as snowbirds and visitors flood Southwest Florida. Pulte Homes is joining the ranks of builders in the solar-powered […]

  • August 02,2017 - Pulte to build more than 150 homes in Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-08-02 / Top News Pulte Homes, one of the nation’s leading builders, is partnering with Kitson & Partners to construct more than 150 homes at Babcock Ranch.Pulte will be introducing a variety of floor plans at prices that should be attractive to young families and empty-nesters — all within walking distance to restaurants, shops and […]

  • July 26,2017 - Castle Harbour Homes starts its first model in Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-07-26 / Real Estate News An artist’s rendering of Castle Harbour Homes’ furnished Fort Davenport model. The home is set for completion in January in the Lake Timber neighborhood. COURTESY IMAGES Fort Myers-based Castle Harbour Homes has begun construction of its first furnished model homes in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch. The award-winning […]

  • July 26,2017 - Discovery Center a must-see first stop for visitors to Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    7/26/2017 Real Estate News Fort Myers Florida Weekly Above: For first-time and returning visitors to Babcock Ranch, a tour of the Discovery Center situated on the first floor of Woodlea Hall at Founder’s Square in the town’s downtown district is a must-see first stop.  Above: Babcock Ranch’s town ambassadors navigate a non-linear touchscreen presentation in […]

  • July 24,2017 - Chevy Bolt EV rolls out in Florida with a road trip to Babcock Ranch

      July 24, 2017           Lisa Hall   850.508.7782           lhall@kitsonpartners.com Cross-state test drive features overnight recharge in solar-powered town BABCOCK RANCH, FL – General Motors marked the Florida debut of the Bolt EV with a road trip from Miami to Southwest Florida on Friday, July 21st. Named 2017 North American Car of the Year, the Bolt EV […]

  • July 24,2017 - Education comes first at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Hall+Media Strategies Inc. Published 5:41 a.m. ET July 22, 2017 With its prairie style-meets-modern architecture, the two-story BNS building features large 800-square-foot classrooms designed for students to move around.(Photo: Submitted)  BABCOCK RANCH — The morning of August 10 heralds an historic milestone at Babcock Ranch. It’s the day the new town’s first residents will point […]

  • July 24,2017 - Charlotte County community dubbed 'City of the Future'
    nbc-2.com

    Posted: Jul 21, 2017 6:49 PM EDT <em class=”wnDate”>Friday, July 21, 2017 6:49 PM EDT</em>Updated: Jul 21, 2017 7:27 PM EDT <em class=”wnDate”>Friday, July 21, 2017 7:27 PM EDT</em> By Bryan Anderson, Reporter bryan.anderson@nbc-2.com  http://www.nbc-2.com/clip/13514568/charlotte-county-community-dubbed-city-of-the-future CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – You’ll find solar trees throughout the heart of Babcock Ranch, and electric vehicle charging stations in […]

  • July 20,2017 - Education comes first at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-07-19 / Real Estate News School located at the heart of new town will open at full capacity Above: With its prairie style-meets-modern architecture, the two-story BNS building features large 800-square-foot classrooms designed for students to move around. Left and below: Learning opportunities at Babcock Ranch extend far beyond the classroom. A field-trip in mid-July introduced teachers […]

  • July 20,2017 - People to Watch: Tracking builders Diggs, Rooney, Kitson
    news-press.com

    The News-Press Editorial Board, mailbag@news-press.comPublished 5:00 p.m. ET July 7, 2017 They are all framing and building communities – but in their own ways. Syd Kitson, Francis Rooney and Derrick Diggs were named The News-Press People to Watch for 2017 because of the challenges and opportunities awaiting them. The News-Press editorial board is reviewing their work […]

  • July 20,2017 - Lake Timber Lake House nearing completion at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & AssociatesPublished 5:34 a.m. ET July 15, 2017 (Photo: Picasa) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that construction of the Lake House neighborhood center within the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch will be complete by the end of this month. Babcock Ranch is a new 18,000-acre eco-centric, solar powered town being developed […]

  • July 20,2017 - Stock Development’s Bartow model now open at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & AssociatesPublished 4:31 a.m. ET July 8, 2017 (Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Stock Development has completed construction of its furnished Bartow model 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, north of […]

  • July 13,2017 - Welcome to the BABCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL
    Babcock Ranch Telegragh

    2017-07-12 / Top News Babcock Ranch’s ‘dream school’ welcomes students this August BY NANCI THEORET ntheoret@babcockranchtelegraph.com The new Babcock Neighborhood School will open next month with 156 students. MICHELE BAUBLIS’ THREE SONS, AS WELL AS THE other 153 students enrolled in the inaugural class at Babcock Neighborhood School, will learn about solar energy, experience Florida’s […]

  • July 12,2017 - Stock Development’s Bartow model now open at Babcock Ranch

    July 10, 2017 BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Stock Development has completed construction of its furnished Bartow model 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, north of the Lee Civic Center. Located in Lake Timber, the town’s […]

  • July 07,2017 - Babcock Ranch is resilient by design

    Submitted by HALL + Media Strategies Published 4:37 a.m. ET July 1, 2017 | Updated 4:37 a.m. ET July 1, 2017 BABCOCK RANCH — Each June as the hurricane season gets underway, Floridians are reminded that the dream of living close to the coast comes with a certain amount of risk. When storms take aim at […]

  • July 07,2017 - Florida Lifestyle Homes’ Lauren model opens in Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Published 4:34 a.m. ET June 24, 2017 | Updated 4:34 a.m. ET June 24, 2017 Florida Lifestyle Homes’ furnished Lauren model is open for viewing in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Florida Lifestyle Homes’ furnished Lauren model is now open for […]

  • July 07,2017 - Babcock Ranch: resilient by design
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-06-28 / Real Estate News Each June as the hurricane season gets underway Floridians are reminded that the dream of living close to the coast comes with a certain amount of risk. When storms take aim at southwest Florida and evacuation orders are issued, residents of Babcock Ranch will find themselves at a distinct advantage. […]

  • July 07,2017 - If You Build It…
    Clean Energy Authority

    Written by Jeanne Roberts Published: 26 June 2017 They will come, suggests the 1989 baseball-oriented movie, “Field of Dreams”, starring Kevin Costner. That’s certainly what real estate firm Kitson & Partners must have thought when they first purchased 18,000 acres of Florida Gulf shore properties, later named Babcock Ranch, and then started to build an […]

  • July 07,2017 - Manalapan: Demolition begins for Publix at Plaza del Mar
    The Coastal Star

    Posted by The Coastal Star on June 28, 2017 at 1:00pm Construction crew members plan for the demolition of several buildings in the Plaza del Mar shopping center to make room for construction of a Publix grocery. Businesses in the mall will remain open during the projected year-long process. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star By Dan […]

  • June 21,2017 - Lennar sees most home orders in a decade in Q2
    Constructiondive.com

    AUTHOR Joe Dyton PUBLISHED June 21, 2017 Dive Brief: Miami-based builder Lennar had its best quarter for new-home orders in a decade during Q2 2017, increasing 12% year-over-year and driven by growth in community count and activity within, according to the company. Home-sales revenues rose 18% from a year ago to $2.9 billion in Q2. Deliveries […]

  • June 21,2017 - Smart development, eco-tourism make for happy neighbors in Punta Gorda, Florida

    A solar-powered town on the sleepy Gulf Coast attracts its first residents. Matt Hickman  June 20, 2017, 4:35 p.m.    Babcock Ranch, a nature preserve-buffering mini-city powered by a massive on-site solar farm, is taking shape on the rural outskirts of Charlotte County, Florida. (Photo: Babcock Ranch/Kitson & Partners) Florida’s Gulf Coast is a weirdly […]

  • June 19,2017 - Developer starts construction of new Publix in Manalapan — see what store will look like
    Palm Beach Post

    By Jeff Ostrowski June 19, 2017      Kitson & Partners broke ground Monday on its redevelopment of the Plaza del Mar shopping center in Manalapan. The makeover includes a 28,000-square foot Publix, the small footprint the grocer has opened in downtown Lake Worth and at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. The new store is scheduled to […]

  • June 19,2017 - Kitson & Partners breaks ground on Publix Redevelopment in Manalapan
    Hall Media Strategies

    By Lisa Hall, Hall Media Strategies June 19, 2017 Palm Beach Gardens – Kitson & Partners (K&P) is pleased to announce the ground breaking for the redevelopment of the Plaza del Mar shopping center in Manalapan, Florida.  A focal point of the construction got underway on Monday, June 19.  When complete, this boutique shopping center […]

  • June 19,2017 - Models by Fox Premier Builders nearing completion at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    June 19, 2017 BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Naples-based Fox Premier Builders is nearing completion of its Camden and Cabin furnished models in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch. Both models are expected to be completed this month. Babcock Ranch is a new 18,000-acre eco-centric, solar powered town being developed by […]

  • June 19,2017 -
    Babcockranch.com

    16 Jun, 2017   Wilmington, NC – ideal-LIVING magazine announces the 2nd Annual “The Best of the Best” in towns and residential communities in its Summer 2017 edition. These awards will also be posted at www.ideal-LIVING.com/2017BestoftheBest. “Given the very positive response last year to our first ‘Best of the Best‘ feature,” said ideal-LIVING Editor and […]

  • June 19,2017 - Organizers: Babcock Neighborhood School will be different
    Sun-Herald.com

    By SOMMER BROKAW June 18,2017 STAFF WRITER   BABCOCK RANCH — A charter school in the new solar-powered town of Babcock Ranch is coming to life. Principal Shannon Treece has hired eight teachers for the school’s first 156 students in grades K-6, who are expected to walk through the doors Aug. 10. A temporary building […]

  • June 15,2017 - Models by Fox Premier Builders nearing completion at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-06-14 / Real Estate News Top: The two-story, 2,001 square feet under air Cabin residence is one of two furnished models by Fox Premier Builders expected to be completed by the end of this month in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch.  The West Indies style Sungold residence is one of four furnished models […]

  • June 15,2017 - Appreciating farm to fork
    Charlotte Sun

    Babcock Ranch grows organically with Chef Rashty By SUE WADE He was the only possible choice, really. When Babcock Ranch food and beverage director Matt Seiler was in a position to hire an executive chef for the all-new, eco-friendly, sustainable solar city, the stack of resumes consisted of one. Seiler had recognized at once how […]

  • June 15,2017 - The solar-powered Babcock Ranch being built by Kitson & Partners will eventually be home to 50,000 people
    Naples News

    Press release Published 5:00 a.m. ET June 11, 2017 | Updated 10:14 a.m. ET June 13, 2017   Babcock Ranch is inviting everyone to twice a week free live music performances at the band shell at Founder’s Square.(Photo: Picasa) The classic styled homes with inviting front porches along broad sidewalks at Babcock Ranch harken back […]

  • June 15,2017 - Protections for rural Alva and North Olga

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com Published 4:22 p.m. ET June 7, 2017 | Updated 9:11 a.m. ET June 8, 2017 As much as Mann might wish, nothing can change the fact that Babcock is a new urbanist development plopped in a back-in-time rural area.     A concept drawing envisions the Discovery Center, one of the […]

  • June 15,2017 - Babcock development gets green light in Lee County
    news-press.com

    TRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com Published 4:22 p.m. ET June 7, 2017 | Updated 9:11 a.m. ET June 8, 2017 Syd Kitson discusses his vision for the future Babcock community. Ricardo Rolon / news-press.com A concept drawing envisions the build out of the Timber Lake neighborhood of Babcock Ranch, a new solar city coming out of […]

  • June 06,2017 - Everyone invited to enjoy weekly music nights at Babcock Ranch
    naplesnews.com

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 3:52 a.m. ET June 3, 2017 Babcock Ranch is inviting everyone to twice a week free live music performances at the band shell at Founder’s Square.(Photo: Picasa) BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch, the solar powered town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County off State Road 31, north […]

  • June 06,2017 - Homes by Towne offering farmhouse style homes at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    BY  Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-Press 4:43 a.m. ET June 3, 2017 The Sterling model at Babcock Ranch is designed to look like a farmhouse.(Photo: Andrea Stetson/Special to The News-Press) Model homes throughout Southwest Florida tend to look alike. There is the contemporary, light, modern look with light colors broken up by splashes of […]

  • June 01,2017 - Babcock Ranch inspires active living
    Fort Myers News Press

    Submitted by Hall+Media Strategies Inc. May 27, 2017   BABCOCK RANCH — From miles of trails, lakes and an activities calendar jam-packed with weekly, quarterly and annual events, the new eco-centric town of Babcock Ranch provides boundless opportunities for residents and visitors to immerse themselves in an active, healthy lifestyle. Located off State Road 31, […]

  • May 25,2017 - Where the Chefs Eat: David Rashty, Table & Tap
    news-press.com

    Artis Henderson, Special to The News-Press 6:00 a.m. ET May 24, 2017 Chef David Rashty of the new Table & Tap at Babcock Ranch shares some of his favorite places to eat around Southwest Florida. David Rashty is the executive chef for Table & Tap at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Annabelle Tometich/The News-Press)  Chef David Rashty of […]

  • May 22,2017 - Babcock Ranch inspires active living
    news-press.com

    Submitted by Hall+Media Strategies Inc. 4:05 a.m. ET May 20, 2017 The band shell on the edge of Lake Babcock is a great place to make friends while getting fit.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — From miles of trails, lakes and an activities calendar jam-packed with weekly, quarterly and annual events, the new eco-centric town of […]

  • May 17,2017 - Stars aligned
    Business Observer

    By: Kevin McQuaid | Commercial Real Estate Editor May 12, 2017 Syd Kitson began work on Babcock Ranch, an 18,000-acre town in Charlotte and Lee counties, more than a decade ago. The project was sidelined by the recession, but today it is among several showcase real estate communities moving forward in Charlotte County. For years, […]

