Babcock Ranch has surpassed 5,000 new home sales, company officials announced.
“This is a significant landmark for Babcock Ranch, representing more than 25% of our planned 20,000 homes now sold,” said Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners. “It’s especially meaningful that this milestone was reached by residents like Mark and Fay [Jean Petersen], who have chosen to make Babcock Ranch their home.”
The Petersens purchased their second home in the Willowgreen neighborhood by Lennar. The milestone follows the 4,000th sale just over a year ago in what is marketed as America’s first solar-powered town.
Babcock Ranch ranked 10th among the top-selling master-planned communities in the U.S. in 2024, based on new home sales, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
The town, built with storm resilience in mind through elevated design and infrastructure, has seen significant additions in the past year. Two new outdoor recreation venues opened — the 23-acre William & Mary Ann Smith Sports Complex and The PKWY, a collection of six connected parks in MidTown. The parks feature pavilions, playgrounds, hillside slides, multipurpose fields, a fishing lagoon and an observation tower with views of surrounding preserves and wetlands.
Additional amenities now include golf courses, waterslides, a lazy river, modern fitness centers and new restaurants.
Commercial and retail growth also has accelerated. The Shoppes at Yellow Pine, a 120,000-square-foot shopping center, opened this spring. Anchor tenants include Marshalls, HomeGoods, Ace Hardware, Five Below and Ulta Beauty, along with seven restaurants, beauty and health care services and professional offices. Tampa General Hospital also is opening an urgent care center and medical facility.
Looking ahead, Babcock Ranch plans to open B Street in 2026, a live-play-work entertainment district. Nearly a dozen businesses have signed leases, including BBQ King Smokehouse and Tavern, Blush Nail Lounge, Carondelet Drink Parlor, Flourish and Pops, Kong Fu Ramen, Mangiamo Italian Restaurant, NV Realty Group, South Florida Title Insurers, sugaringLA, Way Better Insurance and Wholistic Motus physical therapy.
“Residents are delighted by the new offerings at The Shoppes at Yellow Pine and businesses have been exceeding expectations,” Kitson said. “Due to this incredible demand, we’ve unveiled preliminary plans for MidTown Marketplace, which will be anchored by a grocery store.”
At 143,000 square feet, the planned MidTown Marketplace would be Babcock Ranch’s largest retail center to date. It joins existing commercial hubs, including Founder’s Square and the Publix-anchored Crescent B Commons. The multibuilding complex is expected to include retail shops, restaurants with outdoor patios, professional offices, ample parking and potentially a gas station. It also marks the first phase of MidTown’s larger shopping district, which will feature a village green and amphitheater.
Half of Babcock Ranch’s 18,000 acres are preserved as greenways, lakes and parks. The town is designed to accommodate 20,000 homes and 6 million square feet of commercial space.
More than a dozen neighborhoods offer a mix of villas, townhomes, coach homes and single-family homes.
“There’s truly something for everyone at Babcock Ranch,” Kitson said. “Our builders are delivering a range of home styles and amenities that create vibrant opportunities for connection, wellness and recreation.”
Homebuilders include national and regional firms such as D.R. Horton, DiVosta, Dream Finders Homes, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Park Square Homes, Pulte Homes, Toll Brothers and William Ryan Homes. Custom homes are available from AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg and Florida Lifestyle Homes.
Prices range from the upper $200,000s to $4 million. The town also features single-family rental homes at The Flatwoods and apartments at The Canopy at Babcock Ranch.