  • May 17,2017 - First garden being planted at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:05 a.m. ET May 13, 2017 Babcock Ranch has started planting its first neighborhood garden. The garden is centrally located in one of the Lake Timber neighborhood’s green spaces.(Photo: Submitted)   BABCOCK RANCH — As construction of buildings in the Downtown District and new residences in the Lake Timber neighborhood […]

  • May 17,2017 - Town ambassadors welcome you at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-05-10 / Real Estate News BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@floridaweekly.com The town ambassadors, Paige Rausch, Janis Bowles, Rick Vorell and Jennifer Laritz COURTESY PHOTO From the land of sunshine and sustainable technology, four ambassadors welcome visitors who stop by Babcock Ranch to find out more about the solar-powered community which is in the works. Their embassy, […]

  • May 09,2017 - Homes by Towne to begin move-in homes at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:04 a.m. ET May 6, 2017   The Sterling is one of four move-in ready unfurnished Homes by Towne residences poised to begin construction in Lake Timber at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Sarasota-based Homes by Towne is poised to begin construction of four […]

  • May 09,2017 - Lee County looks ahead to driverless car revolution
    Naples News

    BILL SMITH , BSMITH@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 2:56 p.m. ET May 1, 2017 | Updated 5:55 a.m. ET May 2, 2017 Cars that drop you at work then head home to take the kids to school are among scenarios that roadbuilders are looking at as self-driving vehicles make their way from the drawing board to the showroom […]

  • May 02,2017 - Babcock Ranch's Table & Top offers healthy choices
    Naples News

    Submitted by Hall+Media Strategies Inc. 4:05 a.m. ET April 29, 2017 Located on the boardwalk along the edge of Lake Babcock, Table & Tap was the first building to be completed at Founder’s Square.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Everywhere you go at Babcock Ranch, you’ll meet people who are passionate about their role in creating […]

  • May 02,2017 - BABCOCK RANCH’S TABLE & TAP
    news-press.com

    The News-Press Published 8:59 a.m. ET April 26, 2017 | Updated 9:07 a.m. ET April 26, 2017 Babcock Ranch(Photo: Babcock Ranch)  Babcock Ranch, Fla. – Everywhere you go at Babcock Ranch, you’ll meet people who are passionate about their role in creating a whole new way of living.  You’ll see the vision for this solar-powered, […]

  • April 24,2017 - Enjoy weekly music nights at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. ET April 22, 2017 Babcock Ranch, the new town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County, is inviting everyone to a twice a week free live music performances at the band shell at Founder’s Square. (Photo: Picasa) BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch, the solar powered town […]

  • April 24,2017 - At Babcock Ranch, it’s back to the future
    Charlotte Florida Weekly

    rwilliams@floridaweekly.com April 20, 2017 Fiber isn’t just fast, it’s future-proof as well — two very different things equally important. Each reality is now apparent at Babcock Ranch in the vital new partnership of CenturyLink and Kitson & Partners, creators of the nation’s greenest, biggest solar-powered city. “When people think of broadband, they usually just relate it […]

  • April 24,2017 - Florida Lifestyle's Taylor model ready to open at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:07 a.m. ET April 22, 2017 Kitson & Partners announced that Florida Lifestyle Homes is poised to complete its furnished Taylor model in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Florida Lifestyle Homes is poised to complete its furnished Taylor model […]

  • April 24,2017 - Lake Kinley named after first homeowners at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-Press Published 4:06 a.m. ET April 22, 2017 | Updated 2:34 p.m. ET April 22, 2017 The Sungold is one of the models that Homes By Towne has open for viewing at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Andrea Stetson/Special to The News-Press) There’s a big perk to being the first person to purchase […]

  • April 24,2017 - Dinner at Babcock Ranch’s “Table and Tap”
    South Florida Reporter

    By Southwest Florida ForksApr 21, 2017 Babcock Ranch Punta Gorda FL Babcock Ranch (BR) is a residential and commercial development in Southwest Florida consisting of approximately 18,000 acres. Half of this area will be devoted to greenways, lakes and parks and less than 10 percent for commercial use; the remainder will used for residential development. BR also has […]

  • April 20,2017 - Babcock’s Perfect Game plan not so perfect for Lee County
    news-press.com

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com Published 5:44 p.m. ET April 19, 2017 | Updated 4 hours ago Photo by Jack Hardman/The News-Press. Perfect Game generates millions for the Lee County economy. The county is looking to see if it is feasible to build more fields to expand Perfect Game’s foot print. Andres Santana, of Miami FL, […]

  • April 11,2017 - Babcock charter school hires Oasis principal
    News-Press.com

    PAMELA McCABE and THYRIE BLAND , The News-Press Published 11:02 a.m. ET April 8, 2017 | Updated 9:52 p.m. ET April 8, 2017 The Babcock Neighborhood School has hired its first principal. Shannon Treece, who is the principal at Oasis High School in Cape Coral, has been picked for the K-through-8 charter’s top job. She was selected from  more […]

  • April 07,2017 - Strength & Conditioning at the Ranch

    Strength & Conditioning Starts May 30, 2017   10:30 am – 11:30 pm   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Strength and Conditioning class that incorporates muscular strength and endurance, that includes upper body, lower body exercises as well as core.  Utilizing Exercise bands, and floor mats. Please bring your own mat and/or hand […]

  • April 07,2017 - Fitness at The Ranch

    Fitness at The Ranch (Sat) Starts May 20, 2017   9:00 am – 11:30 pm   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Come join us at Babcock Ranch for some AM fitness! Now starting every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Ages 14 & up. […]

  • April 07,2017 - Paddle Board Yoga

    Paddle Board Yoga June 17, 2017   11:00 am – 12:30 pm   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Ever wanted to learn to Paddle Board and at the same time try Yoga on a Paddle board? If so, now is your opportunity. Professional teaching and instruction on large based Paddleboards.  Life jackets, ankle […]

  • April 07,2017 - Tuesday Night Live

    Tuesday Night Live – April 18th, 2017   5:30 pm – 8:30 pm   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Every Tuesday night there will be live programming at the band shell. Music featured will be multi-genre, extensive repertoire. Come out and enjoy some live music at Babcock Ranch! Music starts at 5:30 p.m. […]

  • April 07,2017 - Run at the Ranch

    Run At The Ranch Starts June 14, 2017   6:30 am – 7:30 am   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Every Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. Join us in our weekly morning run across Babcock Ranch. Learn the land and experience natural Southwest Florida. Ages 14 & up. Registration is required. […]

  • April 07,2017 - Yoga & Meditation

     Yoga & Meditation Starts May 20, 2017   10:30 am – 11:00 am   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Join us every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. for Meditation & Yoga Immediately following you can participate in Paddle Board Yoga from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration Required. Registration is FREE. […]

  • April 07,2017 - Saturday Concert Series

    Saturday Concert Series Starts May 20, 2017   4:30 pm – 7:30 pm   42850 Crescent Loop Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Saturday night there will be live programming at the band shell. Saturday evenings will have live music from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Music featured will be to be determined. Come out and enjoy some […]

  • April 07,2017 - Lennar to create new neighborhood at Babcock
    Florida Weekly

    SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY/ April 4, 2017  Lennar is joining the roster of builders at Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solar-powered town. Kitson & Partners announced an agreement for a mix of twin-villas and single-family homes at price points within reach for a broader range of homebuyers. “The neighborhood located southeast of Founders Square, adjacent to our […]

  • April 07,2017 - Rich visitor experience at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    April 7, 2017 BABCOCK RANCH — Even though it is literally just beginning to come out of the ground, a visit to Babcock Ranch, the new solar powered town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County, off State Road 31 just north of the Lee County Civic Center, is seemingly equal parts a trip […]

  • April 07,2017 - All About The Great Outdoors
    Fort Myers News Press

    April 7, 2017 Just a few weeks after officially opening to the public, Founder’s Square at Babcock Ranch is springing to life. From morning exercise classes to brisk business at the lakefront “Table & Tap”, the daily buzz of activity in this new town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County gives the […]

  • April 05,2017 - Oasis High principal to head new Babcock charter school
    Cape Coral Daily Breeze

    April 4, 2017 Breeze staff reports , Cape Coral Daily Breeze         Babcock Neighborhood School has hired Shannon Treece, the principal of Oasis High School, to lead its new K-6th grade charter school set to open in August. Treece was selected from among 164 applicants to serve as the school’s first principal and she will […]

  • April 05,2017 - BABCOCK RANCH : LA PREMIÈRE VILLE VERTE AMÉRICAINE

    French Wire April 4, 2017 Dans un pays où le pétrole est roi, concevoir une ville verte qui fonctionne entièrement aux énergies renouvelables n’était pas un projet évident. Et pourtant, la ville de Babcock Ranch est déjà en train de sortir de terre. Cette ville nouvelle, fondée en Floride par un promoteur immobilier, compte accueillir […]

  • April 05,2017 - Babcock charter school names principal
    Sun Herald

    By SOMMER BROKAW / STAFF WRITE, CHARLOTTE COUNTY April 4, 2017 Babcock Neighborhood School recently named Shannon Treece, 39, as the first principal of the new charter school. The charter school is located on Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solarpowered town off State Road 31 in Charlotte County. Developer Kitson and Partners retained Collaborative Educational Network, a […]

  • April 05,2017 - Oasis High principal to head new Babcock charter school

    April 4, 2017 Fort Myers Beach Bulletin, Fort Myers Beach Observer Babcock Neighborhood School has hired Shannon Treece, the principal of Oasis High School, to lead its new K-6th grade charter school set to open in August. Treece was selected from among 164 applicants to serve as the school’s first principal and she will spearhead […]

  • April 04,2017 - Lennar Just Added To Build In Babcock Ranch!
    ActiveRain

    By Mindy Sylvester Real Estate Agent with MVP Realty March 27, 2017 10:37 AM ​Babcock Ranch, Florida just added Lennar homes to the other 5 big name builders.  Lennar Homes is a Miami-based builder that will take part in 180 homes in the Babcock Ranch, FL community. Lennar plans to build twin-villa homes and single […]

  • April 04,2017 - Babcock Neighborhood School Selects Principal

     PRESS RELEASE DATE:  April 3, 2017   CONTACT: Lisa Hall       850.508.7782 lisa@hallmediastrategies.com Shannon Treece brings wealth of experience to innovative “Green STEAM” school Babcock Ranch, Florida – Babcock Neighborhood School (BNS) today announced selection of veteran school administrator and teacher Shannon Treece as principal of the new public charter school that will be opening with Kindergarten through 6th […]

  • April 04,2017 - Florida Eco-Friendly Town Opens For Business
    News18

    AFP Relaxnews Updated: March 27, 2017, 10:40 AM IST With a farm-to-table restaurant, driverless shuttles, homes built with the latest green techniques and a massive solar farm to offset energy use, Florida’s first sustainable town is now open for business. The buzz about Babcock Ranch, an eco-friendly city of the future and the largest development […]

  • April 04,2017 - Crowds Attracted to Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Press

    The News-Press Published 1:23 p.m. ET March 22, 2017 | Updated 2:29 p.m. ET March 30, 2017 Babcock Ranch Aerial(Photo: Picasa) SOLAR POWER A POWERFUL  ATTRACTION FOR BABCOCK RANCH Over the past year, the nation’s most innovative, sustainable new community has been taking root just beyond the front gates of Babcock Ranch. Master Developer Kitson […]

  • April 04,2017 - Lennar to build 180 homes in solar-powered town
    TheRealDeal.com

    The Miami-based company plans to build twin-villa and single-family homes at Babcock Ranch March 26, 2017 12:00PM Rendering of Babcock Ranch Miami-based Lennar will build 180 homes at Babcock Ranch, a master-planned development near Fort Myers that will run mainly on solar power. Lennar plans to build twin-villa homes priced at about $180,000 and single-family […]

  • April 04,2017 - Florida’s First Sustainable Town Opens: Babcock Ranch
    edgy labs

    By Zayan Guedim – March 23, 2017 Initiated by a former football player, Florida boasts the first eco-friendly planned community, which is fully powered by solar energy. Currently in search of residents, Babcock Ranch will host a community of 50,000 people. As photovoltaic technologies grew in the 2000s, the idea of a solar-powered city gained momentum. Many […]

  • April 04,2017 - Eco-friendly Babcock Ranch opens for business
    PressTV

    Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:48AM PressTv User Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered community in southwest Florida. (Via Babcockranch Website) An environmentalist’s utopia has become possible as an Eco-friendly Florida town opens for business. Babcock Ranch city is a planned community with an area of nearly 70 square kilometers. It has all things green, from a farm-to-table […]

  • March 24,2017 - Florida’s First Sustainable Town Opens: Babcock Ranch
    EdgyLabs

    By Zayan Guedim – March 23, 2017 Babcock Ranch Aerial Map | Babcockranch.com Initiated by a former football player, Florida boasts the first eco-friendly planned community, which is fully powered by solar energy. Currently in search of residents, Babcock Ranch will host a community of 50,000 people. As photovoltaic technologies grew in the 2000s, the […]

  • March 24,2017 - Eco-friendly Babcock Ranch opens for business
    Press TV

    Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:48AM PressTv User Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered community in southwest Florida. (Via Babcockranch Website) An environmentalist’s utopia has become possible as an Eco-friendly Florida town opens for business. Babcock Ranch city is a planned community with an area of nearly 70 square kilometers. It has all things green, from a farm-to-table […]

  • March 24,2017 - Bringing Life to the “Village” at Talis Park Golf Club
    ClubandResortBusiness.com

    By Joe Barks | January 31st, 2017 Talis Park Golf Club, Naples, Fla. A new multi-purpose clubhouse/community concept with a unique interaction of indoor and outdoor space has been added to a distinctive golf course to enliven the rebranded Naples, Fla., property. In December 2003, Kevin Shields stared out at a treeless, 465-acre property on […]

  • March 22,2017 - Babcock Ranch: è negli Stati Uniti

    International attention – this from a tech pub in Italy March 18, 2017 Alimentata completamente da fonti rinnovabili, Babcock Ranch utilizzerà solo ed esclusivamente energia solare per abitazioni e servizi pubblici di Jessica Fabiano Una cittadina completamente sostenibile, alimentata interamente da energia solare prodotta da una centrale elettrica di 443 acri, senza costi di utilità aggiuntivi […]

  • March 22,2017 - Florida eco-friendly town opens for business

    March 22, 2017 by Kerry Sheridan (Agence France Presse) With a farm-to-table restaurant, driverless shuttles, homes built with the latest green techniques and a massive solar farm to offset energy use, Florida’s first sustainable town is now open for business. The buzz about Babcock Ranch, an eco-friendly city of the future and the largest development […]

  • March 22,2017 - Lennar to build villas at Babcock
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-03-22 / Real Estate News The new Lennar neighborhood will be in the area marked Phase 2A, just south of the community park. COURTESY PHOTO Lennar is joining the roster of builders at Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solar-powered town. Kitson & Partners announced an agreement for a mix of twin-villas and single-family homes at […]

  • March 22,2017 - First public event at Babcock Ranch draws thousands
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    2017-03-22 / Real Estate News A crowd of 15,000 to 20,000 attended the first public event at Babcock Ranch, a two-day festival March 11 and 12. The crowd far exceeded what organizers had predicted. “We knew people were excited about the concept of a sustainable, solar-powered town where people can reconnect with the environment and […]

  • March 20,2017 - The Essence of Life at Babcock Ranch
    news-press.com

    The News-Press Published 9:21 a.m. ET March 15, 2017 | Updated 9:40 a.m. ET March 15, 2017 In Roman times, the term “Civitas” referred to the law that bound a social body together, bestowing responsibilities on each individual on the one hand, and the rights of citizenship on the other.  In effect, that law created […]

  • March 20,2017 - Welcome to the ranch
    Charlotte Sun

    Babcock Ranch is open to the public this weekend for the Founder’s Festival Founder’s Festival to showcase Babcock Ranch  By ANDREW JAROSH STAFF WRITER On Wednesday, workers were erecting both buildings across the street from Woodlea Hall, Babcock’s first civic building and the town’s information center. Other construction, including home building, dotted the nation’s first solar-powered town. Those wanting a closeup of Babcock Ranch will have […]

  • March 20,2017 - HAROLD BUBIL: Babcock Ranch making development history
    Herald Tribune

    Posted March 16, 2017 Florida development history was made last weekend at Babcock Ranch in southeastern Charlotte County. In a scene that was reminiscent of the real estate promotional events of the 1920s Florida Land Boom, about 20,000 people attended the two-day Founders Fest event, which gave the public its first look at the first […]

  • March 16,2017 - Builder gains entry to coveted community
    Business Observer

    By: Business Observer March 15, 2017 Babcock Ranch — Miami-based Lennar, the second largest homebuilder in the country, has joined the roster of builders at Babcock Ranch. The builder will handle a mix of twin villas and single-family homes, according to a statement in the master-planned community. Twin villas at Lennar’s Babcock Ranch neighborhood will start […]

  • March 16,2017 - Kitson’s dream unfolding before everyone’s eyes
    Charlotte Sun

    John HACKWORTH March 13, 2017 COMMENTARY EDITOR Syd Kitson sat at his desk, a picture window behind his second-story office offering a portrait of an evolving landscape. It was just a couple of days before the Founder’s Festival open house at Babcock Ranch in eastern Charlotte County. It would be the best opportunity yet for […]

  • March 16,2017 - If you cook it, they will come: Table & Tap open at Babcock Ranch
    Fort Myers Press

    ANNABELLE TOMETICH , ATOMETICH@NEWS-PRESS.COM Published 11:00 a.m. ET March 14, 2017 Table & Tap is open at the still-under-construction Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County, and already this middle-of-nowhere restaurant is drawing in diners. The new Table & Tap overlooks Lake Babcock at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County, just north of the Lee County line.(Photo: Special to […]

  • March 14,2017 - Babcock Ranch holds Founder’s Festival
    Cape Coral Daily Breeze

    Thousands get first look at new town in the making March 13, 2017 By VALARIE HARRING (vharring@breezenewspapers.com) , Cape Coral Daily Breeze Runners rockin’ Nikes beneath the lakefront bandshell as they accept awards. Tots chasing bubbles across a manicured lawn dotted with picnic tables. Couples sipping beverages at an al fresco cafe overlooking the water […]

  • March 14,2017 - The Most Sustainable Town in America
    Nexus Media

    “This isn’t just some quirky thing for yuppies.” By Marlene Cimons Source: Babcock Ranch It was love at first sight for Richard and Robin Kinley. But it took a sunset to seal the deal. The Kinleys, both 59 and living in Atlanta, visited southwest Florida in January to look at Babcock Ranch, a planned community that […]

  • March 13,2017 - Stock & Homes by Towne to showcase Babcock Ranch models
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:03 a.m. ET March 4, 2017 Base priced at $414,000, the Sungold model is the first of four furnished models being built in Lake Timber by Homes by Towne.(Photo: Submitted)  BABCOCK RANCH — Master Developer Kitson & Partners announced that furnished model residences by Homes by Towne and Stock Development […]

  • March 13,2017 - Everyone welcomed to enjoy progress at Babcock Ranch during Founder’s Festival Saturday and Sunday!
    Florida Weekly

    2017-03-08 / Real Estate News Above: Babcock Ranch is a new eco-centric town under construction by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County just 20 minutes east of Fort Myers off Florida State Road 31. Babcock Ranch is the first solar powered town in the world. Left: Visitors to the Founder’s Festival at Babcock Ranch will […]

  • March 13,2017 - Solar-powered Babcock Ranch partially opens

    March 10, 2017   PUNTA GORDA, Fla. The future of solar is shining bright at Babcock Ranch. Since December, solar-powered community has opened its first civic building, retail store and farm-to-table restaurant. “I like the idea of it being sustainable with solar,” said potential resident Ray Slipatchuk. “I think it’s about time that Florida had a […]

  • March 13,2017 - Babcock Ranch establishes state-of-the-art communications network
    Florida Weekly

    March 2/2017 CenturyLink Inc. and Kitson & Partners announced they will provide one of the fastest residential internet speeds available in the U.S. to residents of the new, solar-powered town of Babcock Ranch, now under construction in Southwest Florida. CenturyLink will be the exclusive broadband provider in Babcock Ranch, delivering gigabit internet service over its fiber network to every […]

  • March 13,2017 - Babcock Ranch is open to the public this weekend for the Founder’s Festival.
    Charlotte Sun

    By ANDREW JAROSH  3/10/2017 STAFF WRITER Two key features of the Town of Babcock Ranch — a charter school and grocery store — are on track for a July opening. Work is progressing on Slater’s Goods & Provisions, featuring a coffee shop, takeout items and an ice cream shop, and the kindergarten through eighth-grade Babcock […]

  • March 13,2017 - Founder’s Festival offers first look at Babcock Ranch
    Charlotte Sun

    By GARY ROBERTS  3/12/2017 STAFF WRITER BABCOCK RANCH — At this weekend’s Founder’s Festival, celebrating the startup of Babcock Ranch, Tiffany Kern enjoyed a tour of the emerging community, but it took some effort. Competing in the 5K Sun Run, she took the scenic Sunset Trail, encircling a lake and fishing pier, crossing a bridge, […]

  • March 13,2017 - Going driverless in Southwest Florida

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com Published 5:11 p.m. ET March 10, 2017 | Updated 10:21 p.m. ET March 10, 2017 A battery-powered, electric Easymile autonomous vehicle goes for a shake-down drive — minus a driver — on the interior roads of Babcock Ranch north of Lee County, Florida on Friday afternoon.(Photo: Patricia Borns/The News-Press)  Vasilas Karavidas maneuvers […]

  • February 28,2017 - Public invited to Babcock Ranch during Founder’s Festival
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. ET Feb. 25, 201 BABCOCK RANCH — Master Developer Kitson & Partners is inviting the public to come enjoy the progress being made at Babcock Ranch during a two-day Founder’s Festival event on Saturday, March 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 12 from noon to 6 p.m. The opening […]

  • February 23,2017 - Public invited to enjoy progress at Babcock Ranch during Founder’s Festival & Sun Run March 11th and 12th, 2017
    Charlotte Florida Weekly

    2/23/2017 Public invited to enjoy progress at Babcock Ranch during Founder’s Festival & Sun Run March 11th and 12th, 2017 Above: Babcock Ranch is a new eco-centric town being built by Kitson & Partners in Charlotte County just 20 minutes east of Fort Myers off Florida State Road 31. Babcock Ranch is the first solar […]

  • February 15,2017 - Commentary: Conservation by large tract owners is key
    Naples News

    By Eric Draper, Executive director, Audubon Florida 4:58 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017 Eric Draper Executive Director Audubon Florida(Photo: Courtesy) A for-sale sign on Immokalee Road near Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary caught my attention a few years ago. The seller offered a square mile of land zoned for 250 houses on land where cattle were […]

  • February 06,2017 - Babcock Ranch now has an official “first family.”
    Business Observer

    February 03, 2017 The honor went to Richard and Robin Kinley from Acworth, Ga. The couple signed the first contract for a home to be built in Babcock Ranch, an 18,000-acre solar-powered town 20 miles east of Fort Myers in Charlotte County. The Kinleys should be settling into their new home inside the development’s Lake […]

  • February 06,2017 - Founder’s Square is the heart of Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:07 a.m. ET Feb. 4, 2017 Founder’s Square will serve as a central gathering place and the site of community events and celebrations at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Picasa)  BABCOCK RANCH — The band shell that will host concerts has been completed. On the opposite side of the green, a splash pad is […]

  • February 02,2017 - Babcock tour reveals remarkable progress
    Charlotte Sun

    Ray Sandrock Charlotte County staff from the Community Development and Public Safety departments and Legislative Affairs and Public Information offices met with officials at Babcock Ranch Friday for their latest monthly update. The meeting featured a tour of the residential and commercial areas currently under construction. Topics of discussion included development and planning timelines, permitting, certificates […]

  • February 02,2017 - Founder’s Square The heart of Babcock Ranch
    Florida Weekly

    2017-02-02 / Real Estate News The band shell that will host concerts for those gathered on an inviting green has been completed. On the opposite side of the green, a splash pad is nearly finished and waiting to hear the playful laughter of children of all ages. Benches that offer inviting places to relax, read, […]

  • February 01,2017 - Lee kids take lead in applications to Babcock charter

    PAMELA McCABE , PMCCABE@NEWS-PRESS.COM Hands-on activities. Access to outdoor classrooms. The ability to fly drones, keep bees and learn how a nearby solar farm powers an entire city. These factors — and many more — captured the attention of the Stark family in Fort Myers Shores, and had parents Beth and Steve racing to beat Tuesday’s application […]

  • February 01,2017 - Babcock Ranch home sales underway
    Fox4now

    llian Idle 11:02 PM, Jan 22, 2017 8:49 AM, Jan 23, 2017   CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — A new town in Southwest Florida is changing people’s expectations on how to live. Babcock Ranch off Highway 31 near Ft. Myers is using solar energy to become a greener community. Babcock Ranch said when all said and done […]

  • January 19,2017 - First home sold at Babcock Ranch
    News-Press

    First home sold at Babcock Ranch The News-Press staff Published 11:36 a.m. ET Jan. 19, 2017 | Caption to come(Photo: Kitson & Partners) The first home of the nearly 20,000 planned for Babcock Ranch development in Charlotte County has sold. Master Developer Kitson & Partners announced that Sarasota-based Homes By Towne has processed the first […]

  • January 16,2017 - FPL unveils plans for 298 MW of new Florida solar parks

    Jan 16, 2017 08:24 CET by Ivan Shumkov Solar power system. Author: Mountain/ \Ash. License: Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic. January 16 (SeeNews) – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) on Friday unveiled plans to add more than 298 MW of solar capacity in its home state in 2017, having just plugged in three photovoltaic […]

  • January 16,2017 - First residences at Babcock Ranch to be completed in February
    Naples 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 […]

  • January 13,2017 - Kitson creating a new version of 'Home Place' at Babcock Ranch
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. ET Jan. 7, 2017 As construction of Phase I of the Downtown District and furnished model residences in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch continues to progress as planned, Master Developer Kitson & Partners’ unique brand of place making is becoming evident.(Photo: Submitted)   BABCOCK RANCH —  As […]

  • January 13,2017 - Mitchell project, with Pasco aid, to add high-end office space
    Tampa Bay Times

    C.T. Bowen, Pasco Times Columnist Monday, January 9, 2017 11:00am TRINITY — The Mitchell 54 West project, envisioned as a town center and a pedestrian-friendly gathering space amid shops, restaurants, movie screens and 800 homes, is adding a new component to bolster economic development. The 330-acre site at the southwest corner of State Road 54 […]

  • January 06,2017 - Babcock Ranch, with model homes soon to open, will have big impact on Charlotte County
    Builder and Developer

    January 6, 2017 It took a lot of planning, patience, money and vision to get to where Babcock Ranch is now. It also took a lot of faith on the part of developer Syd Kitson, of Kitson & Partners. But after a decade-long delay caused by the Great Recession and the housing bust, buildings are […]

  • January 06,2017 - Kitson creating a new version of “home place” at Babcock Ranch
    Florida Weekly

    January 5, 2017 SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY As construction of Phase I of the downtown district and furnished models in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch continue to progress as planned, master developer Kitson & Partners’ unique brand of place-making is becoming evident. A new town being built by Kitson in Charlotte County, Babcock […]

  • January 03,2017 - Restaurant at the Ranch When they build it, who will come?
    Charlotte Sun

    1/1/2017 By Sue Wade One four-way stop sign stands idle at an intersection leading to a downtown-in-progress. Two one-ways lean lazily against each other, waiting to be given a job after more roads are paved. Birds sing, undisturbed by the rumbling of jackhammers and earthmoving equipment. Tenderly transplanted native cabbage palms and grasses are beginning to take root […]

  • January 03,2017 - Charlotte County’s ‘Future is Now’
    Charlotte Sun

    By GARY ROBERTS Staff Writer Charlotte Sun – 12/3/2016 PUNTA GORDA — Speaking to hundreds at the April groundbreaking of Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solar-poweredcity, developer Syd Kitson welcomed the excited throng through a door into the future. Beneath a clear blue sky and a boundless horizon, Kitson talked about a vision, 10 years in […]

  • January 03,2017 - Babcock Ranch, with model homes soon to open, will have big impact on Charlotte County
    Herald Tribune

    After a long delay, Babcock Ranch is becoming a reality – with big implications for Southwest Florida’s smallest coastal county. 1/3/2017 By Harold Bubil Real estate editor PUNTA GORDA – It took a lot of planning, patience, money and vision to get to where Babcock Ranch is now. It also took a lot of faith on […]

  • January 03,2017 - Babcock Neighborhood School breaks ground
    Charlotte Florida Weekly

    Submitted December 29, 2016 Babcock Neighborhood School COURTESY PHOTO Prospective students, parents and community partners recently joined with Kitson & Partners to celebrate the launch of construction of Babcock Neighborhood School. The new public charter school just began accepting applications over the Thanksgiving weekend, and more than 45 students have already requested enrollment for the 2017-18 […]

  • January 03,2017 - Person to Watch in 2017: Babcock Ranch's Syd Kitson
    news-press.com

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com Submitted Jan. 01, 2017 Syd Kitson Position: CEO of Kitson & Partners Background: Played guard for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys Babcock goal: To be a model community for other developers Why is Kitson & Partners CEO Syd Kitson one to watch in 2017? How long do you have? In December, the Palm Beach Gardens-based developer […]

  • December 16,2016 - Fulfillment of Kitson & Partners’ vision for Babcock Ranch unfolding
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:03 a.m. EST December 3, 2016 Construction of the Babcock Ranch Downtown District’s Woodlea Hall and the Table and Tap restaurant fronting Lake Babcock is on schedule for completion by Feb. 1, 2017.(Photo: Picasa) BABCOCK RANCH — As Homes by Towne, Stock Development, Fox Premier Builders and Florida Lifestyle Homes continue to […]

  • December 13,2016 - Babcock Ranch breaks ground for charter school
    news-press.com

    PAMELA McCABE , PMCCABE@NEWS-PRESS.COM 5:06 p.m. EST December 12, 2016 Children were asked to tend gardens as part of the groundbreaking ceremony for Babcock Neighborhood School, a K-through-eight charter school that will open next fall in the eco-city.(Photo: Special to The News-Press) A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the site of the future Babcock […]

  • December 13,2016 - Personnel note: Developer Sydney Kitson named to universities board
    SaintPetersBlog

    MICHAEL MOLINE Dec.9, 2016 Sydney Kitson, a former professional football player turned developer, has secured a one-month appointment to the Board of Governors of Florida’s State University System. Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointment Thursday, subject to Senate confirmation. Kitson will complete what’s left of former governor Morteza “Mori” Hosseini’s term. Hosseini stepped down in March to become a […]

  • December 13,2016 - Construction of Babcock Ranch school underway
    WINK News

    (WBBH-Script) Babcock ranch’s first charter school is under construction and its first students are expected to learn there in the fall. Ground was broken Monday on a public charter school that will become the only school within 10 miles of the new Babcock Ranch community. It will cover prekindergarten through eighth grade, and enrollment is […]

  • December 13,2016 - Babcock Ranch breaks ground for charter school
    Fort Myers Press

    PAMELA McCABE , PMCCABE@NEWS-PRESS.COM5:06 p.m. EST December 12, 2016 A  groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the site of the future Babcock Neighborhood School, a K-through-eight charter in the solar-powered eco-city.The blended residential and business development is being built just north of the Lee-Charlotte county line, near State Road 31. Although the school will sit on the Charlotte side of […]

  • December 13,2016 - Babcock Neighborhood School breaks ground
    Charlotte Sun

    By SOMMER BROKAW Staff Writer CHARLOTTE COUNTY — Babcock Ranch developer Syd Kitson said he dreamed of developing “the first solar-powered town in America” over a decade ago. Now he’s excited about starting to see it come to fruition with the groundbreaking ceremony for the town’s school. “There’s nothing more meaningful to me than seeing […]

  • November 28,2016 - Could Babcock be a date night destination this Valentine’s Day?
    The News-Press

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com 8:20 a.m. EST November 28, 2016 Matt Seiler, food and beverage director for Babcock Ranch, stands at the site of Table and Tap on Monday, October 21, 2016 in south Charlotte County. The new locally-sourced, farm-to-table restaurant has a target opening date in early February, in time for Valentine’s Day.(Photo: Patricia […]

  • November 28,2016 - Babcock neighborhood school accepting applications for 2017-2018
    Naples Daily News

    BABCOCK RANCH — Master Developer Kitson & Partners announced that the Babcock Neighborhood School (BNS) that will open next fall in the town of Babcock Ranch is now accepting K-8 applications for the 2017-2018 school year. Babcock Ranch is a new 18,000-acre eco-centric, solar powered town being developed by Kitson east of Fort Myers, off State Road […]

  • November 28,2016 - Babcock Neighborhood School takes applications for 2017-2018
    Florida Weekly

    November 23,2016 The Babcock Neighborhood School that will open next fall in the town of Babcock Ranch is accepting K-8 applications for the 2017-2018 school year. Babcock Ranch is a new 18,000-acre eco-centric, solar-powered town being developed by Kitson & Partners 20 minutes east of Fort Myers off State Road 31 in Charlotte County. Construction of furnished models in Lake Timber, the […]

  • November 17,2016 - Florida Community Seeks to Improve Future Housing Design
    Builder Online

    Posted on: November 08, 2016                                                          Babcock Ranch has a lens on what will be important and how By Jennifer Castenson Just a couple of decades ago, getting a driver’s license was a turning point in life. It changed one’s outlook, independence, and freedom. Today, the access to technology and the interconnectedness that it affords us […]

  • November 14,2016 - Castle Harbour Homes joins builders at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:08 a.m. EST November 12, 2016 Plans have been finalized for Castle Harbour Homes’ Huckleberry model in Lake Timber at Babcock Ranch. Castle Harbour will be offering a minimum of four floor plans.(Photo: Submitted)  BABCOCK RANCH, Florida — Master developer Kitson & Partners announced that Fort Myers-based Castle Harbour Homes has […]

  • November 14,2016 - Babcock Ranch offers town and country living
    Naples News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 5:05 a.m. EDT November 5, 2016 Every residence at Babcock Ranch will be within a five-minute walk of a park.(Photo: Submitted)  BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners’ commitment to land preservation has been well-documented since it purchased the 91,000-acre Babcock Ranch property in July 2006 and simultaneously sold 73,000 acres to the state […]

  • November 14,2016 - Info Center Breaks Ground at Florida Mega-Community
    Builder online

    Posted on: November 02, 2016 Courtesy Babcock Ranch When the town of Babcock Ranch is complete, it will comprise 19,500 residences and a total of 6 million square feet of commercial and community space. More than half of the total land will be dedicated for green spaces, lakes and nature trails. Ultimately, approximately 50,000 residents […]

  • November 14,2016 - Real estate briefs: Castle Harbour joins Babcock builders
    news-press.com

    news-press.com 10:30 a.m. EST November 12, 2016 Plans have been finalized for Castle Harbour Homes’ Huckleberry model that is slated to begin construction by the end of the year in Lake Timber at Babcock Ranch. Castle Harbour will be offering a minimum of four floor plans ranging from approximately 2,300 to nearly 3,000 square feet […]

  • November 04,2016 - Florida Community Seeks to Improve Future Housing Design
    HIVE

    HIVE Posted on: November 04, 2016 Babcock Ranch has a lens on what will be important and how By Jennifer Castenson Just a couple of decades ago, getting a driver’s license was a turning point in life. It changed one’s outlook, independence, and freedom. Today, the access to technology and the interconnectedness that it affords […]

  • November 04,2016 - Models, infrastructure and downtown area are progressing at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Naples Daily News 10-30-2016 BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. — As Homes by Towne, Stock Development, Fox Premier Builders and Florida Lifestyle Homes continue to build new furnished model residences in the community’s Lake Timber neighborhood, master developer Kitson & Partners announced that infrastructure installation and construction of Phase I of the Downtown District continue to progress […]

  • November 04,2016 - Syd Kitson, New Florida Chamber Chair, Will Help Make Florida More Competitive
    Florida Chamber of Commerce

    By: Florida Chamber of Commerce November 3, 2016 For the last 100 years, the Florida Chamber has focused its agenda on one simple and powerful idea: free enterprise. We have made it our mission to unite with business leaders who believe in free enterprise principles, who have Florida’s long-term future in mind and who want […]

  • October 24,2016 - Syd Kitson named chair of Florida Chamber of Commerce
    Florida Politics

    Florida Politics October 24,2016 Sydney W. Kitson will be the next chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce‘s board of directors. The news was first reported by POLITICO Florida on Tuesday. Chamber spokeswoman Edie Ousley confirmed Kitson’s election by his fellow board members. Kitson will serve one year as chair, beginning Nov. 1 and ending Oct. 31, 2017. According to his Chamber bio, […]

  • October 24,2016 - Florida Lifestyle Homes will start models in Lake Timber
    Naples News

    Naples News Staff Reporters, October 24,2016 Master developer Kitson & Partners announced that Florida Lifestyle Homes is poised to begin construction of two furnished lakefront model residences in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch at the end of this month. Construction of a third furnished model will begin shortly thereafter. Babcock Ranch is a […]

  • October 19,2016 - Fox begins three lakefront models at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Naples Daily News Staff Reporters October 18, 2016 BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Naples-based Fox Premier Builders has started construction of three furnished lakefront model residences in the Lake Timber neighborhood at Babcock Ranch, a new 18,000- acre eco-centric, solar powered town being developed by Kitson 20 minutes east of Fort Myers, […]

  • October 19,2016 - Babcock Ranch designed for multi-layered sustainability
    Naples Daily News

    Naples Daily News – Staff Reporters October 18, 2016   BABCOCK RANCH — When Kitson & Partners’ Chairman and CEO Syd Kitson and a select group of town makers started planning the new town of Babcock Ranch more than 10 years ago, they established a set of core values that continue to provide the foundation […]

  • October 18,2016 - Kia, Murdock Village, economic development
    Charlotte Sun Staff Reporters

    Charlotte Sun Staff Reporters Two events, two big steps forward on economic development. Saturday’s grand opening of the new Fuccillo Kia of Port Charlotte generated a huge amount of excitement. Charlotte County is now home to the largest of Billy Fuccillo’s four Florida Kia dealerships. The 70-acre site off U.S. 41 just south of the […]

  • October 18,2016 - Solar town applies to develop in Lee
    news-press.com

    PATRICIA BORNS , pborns@news-press.com 9:56 p.m. EDT October 10, 2016 From right, Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, chats with Brian Bishop, of New Panel Homes, at one of the future home sites in Babcock’s first neighborhood under construction in Charlotte County. The developer filed an application last week to extend the […]

  • October 18,2016 - Babcock Ranch designed for multi-layered sustainability
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates4:08 a.m. EDT October 15, 2016 BABCOCK RANCH — When Kitson & Partners’ Chairman and CEO Syd Kitson and a select group of town makers started planning the new town of Babcock Ranch more than 10 years ago, they established a set of core values that continue to provide the foundation for how the […]

  • October 18,2016 - Florida Politics Staff Reporters
    Florida Politics

    Florida Politics Staff Reporters Sydney W. Kitson will be the next chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce‘s board of directors. The news was first reported by POLITICO Florida on Tuesday. Chamber spokeswoman Edie Ousley confirmed Kitson’s election by his fellow board members. Kitson will serve one year as chair, beginning Nov. 1 and ending Oct. 31, […]

  • October 04,2016 - Skip the Trip: Charlotte County Implements Online Permitting
    Florida City and County Managers Association

    September 30, 2016   FCCMA  News By Site MGR Charlotte County, Florida is embracing the sustainable and technologically advanced community of Babcock Ranch, being developed by Kitson & Partners. To allow contractors to skip the 90-minute roundtrip to the county’s building department, we have created an online permitting system. The spirit of Babcock Ranch is sustainability, innovation […]

  • September 26,2016 - UN Global sustainability initiative graphic

    UN Global sustainability initiative graphic

  • September 26,2016 - Designing for community at Babcock Ranch

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 3:03 a.m. EDT September 18, 2016 The Babcock Ranch architectural style is derived from styles found in pre-World War II neighborhoods throughout Southwest Florida. Deep, open porches characteristic of these regional styles will be positioned tighter to the street and encourage social interaction and connectivity.(Photo: Contributed) Kitson & Partners Chairman […]

  • September 26,2016 - Stock Development starts models in Lake Timber at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 4:01 a.m. EDT September 24, 2016 The 3,076-square-foot under air Crystal is one of five furnished models being built by Stock Development at Babcock Ranch.(Photo: Submitted) BABCOCK RANCH — Kitson & Partners announced that Naples-based Stock Development has started construction of five furnished lakefront model residences in the Lake Timber neighborhood at […]

  • September 26,2016 - Babcock Ranch to Offer Self-Driving Cars by 2017
    Builder Online

    BABCOCK RANCH BLOG Posted on: September 21, 2016 Kitson & Partners Project planners for a large Florida MPC say they plan to introduce automated vehicles for use by its first-phase residents and businesses in 2017. This will make Babcock Ranch the first community of its type to offer driver-less cars to its residents while capturing […]

  • September 26,2016 - FPL installs 500k solar panels at three new plants
    Palm Beach Post

    By Susan Salisbury – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Posted: 5:05 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 Florida Power & Light Co., which is the largest generator of solar power in Florida, announced Sept. 15 that it has completed the installation of half of the million new solar panels it plans to add by the end […]

  • September 20,2016 - Florida’s booming population risks sprawl ahead
    Palm Beach Post

     By John Kennedy – Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau Posted: 5:26 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016 TALLAHASSEE — Florida in 2070 will be a state brimming with almost 34 million residents — 70 percent more than today – but it doesn’t have to be covered in concrete stemming from urban sprawl, a report released Thursdayshows. 1,000 Friends […]

  • September 20,2016 - FPL halfway to sunny goal of 1 million solar panels installed by year’s end
    SaintPetersBlog

    FPL halfway to sunny goal of 1 million solar panels installed by year’s end   PETER SCHORSCH  5 days ago  Florida’s top utility is kicking its solar capacity into high gear, celebrating the halfway mark of an audacious goal of one million solar panels in operation by the end of 2016. Florida Power & Light, the […]

  • September 20,2016 - Florida utility hits installation milestone for three PV projects
    Inter Solar

    By Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth Thursday, September 15 2016 / Updated: Thursday, September 15 2016 Babcock Ranch project under construction Florida Power & Light is halfway toward installing one million solar panels by the end of this year at three PV projects in the state totaling 74.5MW of nameplate capacity. The utility said the […]

  • September 20,2016 - FPL says it hits half-million new solar panels
    Herald-Tribune

    By Staff report Sep 15, 2016 at 10:52 AM Florida Power & Light Co., which bills itself as the largest generator of solar power in Florida, said Thursday that it had completed the installation of half of the 1 million new solar panels it plans to add by the end of this year to power […]

  • September 20,2016 - First residences underway at eco-centric Babcock Ranch
    Florida Weekly

    SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY Sept. 16, 2016 Above: A rendering of Lake Timber, the first neighborhood under development atBabcock Ranch, an 18,000-acre town being developed by Kitson & Partners 20 minutes east of Fort Myers off State Road 31 inCharlotte County.Sarasota-based Homes by Towne has started construction of the first residences at Babcock Ranch, the 18,000- […]

  • September 20,2016 - First school approved for Babcock Ranch
    Florida Weekly

    Staff Writer Sept. 16, 2016 A public charter school approved for Babcock Ranch will put education with a strong environmental focus within walking distance of the earliest settlers of the new solar-powered town. An application for the tuition-free public charter school was approved the Charlotte County School Board. Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School will begin accepting enrollment […]

  • September 20,2016 - Babcock takes shape
    Charlotte Sun

    Homes underway at Babcock Ranch By ANNE EASKER Staff Writer When the first residents move into Babcock Ranch early next year, they may be drawn from around the country — local Floridians as well as transplants from as far as Oregon, attracted to the eco-friendly, Old Florida lifestyle on which Babcock has staked its identity. […]

  • September 20,2016 - Babcock's first homes are underway
    Charlotte Sun

     PATRICIA BORNS Builders showed off their new home plans Monday at Syd Kitson’s embryonic Babcock city – plans in some cases as unique to Southwest Florida as the solar field that will power the community straddling Charlotte and Lee counties. The five builders who’ve staked a claim to the first 193 home lots had to agree […]

  • September 13,2016 - BABCOCK RANCH TODAY-SS-OC-VO
    WBBH

    News Flash on WBBH Monday September 12, 11 am HOMEBUILDERS ARE STAKING THEIR CLAIMS AT BABCOCK RANCH IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY. IT’S BEING CALLED FLORIDA’S TOWN OF THE FUTURE. BABCOCK RANCH IS THE FIRST TOWN IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO BE POWERED BY SOLAR ENERGY. CONSTRUCTION ON THE FUTURISTIC TOWN HAS ALREADY STARTED. THESE HOMES START […]

  • September 13,2016 - Homebuilders stake their claim to lots
    WBBH

    News Flash on WBBH Monday September 12, 6am news TODAY — HOMEBUILDERS WILL BE STAKING THEIR CLAIMS TO LOTS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA’S COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE. BABCOCK RANCH IS ON THE CHARLOTTE-LEE COUNTY LINE. IT’S THE FIRST SOLAR POWERED TOWN IN THE COUNTRY. 450-ACRES OF PANELS WILL BE INSTALLED TO POWER IT. BUILDERS WILL BE […]

  • September 13,2016 - BABCOCK RANCH SCHOOL-OC-ZM-SS
    WBBH

    News Flash on WBBH Friday September 9, 11 am THE TOWN OF THE FUTURE JUST RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR ITS FIRST CHARTER SCHOOL. BABCOCK RANCH IS ON THE CHARLOTTE-LEE COUNTY LINE. IT’S THE FIRST SOLAR POWERED TOWN IN THE COUNTRY. 450-ACRES OF PANELS WILL BE INSTALLED TO POWER IT. THE BABCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL WILL BE TUITION […]

  • September 13,2016 - Construction begins on homes at Babcock Ranch
    Charlotte Sun

    Posted: Sep 12, 2016 5:47 PM EDTUpdated: Sep 12, 2016 5:47 PM EDT By Tim Wronka, Charlotte County Reporter CHARLOTTE COUNTY – Florida’s city of the future is another step closer to reality. By early next year, some of the first residents will be living in Babcock Ranch, a solar powered town being built in Charlotte County. “This […]

  • September 12,2016 - First residences underway at Babcock Ranch
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Sept. 10, 2016 BABCOCK RANCH — Master developer Kitson & Partners announced that Sarasota-based Homes by Towne has started construction of the first residences 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. Homes by Towne is building […]

  • September 12,2016 - Babcock's charter school approved by Charlotte board
    Fort Myers Press

    Submitted by: THYRIE BLAND and PAMELA McCABE, PMCCABE@NEWS-PRESS.COM  September 5, 2016 Plans to build a K-through-8 schoolhouse in Babcock Ranch were approved by the Charlotte County school board Thursday. The school, called the Babcock Neighborhood School, is set to open next fall in the solar-powered eco-city, which is being built just north of the Lee-Charlotte county line near State Road 31. […]

  • September 12,2016 - UN Global Sustainability Initiative

    Submitted by: Lisa Hall Sept. 09,2016  

  • September 09,2016 - Babcock Neighborhood School preparing for Fall 2017 opening

    RELEASE DATE:   September 8, 2016 CONTACT: Lisa Hall   lisa@hallmediastrategies.com / mailto:lisa@hallmediastrategies.com Charter application approved for first school at Babcock Ranch Babcock Neighborhood School preparing for Fall 2017 opening Babcock Ranch, Florida – A public charter school approved for Babcock Ranch puts world-class education with a strong environmental focus within walking distance of the earliest settlers of the […]

  • September 08,2016 - Southwest Florida building boom is a boon to buyers
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by: June Fletcher 12:02 p.m. EDT September 3, 2016 After a long recessionary dry spell, a flood of new homes inundated the Southwest Florida housing market over the past six years. Now the question becomes: Is this flood about to recede? “The new home market in Lee and Collier County has softened along with the […]

  • August 31,2016 - Clive Daniel Home Designing Interiors for

    Naples, FL – August 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / In less than a year, residents will be living in homes on Babcock Ranch, the world’s first solar-powered town. Clive Daniel Home, the award-winning home furnishings retailer, is proud to have been selected by featured builder Stock Development to provide total interior design for one of […]

  • August 31,2016 - Stock Signature Homes to build models in Palm Beach
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 8:12 a.m. EDT August 29, 2016 Soco Interiors is creating the interior for Stock Signature Homes’ Aqualane furnished model in the Palm Beach Polo Golf and Country Club in Wellington.(Photo: Submitted) Stock Signature Homes, the luxury homebuilding division of Naples-based Stock Development, announced it will begin construction of the first […]

  • August 25,2016 - FrontDoor Communities' Model Home Open for Tours at Talis Park
    PROLOG

    Discover the Sienna, a resort-style coach home that remains popular with buyers in Naples, Florida   Sienna Evening NAPLES, Fla. – Aug. 24, 2016 – PRLog — FrontDoor Communities is excited to announce that sales of resort-style coach homes continue to soar at Corsica at Talis Park in Naples, Florida. To discover these high demand […]

  • August 23,2016 - Kitson & Partners enhances amenities at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates 8:23 a.m. EDT August 22, 2016 Developer Kitson & Partners announced it is further enhancing the array of amenities it has designed and constructed to suit Talis Park’s health-oriented lifestyle. The North Naples community’s Casa Cortese that offers an outdoor lounge experience adjacent to the Talis Park Golf Club’s driving range […]

  • August 11,2016 - Babcock reveals Lee County development plan
    news-press.com

    PATRICIA BORNS, pborns@news-press.com August 9, 2016 Babcock developer Syd Kitson met with Alva residents Monday evening to discuss his development plans for a roughly 6.5-mile area fronting State Road 31 in Lee County. Highlights of the plan, which extends his new town south from Charlotte County, center on 40 much-debated amateur sports baseball fields that Lee County […]

  • July 20,2016 - Clubhouses of the year focus on resort living
    Golf Inc.

    May 23, 2016 By Jack Crittenden Private clubhouses dominated Golf Inc.’s 2016 Clubhouse of the Year competition, which recognizes the best new and remodeled clubhouses that opened in 2015. Seven of the nine honorees this year are private or semi-private clubs. Private clubs have traditionally invested more into clubhouses, as they serve a wider function […]

  • July 20,2016 - 2016 Clubhouse of the Year
    Golf Inc.

    An island clubhouse and Harbour Town take top honors in a year dominated by clubhouses designed to appeal to families and resort-style living. By Jack Crittenden Talis Park is not your father’s country club. Syd Kitson bought the private community out of receivership in 2011 and immediately set out to reposition it in the highly […]

  • July 18,2016 - Babcock Ranch designing water stewardship from ground up
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    BY EVAN WILLIAMS, ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com July 13, 2016 Mike Acosta, Babcock Ranch’s director of utility operations. COURTESY OF BABCOCK RANCH Planners are aiming to make the Babcock Ranch community an oasis of water conservation and stewardship in Florida. At its heart: a new, state-of-the-art water and sewage treatment plant that will align with building, landscaping and […]

  • July 18,2016 - Meet the Townmakers
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    July 13, 2016 Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO Kitson & Partners TOWN-MAKING REQUIRES DIVERSE skill sets, each of which contributes to the creation of a place where people will live, learn, work and play. It is a process that must be patient, committed to listening to the land, and mindful that the place being created […]

  • July 18,2016 - Babcock Ranch president sees himself as orchestra conductor
    Babcock Ranch Telegraph

    BY EVAN WILLIAMS, ewilliams@babcockranchtelegraph.com 7/13/2016 Rick Severance, 48, grew up in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, the oldest of three brothers, all athletic. Mr. Severance competed on the swimming and diving team at Florida State University. A marathon runner and triathlete, he puts in about 40 miles a week these days to stay in shape. […]

  • July 12,2016 - Babcock Ranch breaks ground

    By ANNE EASKER Staff Writer “Here we are about to go vertical,” Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, said Tuesday, with shovel in hand over the construction site of downtown Babcock Ranch. “We picked up our permits and plats today and are ready to go.” It was a historic day as Kitson […]

  • July 12,2016 - Babcock's solar city breaks ground with first downtown building
    news-press.com

    PATRICIA BORNS, pborns@news-press.com 9:14 a.m. EDT June 29, 2016 Tuesday marked a quiet, official groundbreaking at the new solar city of Babcock as construction of its first downtown building – a farm-to-table restaurant – got underway Tuesday. With some permits in hand and more to come, the moment is a milestone for investors who patiently […]

  • July 12,2016 - This Could Become America’s Most Eco-Friendly Town
    Huffington Post

    Madeline Diamond Intern 07/07/2016 01:19 pm ET Developers in Florida are building a solar-powered town that would be one of America’s newest sustainable cities, and it could be complete by 2017. They’re building an eco-centric “town in the making” on 17,000 acres in southwest Florida. Babcock Ranch will feature homes, a downtown center and more. A 75-megawatt solar […]

  • July 12,2016 - Syd Kitson discusses Babcock Ranch vision

  • July 12,2016 - Babcock breaks ground for Founders Square
    Cape Coral Daily Breeze

    Construction for first town center buildings to commence June 28, 2016 By VALARIE HARRING (vharring@breezenewspapers.com)          The glasses weren’t rose-tinted but the town square viewed through provided virtual reality goggles was cast with a distinct visionary blush: A large lakeside park with lush lawns, dock, boardwalk and band shell. Splash fountains and pedestrian-friendly trails winding […]

  • July 12,2016 - Back at the ranch
    Business Observer

    By: Business Observer July 01, 2016 Kitson & Partners is wasting no time since it unveiled plans for Babcock Ranch April 22. Heavy equipment is moving tons of dirt on the first phase of what will be a town of 19,500 homes and enough commercial space to fill 52 football fields on the Charlotte and Lee […]

  • June 27,2016 - Kitson & Partners Breaks Ground on Babcock Ranch Downtown
    941CEO

    Babcock Ranch will mark another milestone on Tuesday, June 28, as construction of the first downtown district buildings gets underway. By Staff, 6/24/2016 at 12:30pm Babcock Ranch will mark another milestone on Tuesday, June 28, as construction of the first downtown district buildings gets underway. Kitson & Partners chairman and CEO Syd Kitson will provide progress […]

  • June 20,2016 - Babcock Ranch, America's first solar town, tries to lure FGCU
    news-press.com

    THYRIE BLAND, TBLAND@NEWS-PRESS.COM 11:56 a.m. EDT June 17, 2016 The developer of America’s first solar town wants Florida Gulf Coast University to be a part of the community. Kitson and Partners, the real estate company developing Babcock Ranch, asked FGCU to be part of the Charlotte County project when it was conceived about 10 years ago and […]

  • June 20,2016 - Babcock Ranch is a New-Age Town in an Old Natural Setting
    SWFL Sustainability

    by Gary Mooney June 16, 2016 The New Today: Babcock Ranch Lights Up Southwest Florida Horizon<img height=”1″ width=”1″ alt=”” style=”display:none” src=”https://www.facebook.com/tr?ev=6042082246158&cd[value]=0.00&cd[currency]=USD&noscript=1″/> When asked the best part of Babcock Ranch, John enthuses that “all the parts are cool and that’s what makes it so cool! You can just live here quietly, start a business or own […]

  • June 20,2016 - Baseball Field Construction Tops the List at Babcock Ranch
    SWFL Sustainability

    By Gary Mooney June 16, 2016 The New Today: Babcock Ranch Lights Up Southwest Florida Horizon<img height=”1″ width=”1″ alt=”” style=”display:none” src=”https://www.facebook.com/tr?ev=6042082246158&cd[value]=0.00&cd[currency]=USD&noscript=1″/> A fascinating aspect will be the construction of 42 baseball fields, one of the largest such complexes in Florida. John explains while that may seem unusual, it projects to attract roughly 200,000 players annually, […]

  • June 20,2016 - Nature is Everywhere at Babcock Ranch
    SWFL Sustainability

    By Gary Mooney June 16, 2016 The New Today: Babcock Ranch Lights Up Southwest Florida Horizon Nature is everywhere. “As soon as you drive over the entry bridge, you experience a half-mile water feature, with oaks, pines, cabbage palms, and tree-lined streets,” John offers. In addition to the surrounding preserves, pocket parks and water recreation […]

  • June 20,2016 - The New Today: Babcock Ranch Lights Up Southwest Florida Horizon
    SWFL Sustainability

    By Gary Mooney June 16, 2016 The new city of Babcock Ranch, under early development just east of I-75 and on the border of Charlotte and Lee Counties, will eventually have 19,500 homes, with all power from its adjacent 443-acre solar field. When all 330,000 panels are up, they might just generate enough high voltage […]

  • May 17,2016 - Sun king
    Business Observer

    By: Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier April 29, 2016 Few communities in Florida have earned the kind of positive national recognition as Seaside. The Florida Panhandle town, designed by Andres Duany and built from scratch near Destin, earned Time magazine’s development of the decade award in 1990 and the Urban Land Institute’s highest honor. Now, Palm […]

  • May 17,2016 - Construction is bustling at Florida's first 'sustainable town'
    DailyMail.com

    By Afp Published: 22:30 EST, 26 April 2016 | Updated: 22:30 EST, 26 April 2016 With deep pockets and an environmentalist’s zeal, retired American football player Syd Kitson dreamed up a plan to build the United States’ first solar-powered town on a vast swath of rural land in southwest Florida. Now, nearly a decade after […]

  • May 13,2016 - BABCOCK RANCH IS BACK ON TRACK
    Builder

    BABCOCK RANCH IS BACK ON TRACK World’s first solar-powered town, the largest development in the country, is under construction in Florida. By Jennifer Goodman   Phase one of Babcock Ranch is slated to open early next year. Imagine 19,500 homes powered exclusively by the sun, and not one of them with solar panels. That is the […]

  • May 13,2016 - Solar Power, Eco-Centric Ethos Fuel Babcock Ranch
    energycentral

    Syd Kitson CEO and Chairman, Kitson & Partners May 12, 2016 Solar Power, Eco-Centric Ethos Fuel Babcock Ranch Cities around the world – from sprawling megalopolises to sleepy beach towns – are striving to make their public systems greener and more efficient, implementing everything from bus rapid transit to permeable sidewalks. It is impressive to […]

  • May 13,2016 - Kitson has led Palm Beach Gardens-based firm since 1999
    Palm Beach Post

    By Susan Salisbury – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Posted: 12:00 a.m. Friday, May 13, 2016 Sydney Kitson is Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Palm Beach Gardens-based real estate company specializing in the creation and development of master-planned communities such as Ibis Golf & Country Club in West Palm Beach and commercial […]

  • May 13,2016 - New Florida Town Designed With Autonomous Cars In Mind
    GAS2

    May 4th, 2016 by Steve Hanley Babcock Ranch is a new community near the shores of the Coloosahatchie River east of Fort Meyers, Florida. It is being designed to be as sustainable as possible and to accommodate autonomous cars. In fact, the developer expects self driving cars to serve as the town’s public transportation system. […]

  • May 12,2016 - Kitson, FPL break ground on real community of the future
    Palm Beach Post

    By Antonio Fins – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer May 11, 2016 An up-from-the-ground Florida town powered by solar energy. With self-driving transportation. And locally-grown food. Sounds like a Walt Disney community of tomorrow vision, but it’s really being built by a Palm Beach Gardens-based developer and the Sunshine State’s largest utility. Last month, Kitson & Partners and Florida Power & […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch considers 300-acre baseball gift to Lee
    Fort Myers Press

    April 22, 2016 Can you imagine catching a game of amateur baseball in the rural open fields of northern Lee County? The developer of the Babcock Ranch community and Perfect Game, an Iowa-based baseball training, scouting and tournament company that holds tournaments in Lee County, are exploring the idea of donating about 300 acres to the county for the development of […]

  • May 10,2016 - New Legislation Puts Florida in Leadership Role for Driverless Cars

    April 22, 2016 The transportation bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this month explicitly allows riderless cars to hit public roads for research. A new Florida law puts the state at the helm of researching what may be transportation’s most futuristic technology: self-driving cars. The transportation bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this […]

  • May 10,2016 - Florida building world’s first solar-powered town
    Housing Wire

    Beginning new era of smart growth? April 22, 2016 Kelsey Ramírez Everything is about to change for a small area in Southwest Florida as Kitson & Partnersunveiled today their development of the world’s first solar powered town. Babcock Ranch, when finished, is not only the nation’s largest development currently underway, but will also be the first […]

  • May 10,2016 - Syd Kitson on Babcock Ranch
    Florida Trend

    VIDEO Q&A Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners and incoming Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, discusses his real estate company’s signature planned community, Babcock Ranch Florida Trend magazine has posted a video interview with Syd Kitson which was taped earlier this month. You can watch the video via this link: […]

  • May 10,2016 - A Solar-Powered Eco-City for 50,000 Breaking Ground in Florida
    Curbed

    The Babcock Ranch development will be primarily powered by a $300 million solar array   BY BARBARA ELDREDGE  APR 22, 2016, 9:23A Construction is kicking off on a development hoping to become America’s first solar-powered city. Located in southwestern Florida just 13 miles from Fort Myers, the under-construction Babcock Ranch development is slated to encompass […]

  • May 10,2016 - This New Super-Sustainable Town Will Run On Solar Power And Use Driverless Cars For Public Transit
    Fast Coexist

    ADELE PETERS 04.22.16 11:30 AM This New Super-Sustainable Town Will Run On Solar Power And Use Driverless Cars For Public Transit (video) When a massive ranch in Florida went up for sale 10 years ago, on a piece of land five times the size of Manhattan, the owners had offers from buyers around the world. But […]

  • May 10,2016 - New solar-powered city close to opening
    FOX 4

    2:20 PM, Apr 22, 2016 2:44 PM, Apr 22, 2016 New solar-powered city close to opening (video) CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been ten years in the making, and now, Southwest Florida’s ‘City of the Future’ is becoming a reality. The plan to essentially build a self-sustainable city on vacant land on Babcock Ranch near Punta […]

  • May 10,2016 - 'Sustainable' Babcock Ranch becoming reality

    By Harold Bubil Published: Friday, April 22, 2016 at 3:08 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, April 22, 2016 at 5:43 p.m. Syd Kitson says he knew his dream of a building a new city in rural Charlotte County could come true when he first saw the 91,000-acre Babcock Ranch in 2004. After generations of stewardship, the […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch Grand Reveal
    WINK news

    April 22, 2016 WATCH: Babcock Ranch grand reveal (video) BABCOCK RANCH, Fla.- In less than a year, residents will be living in homes on Babcock Ranch, the world’s first solar powered town. “It feels awesome, I’ll probably buy the first home!” said developer Syd Kitson who adds this day has been 10 years in the making. Once completed, the ranch will have nearly […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock’s new eco-city is rising fast
    Naples News

    Posted: April 22, 2016 By Patricia Borns, The News-Press Syd Kitson unveiled his plans behind the city of Babcock Ranch in Lee and Charlotte County. The city will be powered by the sun making the first city in the world to get all it’s power from solar panels. (Andrew West/The News-Press) Eleven years after the […]

  • May 10,2016 - Construction begins on solar town of Babcock Ranch

    Posted: Apr 22, 2016 6:58 PM EDT Updated: Apr 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT Construction begins on solar town of Babcock Ranch (video) It’s been almost a decade since the town of Babcock Ranch, stretching across the line of Lee and Charlotte counties, has been in the works. On Friday, the renderings for the 17,603 acres of […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch Unveils Solar-Powered Town to the Public
    WGCU News

    By TARA CALLIGAN • 4.23.2016 Developers Kitson and Partners unveiled Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County today. It will be the first town in the nation primarily powered by solar energy, along with a few other surprises. A decade in the making, Babcock Ranch plans to marry a small, hometown feel with modern technology.  Construction has begun on 1,100 […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babock 'grand reveal' promises a 'town of the future'
    Cape Coral Daily Breeze

    From Cape Coral Daily Breeze By VALARIE HARRING April 23, 2016 The crowd of 600-plus fit no ready demographic – big-money investors, farmers, ranchers, staunch environmentalists and government officials by the score – but they all came to Babcock Ranch Friday to celebrate Earth Day with a “grand reveal” of what developers promise will be […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch Grand Reveal Broadcast Coverage

    Babcock Ranch Grand Reveal Broadcast Coverage 4.25.16 Below and attached is a list of the broadcast hits from last week – it includes coverage regarding the potential sports complex as well as the Grand Reveal ceremony. These clips are organized by station and then earliest air date to latest.   A big thank you to […]

  • May 10,2016 - Florida Town Will Be Country's Most Sustainable
    Discovery.com

    Discovery News ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCES APR 25, 2016 03:00 PM ET // BY TRACY STAEDTER In Florida a new development is on track to become the country’s most sustainable community. The Babcock Ranch, on the Gulf side of the state east of Punta Gorda will feature a huge solar farm and public transportation that comes in the form of […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch designing for future
    News-Press.com

    Andrea Stetson, Special to The News-Press April 25, 2016 When the Babcock Ranch community is built, it won’t just be designed for today, it will be designed for the future. It will also be designed green. That’s because the “green lady” is guiding the way for Southwest Florida’s biggest new development project. Jennifer Languell, of […]

  • May 10,2016 - Bold plan for solar-powered Babcock Ranch development, stalled by recession, hits restart button
    Tampa Bay Times

    Robert Trigaux,   Times Business Columnist, April 22,2016 A bold plan to build a new town in southwest Florida designed to run on solar power — sidelined by the recession a decade ago — hit the restart button Friday morning with a celebratory event announcing Babcock Ranch is back in business. Located between Fort Myers […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch, Florida to become world’s first solar-powered town

    RealtyBiz News April 26, 2016 A real estate development firm from Florida is hoping to create the world’s first town that runs completely on solar power.  Kitson & Partners said the development will,, once completed, become the world’s first solar-powered town. The development is already notable for being the largest that’s currently under construction in […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock - International interest

    April 27, 2016 Construction is bustling at Florida’s first ‘sustainable town’ With deep pockets and an environmentalist’s zeal, retired American football player Syd Kitson dreamed up a plan to build the United States’ first solar-powered town on a vast swath of rural land in southwest Florida. Now, nearly a decade after he first purchased the […]

  • May 10,2016 - Construction is bustling at Florida's first 'sustainable town'

    Plans allow for a public school, a downtown area with shops and restaurants, hiking trails and lakes for kayaking  AFP PUNTA GORDA, UNITED STATES: With deep pockets and an environmentalist’s zeal, retired American football player Syd Kitson dreamed up a plan to build the United States’ first solar-powered town on a vast swath of rural […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock Ranch wants to be a testbed for driverless vehicles

    This solar town in Florida welcomes autonomous cars John Beltz Snyder April 28, 2016 Near Fort Meyers, Florida, just miles from the Gulf of Mexico, a new town is under development with the environment at the forefront. Bordering the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve and the 75,000-acre Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area, the town of Babcock Ranch will be […]

  • May 10,2016 - This Florida Town Wants to Be the Most Sustainable in America

    By Justin Worland April 28, 2016 ‘Babcock Ranch will exemplify what it means to be a town of the future’ Babcock Ranch may look like the many of the other burgeoning housing developments in southwest Florida. Thousands of acres of land in the development will soon be transformed into homes and offices for a population that […]

  • May 10,2016 - Preservation of SWFL is summit subject

    Cape Coral Daily Breeze April 29, 2016 By CHUCK BALLARO If the environment is healthy, so are its people, meaning lots of money coming into Southwest Florida. That was the message as more than 200 business and community leaders gathered at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs on Thursday for the second annual […]

  • May 10,2016 - Kitson earns a Standing O

    Business Observer May 3, 2016 Ten years after he engineered the blockbuster purchase of Babcock Ranch, Syd Kitson and more than 600 of his closest friends recently celebrated the start of the 19,500-home project on the county line Charlotte and Lee. “Can you believe it?” Kitson told the crowd, which gave him a rousing standing […]

  • May 10,2016 - Babcock ‘grand reveal’ a county milestone

    Charlotte Sun on April 28th Charlotte County commissioners, staff and I attended the Babcock Ranch “grand reveal” Friday. Developer Syd Kitson made special mention of the hard work and cooperation between his company and county officials past and present, especially our Community Development Department. Commission Chairman Bill Truex addressed the gathering of more than 640 guests […]

  • May 10,2016 - Solar Energy-Loving NFL Vet Syd Kitson is Building the Smartest Town in Florida

    By Joe Carmichael   May 6,2016 Syd Kitson is a Green Bay Packer turned Dallas Cowboy turned Florida real-estate investor and city planner. For the past ten years, his firm has been working on Babcock Ranch, a planned community of 19,500 homes that will be the first American town solely dependent on solar energy when […]

  • May 10,2016 - The right environment

     Charlotte Sun – INK IN MY VEINS The right environment David Dunn Rankin The world’s first solar city is sprouting in southern Charlotte County just 15 minutes from downtown Fort Myers. Quiet electric autonomous cars will pick you up at your home, drive you to downtown Babcock Ranch for dinner and park themselves. Then when […]

  • May 10,2016 - Can self-driving cars run your town’s transit system?

    DAVID CURRY   May 8, 2016 Babcock Ranch, located eight miles east of Fort Myers, Florida, is a new sustainable smart town currently in development. Kitson & Partners are in charge and earlier this week suggested that autonomous vehicles would be the main mode of public transport. Similar to NuTonomy’s plans in Singapore, Kitson & Partners wants to have […]

  • May 10,2016 - World’s Most Sustainable City’ to Run on 100% Solar

    Lorraine Chow , May 8, 2016 “Less than a year from today, the first residents will be settling into a whole new way of life—one that is conscientious, engaging and connected,” said Syd Kitson, the CEO of the development company Kitson & Partners, who has been working on this ambitious plan since 2006. The project was approved as part […]

  • May 10,2016 - Editorial - New model for development
    Charlotte Sun

    Charlotte Sun – editorial from 4/28 OUR VIEW New model for development The Next Big Thing was officially feted last week during a “Grand Reveal” ceremony for Babcock Ranch, billed as both the nation’s first “solar town” and the nation’s largest single development currently under construction. Babcock Ranch is a little smaller than the island of Manhattan, […]

  • April 20,2016 - Solar town of Babcock Ranch getting closer
    news-press.com

     Submitted by: Chad Gillis – NEWS-PRESS.COM February 5, 2016 The town will consists of 19,500 homes, 6 million square feet of commercial space and public amenities, like hiking trails and restaurants Rendering of Downtown Babcock Ranch development(Photo: Submitted photo)  Charlotte County will soon be home to a town that is being billed as the most environmentally sensitive […]

  • April 20,2016 - Babcock Ranch considers 300-acre baseball gift to Lee
    news-press.com

    Submitted by Penelope Overton – news-press.com April 20, 2016 Can you imagine catching a game of amateur baseball in the rural open fields of northern Lee County? The developer of the Babcock Ranch community and Perfect Game, an Iowa-based baseball training, scouting and tournament company that holds tournaments in Lee County, are exploring the idea of donating about 300 […]

  • February 09,2016 - Solar city begins to shine. Construction begins on Babcock Ranch

    By BRENDA BARBOSA  / Sun Correspondent February 5, 2016 CHARLOTTE COUNTY — In the 10 years since former NFL player-turned-developer Syd Kitson sealed the deal on a sweeping stretch of pristine land straddling Charlotte and Lee counties, he never wavered from his vision to create the community of Babcock Ranch, an innovative solar city where thousands […]

  • February 09,2016 - All Systems Go for Babcock Ranch

    RELEASE DATE:  February 5, 2016 by Lisa Hall of  Hall Media Strategies Site preparation work is well underway as Kitson & Partners prepares for the formal launch of Southwest Florida’s long-awaited new town Punta Gorda, Fla. – Kitson & Partners has set Earth Day 2016 as the official birth date for the new town of Babcock Ranch […]

  • February 09,2016 - Developers reveal plans to create first solar-powered town at Babcock Ranch
    Wink News

    February 5, 2016 By Reporter Kristin Sanchez BABCOCK RANCH, Fla.- Plans to transform Babcock Ranch, located along State Road 31 in Charlotte County, into the world’s first solar-powered town are in the works. The vision is to create nearly 20,000 homes and 6 million square feet of commercial space that will be powered purely by the sun. “To be […]

  • February 09,2016 - Palm Beach Gardens developer breaks ground on huge new development in Lee County
    The Palm Beach Post

    Development work at Babcock Ranch near Fort Myers. The developer of the massive Babcock Ranch development in Lee County says the solar plant is under construction, roads are being built and the first residents should move in next year. Babcock Ranch is slated for 19,500 houses. Florida Power & Light is building a solar plant […]

  • January 13,2016 - He’s building a sustainable city
    Fort Myers Florida Weekly

    BY EVAN WILLIAMS IF OTHER AMBITIOUS REAL ESTATE developers in Florida are shooting for the moon, Kitson & Partner’s Babcock Ranch is aiming for the sun: a utopic, future-minded town of 19,500 homes and 50,000 people built from scratch and powered entirely by solar energy, with six million-square feet of retail and schools and electric […]

  • January 13,2016 - Sales through Nov. 30 top $135 million at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted By Caffrey & Associates Posted: Dec. 13, 2015 Developer Kitson & Partners’ reported year-to-date land sales worth $31.58 million and new construction contracts valued at $104.227 million have been processed at Talis Park through Nov. 30, a total of $135.807 million. November marked the completion of the Vyne House clubhouse and a nearly three-acre […]

  • January 13,2016 - Floor & Décor takes over Beall's lease at Gateway Plaza in Sanford
    cijjournal

    Published at: 2016-01-08 15:40 | Author: CIJ Florida  Kitson & Partners has secured a 10-year, 62,500-square-foot lease for its second Orlando-area location of Floor & Decor at Gateway Plaza in Sanford. Located 20 miles north of downtown Orlando, Gateway Plaza is a 214,489-square-foot retail center whose other anchor tenants are Bed, Bath & Beyond, Michaels, […]

  • January 13,2016 - Back at the ranch

    By: Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier January 01, 2016 Syd Kitson says the rebound in the population growth puts Babcock Ranch on the map for 2016. Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch Why 2016 is important: Babcock Ranch could be the newest nexus of development on the Gulf Coast. One of the biggest land deals […]

  • January 13,2016 - Unique development strategy driving success at Talis Park
    The Naples News

    Submitted By Caffrey & Associates Posted: Jan. 03, 2016 In 2015, Kitson & Partners continued to execute a development strategy that in three short years has established Talis Park in North Naples as a preferred destination for luxury homebuyers. Kitson’s strategy is based on the premise that design and choice matter. The efficacy of that […]

  • January 06,2016 - Who needs steering wheels? West Palm firm plugging automated cars here.
    The Palm Beach Post

    By Tony Doris – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH — Push a call button and the car shows up at your door in 40 seconds. No steering wheel. No gas or brake pedal. No driver. Door opens, you sit down. + A vision of self-driving cars in the 1940s   “Take me to […]

  • October 07,2015 - He’s building a sustainable city
    The Florida Weekly

    BY EVAN WILLIAMS SYD KITSON VANDY MAJOR / FLORIDA WEEKLY If other ambitious real estate developers in Florida are shooting for the moon, Kitson & Partner’s Babcock Ranch is aiming for the sun: a utopic, future-minded town of 19,500 homes and 50,000 people built from scratch and powered entirely by solar energy, with six million-square […]

  • July 27,2015 - Residences at Vyne House generating interest at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates  Jul 26, 2015  With the construction of Phase II of the New Fashioned Vyne House clubhouse on schedule for completion by Nov. 1, the penthouse-style Residences at Vyne House are generating strong interest among homebuyers at Talis Park in North Naples. The Residences at Vyne House presents the ultimate In […]

  • July 27,2015 - Clive Daniel Home to create interiors for models at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Lennon Communications Jul 26, 2015 Clive Daniel Home has been selected to provide total interior designs for three models for Stellar Living Homes in the North Naples community of Talis Park. All three models will feature interiors designed by Rebekah Errett-Pikosky and Jean Losier. Located in the Prato neighborhood, an enclave of 24 […]

  • July 21,2015 - The Coach Homes at Corsica unveiled at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Jul 19, 2015 Developer Kitson & Partners is expanding the choices available to luxury homebuyers within the Talis Park gated golf course community in North Naples. Kitson introduced The Coach Homes at Corsica, a new luxury coach home product to be built by FrontDoor Communities, a leading homebuilder and community […]

  • July 21,2015 - Stellar Living Homes begins three models at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Jul 5, 2015 Talis Park announced that Stellar Living Homes has started construction of furnished model residences in the North Naples community’s Prato and Brightling neighborhoods. Each residence will showcase interiors designed and executed by Clive Daniel Home’s Rebekah Errett-Pikosky and Jean Losier. Stellar Living’s Cipriani model is one of […]

  • July 21,2015 - 10 Resident Ready homes available in Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Jun 28, 2015 Ten furnished and unfurnished Resident Ready homes are available in Talis Park’s Brightling, Il Corso, Seneca and Prato neighborhoods. Talis Park’s Resident Ready Program is designed to meet homebuyer demand for completed or nearly completed residences. Homes at every stage of the construction continuum are available, including […]

  • July 21,2015 - Van Emmerik Custom Homes completes construction of the largest residence in Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    pr@conricpr.com Jun 24, 2015 Van Emmerik Custom Homes, Inc. is pleased to announce it has completed construction of the largest residence in the prestigious luxury living community of Talis Park in Naples, featuring an extreme level of customization, exquisite materials and artisanal craftsmanship to bring the grateful homeowners’ vision to life. In partnership with architect […]

  • July 21,2015 - Showcase estate models offered at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Jun 7, 2015 After completing a record-setting 1.4-acre estate homesite sale for $2.15 million in its Firenze grand estate home neighborhood, and finalizing the sale of the 2015 Golf Dream House in its Prato estate neighborhood, Talis Park announced that four furnished estate Showcase model residences have been started or […]

  • July 21,2015 - Florida Chamber chooses Kitson & Partners CEO Syd Kitson as regional chair

    By Phil Ammann – Jun 3, 2015 Commerce named developer Sydney Kitson as Southwest Florida Regional Board chair.Kitson, who is CEO of private real estate development firm Kitson & Partners, will serve a one-year term as one of 12 individuals in the Regional Chair Program. “As an active business leader in the Southwest Florida region, I am […]

  • July 21,2015 - New amenities at Talis Park on schedule for fall completion
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates  May 31, 2015 Developer Kitson & Partners announced Phase II of the Vyne House Clubhouse, a new Sports Complex, and a south entry gate at Talis Park in North Naples are all on schedule for completion this fall. Kitson also announced the extension of Talis Park Drive, the community’s primary […]

  • July 21,2015 - Pasco commission OKs $261,500 more in consultant costs

    By Laura Kinsler | Tribune Staff Published: May 22, 2015 NEW PORT RICHEY — Pasco commissioners reluctantly agreed to spend another $261,500 to extend the contract of the Washington, D.C., consulting firm assisting with the permit application for the Ridge Road Extension. Commissioners last year hired Dawson & Associates at a cost of $512,000 to […]

  • July 20,2015 - Sales top 35% in Watercourse at Talis Park

    Submitted by Distinctive Properties May 17, 2015  Il Corso, the Watercourse neighborhood being developed within the resort-style community of Talis Park, has exceeded the 35 percent sold mark. According to Rod Soars, Watercourse’s sales manager, 11 of the neighborhood’s 30 detached luxury villas have been purchased. Watercourse consists of one- and two-story villa homes all […]

  • May 18,2015 - ‘Here We Grow Again’
    Charlotte Sun

    FGCU forum foresees building boom in Charlotte. By GARY ROBERTS –   STAFF WRITER May 16, 2015 FORT MYERS — A home-building explosion is about to ignite in Charlotte County, real estate experts said Friday at a “Future of Development” conference on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus.    Rick Dalton, executive vice president for KB […]

  • May 11,2015 - Sales top $59 million through April at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates May 10, 2015 Talis Park, a gated golf course community being developed by Kitson & Partners in North Naples, processed 16 closed builder and end-user lot transactions, furnished model sales, and new home construction contracts worth $11.4 million in April. The April sales activity capped a four-month period in which […]

  • May 11,2015 - Penthouse-style condos offer expanded choices at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates May 3, 2015   As Talis Park’s diverse array of single-family neighborhoods continue to generate record-setting sales and new construction activity, an increasing number of luxury homebuyers are choosing to enjoy the convenience, freedom, and simplicity of the carefree, maintenance-free lifestyle available in the North Naples community’s Carrara and Residences […]

  • May 11,2015 - Charlotte County's economy starting to take off
    news-press.com

    DAN DELUCA, DDELUCA@NEWS-PRESS.COM May 1, 2015 By every measurable indicator, Charlotte County’s economy is on the upswing. Real estate? In the fourth quarter of 2014, the county had the state’s largest increase by percentage in single-home sales with 1,057 homes sold, a 25 percent rise from the previous quarter. Business growth? So far in 2015, […]

  • May 11,2015 - Harbourside to start Aviano model in Corsica at Talis Park

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Apr 27, 2015 Harbourside Custom Homes is poised to begin construction of its furnished Aviano model residence in Corsica, a new neighborhood within Talis Pthe award-winning gated golf course community in North Naples. Developer Kitson & Partners recently expanded the community’s single-family home site offering by releasing 12 of the […]

  • May 11,2015 - Interior design styles enhancing appeal of Residences at Vyne House at Talis Park

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Apr 19, 2015 Developer Kitson & Partners announced that purchasers of the penthouse style Residences at Vyne House to be built at Talis Park have the opportunity to select one of three interior design styles created by Lori Fountain, IDS of F.T. Design Inc. in Sarasota. The Residences at Vyne […]

  • May 11,2015 -
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Gulfshore Homes Apr 19, 2015 Gulfshore Homes’ President Steven Watt announced they have selected and are working with Naples-based Garden Bleu to design the outdoor features and home landscaping plan for the Cielo model in the Seneca neighborhood of Talis Park in Naples. Garden Bleu President Edward Westwood and team designer Lin Lin, […]

  • May 11,2015 - First quarter sales at Talis Park up 261% over 2014
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Apr 12, 2015 Talis Park, a gated golf course community being developed by Kitson & Partners in North Naples, reported processing 19 closed builder and end-user lot transactions, furnished model sales, and new home construction contracts worth $20.7 million in March. The transactions processed in March included a 1.4-acre estate […]

  • May 11,2015 - New models poised to open in Seneca at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Apr 5, 2015 Furnished models, by Fox Custom Builders and Gulfshore Homes under construction in Talis Park’s Seneca neighborhood, are on schedule for completion in May. Wrapped by the vistas of Talis Park’s golf course, Seneca’s 43 north and south facing lakefront homesites feature water and double or triple fairway […]

  • May 11,2015 - Fat Papa’s restaurant plans locations in Broward and Palm Beach

    April 02, 2015 Brian Bandell Senior Reporter- South Florida Business Journal   Chicago-based Fat Papa’s, which specializes in hot dogs and Italian sausage, announced plans to open restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and Manalapan. Crossman and Co.’s Kim and John Fitzgerald  represented landlord Kitson & Partners in both deals. It owns both Galt Ocean Marketplace in […]

  • March 31,2015 - Interior for Harbourside's San Remo model completed by Vogue
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Mar 29, 2015 Vogue Interiors announced designers Leslie Gebert, Allied Member, ASID, and Sheila Corasaniti, IDS, have completed an interior that exudes both sophisticated elegance and luxurious comfort for Harbourside Custom Homes’ Villa San Remo furnished model in Seneca at Talis Park. The interior design takes full advantage of the […]

  • March 31,2015 - ‘In the Park' opportunities available at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Mar 29, 2015 Talis Park, a gated golf course community being developed in North Naples by Kitson & Partners, offers the possibility of living in a parklike setting surrounded by gently undulating terrain, nature preserves and lakes, or in a maintenance-free environment within walking distance of the community’s amenity core. […]

  • March 31,2015 - Borelli Homes Breaks Ground on Private Residence in Firenze at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    By: Clay Cone Posted 3/21/15 Borelli Homes has broken ground on the first private residence in Firenze at Talis Park. The two-story residence, designed by Stofft Cooney Architects of Naples, will feature a coastal West Indies style. The home will offer nearly 10,500 square feet of air-conditioned living space and 14,600 total square feet with […]

  • March 31,2015 - Homeowners air Trinity development concerns
    The Tampa Tribune

    By Laura Kinsler | Tribune Staff   Published: March 20, 2015 TRINITY — The development team from Kitson & Partners met with dozens of Trinity residents this week in an effort to assuage their concerns that a new shopping center and housing development on Mitchell Ranch would add to traffic and flooding problems in surrounding neighborhoods. […]

  • March 31,2015 - Charlotte inches toward solar farm incentive

    By ADAM KREGER    STAFF WRITER – Sun Herald CHARLOTTE — County officials have indicated they’ll soon sign off on an economic development incentive for Florida Power & Light, as the company could begin construction later this year on a massive solar farm in the Babcock Ranch area.    The incentive essentially would give FPL […]

  • March 16,2015 - Southwest Florida real estate briefs
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted Mar 15, 2015 York to host show, attendees welcomed Jim York, a local Realtor, is hosting a new real estate show that started in February. The show is every Friday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. through the end of the year. There will be a new guest who specializes in a relevant topic each […]

  • March 16,2015 - Sales at Talis Park nearly $19.5 million in February
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Mar 15, 2015 Talis Park, a gated golf course community being developed by Kitson & Partners in North Naples, reported processing 18 closed builder and end-user lot transactions, furnished model sales, and new home construction contracts worth $19,492,766 in February. New homebuyer traffic continued to be up over 250 percent […]

  • March 16,2015 - Gulfshore Homes selects Pacifica to design model in Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Gulfshore Homes Mar 15, 2015   Gulfshore Homes’ President Steven Watt selected Naples-based Pacifica Interior Design to design and furnish the Dorado, a new luxury custom model in the Prato neighborhood at Talis Park. Lusia “Lou” Shafran, principal designer and CEO of Pacifica Interior Design, will implement the interior design and furnishings for […]

  • March 16,2015 - Gulfshore Homes completes plan for Dorado model in Talis Park
    wikiREALTY

    By: Gulfshore Homes March 04, 2015 Gulfshore Homes’ president, Steven Watt announced that plans are finalized for a new luxury custom model, the Dorado in the Prato neighborhood of Talis Park in Naples. Designed by Stofft Cooney Architects, it is spacious at 6,336 square feet of air-conditioned living. The Dorado model includes four bedrooms, one […]

  • March 02,2015 - New Telegraph Creek Preserve entrance opens
    news-press.com

    Special to The News-Press February 28, 2015         Haven’t been to Lee County’s Telegraph Creek Preserve in a while? Well when you do, you’ll notice a change. The public now has an additional way to access the preserve with the opening of a new public entrance. This Conservation 2020 preserve’s amenities include equestrian trails, hiking […]

  • March 02,2015 - McGarvey begins Astaire estate model at Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Feb 22, 2015   McGarvey Custom Homes has started construction of its 6,820-square-foot under air, two-story Astaire furnished estate model in Talis Park’s Prato neighborhood. With graceful estate homesites overlooking the Sea Dwarf Paspalum fairways of Talis Park Golf Club’s 14th and 15th holes, lakes, preserves and citrus orchards, the […]

  • March 02,2015 - Estate home designed by Weber Design Group completed in Talis Park
    Naples Daily News

    Submitted by Weber Design Group Feb 22, 2015   Van Emmerik Custom Homes has completed construction of the largest home within Talis Park’s exclusive Prato estate neighborhood. With architecture and planning by Weber Design Group and interiors by Design West, this impressive residence is situated on an acre lot and offers some of the most […]

  • February 26,2015 - Developers break ground at Bay Pines
    Seminole Beacon

    Construction begins on final retail component by Tiffany Razzano Tuesday February 19, 2015 Kitson executives who came out for the Feb. 19 groundbreaking include Tom Hoban, Al Dougherty, Gary Nelson, Tim Johnson, Matt Buehler and Ginny Feiner. Robert Bandes and Mike Hoovey from Bandes Construction Co., Inc. also attended. SEMINOLE – Kitson & Partners broke […]

  • February 19,2015 - Harbourside's San Remo model opens in Seneca at Talis Park
    Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc.

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Feb 8, 2015 Harbourside Custom Homes’ furnished Villa San Remo model is now open for viewing and purchase in Talis Park’s Seneca neighborhood. Seneca is an enclave of 43 luxury residences offering Talis Park’s “In the Park” living experience. Wrapped by the vistas of Talis Park’s golf course, Seneca’s north […]

  • February 19,2015 - Jimmy Johns, Starbucks coming to VA area
    Tampa Bay Times

    SEMINOLE February 19, 2015 Residents here can look forward to having the city’s first Jimmy Johns and Starbucks across from the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center, according to Kitson & Partners. Kitson, based in Palm Beach Gardens, bought the 60 acres across from the medical center in 2010. Thus far, the property, which once […]

  • February 19,2015 - Documents approved for The Residences at Vyne House at Talis Park
    Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc.

    Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Feb 1, 2015 The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, has approved developer Kitson & Partners’ Residences at Vyne House project application and that purchase agreements are now being accepted for 14 luxury condominium residences adjacent to Talis Park’s Vyne House […]

  • February 19,2015 - Sales momentum carries into new year at Talis Park

     Submitted by Caffrey & Associates Feb 15, 2015 After reporting 95 closed homesite sales and 51 new construction contracts worth $102 million processed in 2014, the sales and new construction momentum at Talis Park has carried into the new year. The gated golf course community being developed by Kitson & Partners processed seven closed builder […]

  • February 19,2015 - Bay Pines redevelopment project nears completion
    lisa@hallmediastrategies.com

    By: Lisa Hall February 19, 2015                           Kitson & Partners to construct final retail component of the mixed-use infill development in Pinellas County Palm Beach Gardens – Palm Beach Gardens based developer Kitson & Partners today broke ground on the final retail component of the company’s large-scale mixed-use development project in Pinellas County, Florida.  The 9,110 sf […]

  • February 13,2015 - Plans for mall on Mitchell Ranch land unveiled
    The Suncoast News

    By Laura Kinsler | Tribune Staff TRINITY — West Pasco soon could get an outdoor shopping mall to rival The Shops at Wiregrass. Kitson & Partners this week unveiled a site plan for 330 acres of Mitchell Ranch at the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Little Road, giving Trinity area shoppers a hint […]

  • February 13,2015 - Palm Beach Gardens developer advancing massive Lee County project
    Palm Beach Post

    By Susan Salisbury Palm Beach Post Staff Writer – The planned Babcock Ranch development in Southwest Florida has taken a big step forward with an agreement that calls for Florida Power & Light Co. to be the sole provider of its electric service. Since 2006 Palm Beach Gardens-based Kitson & Partners, headed by Syd Kitson, has […]

  • February 13,2015 - Power company settlement ends obstacle to Babcock Ranch development
    Herald-Tribune

    By Josh Salman – Thursday, October 23, 2014   CHARLOTTE COUNTY – The developers of Babcock Ranch have reached a settlement with two utility providers, lifting one of the last roadblocks to breaking ground on the massive development. The settlement allows Florida Power & Light to serve the new city, which its developers still plan on […]

  • February 10,2015 - Developer Reaches Agreement with Companies to Pave Way for Solar-Powered Town
    WGCU npr News

    By Topher Forhecz  / WGCU  A Florida real estate developer is one step closer to creating a sustainable town after settling a dispute with energy companies over land. Developer Syd Kitson said he plans to build a solar-powered town on Babcock Ranch in Lee and Charlotte Counties. Kitson announced plans for his solar-powered town in 2009. […]

  • February 10,2015 - Back at the Ranch
    Site Selection Online Magazine

    SMART GRID A Site Selection Web Exclusive, January 2015 Back at the Ranch A new town is about to pop up in southwestern Florida, and energy innovation is at its heart. The dream that is Babcock Ranch is inching closer to reality, thanks to a new utility agreement making FPL the sole power provider. All […]

  • February 09,2015 - Luxury feel without luxury rules
    news-press.com

    Andrea Stetson, Special to the News-Press 12:08 a.m. EST January 25, 2015 John Hillman, head of sales and marketing for Talis Park, points out the new amenities planned for the clubhouse expansion.( Photo by Andrea Stetson/Special to The News-Press)  There’s no economic downturn at Talis Park, which had more than $100 million in sales in […]

  • February 06,2015 - Mitchell 54 West project moving forward in Pasco
    WFTS Tampa Bay

    TRINITY – The 330 acres in Pasco County owned by the Mitchell family has remained a ranch for generations even as the area around it developed. But now plans are in the works for an outdoor shopping center, movie theater and a community with 800 homes. It’s known as Mitchell 54 West. “I think it’s […]

  • February 06,2015 - Parrish key to FPL's plans for more solar energy
    Bradenton Herald

    PARRISH — Florida Power & Light plans to triple its current solar capacity — adding nearly 225 megawatts of new solar power — and Parrish is one of three sites central to the plans. FPL released details about its plans to build substantially more solar energy capacity. Before the end of 2016, FPL plans to […]

  • October 23,2014 - FPL, LCEC and Kitson Reach Agreement on Power
    The News-Press

    The owners of the Babcock Ranch development will give up their dream of operating an electric utility on their planned “city of tomorrow.” Instead, Florida Power & Light will provide the electricity to the 18,000-acre residential/commercial project on the eastern borders of Lee and Charlotte counties. In exchange for $11.3 million the Lee County Electric […]

  • October 23,2014 - Agreement Reached to Provide Clean, Affordable Electricity to Babcock Ranch in Charlotte and Lee Counties
    PR Newswire

    JUNO BEACH, Fla., Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), Babcock Ranch Community Independent Special District (ISD) and Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) today announced a settlement agreement that addresses the parties’ outstanding issues and provides a path forward for Babcock Ranch development. Part of the settlement includes Babcock Ranch ISD […]

  • August 29,2014 - Plan for Walkable Community Takes Shape in Trinity
    Tampa Bay Times

    TRINITY — A sprawling residential and commercial development on State Road 54 is more than a year from breaking ground, but the developer is releasing some details about the project, including a walkable courtyard rimmed by shops and restaurants. Kitson & Partners, out of Palm Beach Gardens, said it envisions “a unique lifestyle destination” combining […]

  • August 11,2014 - August 11, 2014 – Syd Kitson Tries to Seize Power in Babcock Ranch
    Sarasota Herald-Tribune

    CHARLOTTE COUNTY – For nearly a decade, Syd Kitson has touted plans for a first-of-its-kind city powered solely by energy from the sun. Now, the real estate developer and former NFL offensive lineman says that for his ambitious vision to become a reality, he must be allowed to set up his own power utility at his […]

  • July 23,2014 - July 23, 2014 - Florida Must Face Future and Think Solar
    The News-Press

    Re: “Solar power too costly for taxpayers,” A. John Birkle, July 17. It goes without saying that Mr. Birkle’s strong opinion about the cost of solar energy and about Babcock Ranch trying to maintain its right to run its own electric utility was shaped from a career spent in the fossil fuel based utility industry. […]

  • July 13,2014 - July 13, 2014 - Sparks Fly in Babcock Ranch Power Struggle
    The News Press

    Syd Kitson says he needs to set up his own electric utility on the sprawling Babcock Ranch to build his solar-powered city of tomorrow. But the Lee County Electric Cooperative and its allies counter that Kitson’s dream would be bad policy and potentially bad for consumers— disrupting the long-term plans of existing utilities. At the request […]