Wellen Park, Florida

Wellen Park (formerly known as the West Villages[1]) is a planned community located in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The majority of Wellen Park is located along US 41 and River Road (County Road 777) at the edges of unincorporated Sarasota County and within the city limits of North Port.[2]

Wellen Park
Planned community
Etymology: German: wellen, lit. 'waves'; Dutch: wellen, lit. 'wellness'
Wellen Park
Location in Sarasota County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°02′59″N 82°19′16″W
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountySarasota
CityNorth Port
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
34223, 34293
Area code(s)941
Websitewellenpark.com

History

The land was initially used for ranching and agriculture in the 1930s and became known as Taylor Ranch.[3]

In May 2014, a partnership, including Mattamy Homes and Vanguard Land and other developers, invested about $100 million to purchase approximately 9,600 acres (3,900 ha) that represented the remainder of the former Berry and Taylor family ranch.[4][5]

In April 2020, the master-plan name was rebranded to Wellen Park. The new name is meant to serve as a cohesive branding for communities to be built in the future, as over 7,000 acres of land is undeveloped.[6]

The community will be geographically organized into Districts: Current districts include West Villages, Downtown Wellen, and Playmore.[1]

Neighborhoods

The following neighborhoods have broken ground or are slated for Wellen Park:[7]

  • Gran Paradiso by Lennar Corporation
  • IslandWalk by Otto Divosta
  • Oasis by M/I Homes
  • The Preserve by D.R. Horton
  • Renaissance by Mattamy Homes
  • Sarasota National by Lennar Corporation

CoolToday Park
Main article: CoolToday Park

In early 2017, the Atlanta Braves professional baseball team announced the selection of North Port, Florida, as the site of CoolToday Park.[8] Sarasota County has approved its funding earmarking about $22 million in tourist development taxes. The City of North Port will provide $4.7 million and the Florida Sports Foundation is slated to contribute $20 million.[9]

The developer donated the land. The Atlanta Braves are making the upfront capital contribution and annual lease payments. By hosting the stadium, Wellen Park ensures a lot of future activities, events and opportunities for its residents as well as visitors from throughout the region and the country.[10]

West Villages Improvement District

Much of the planned community is situated within the West Villages Improvement District (WVID or “District”), a specialized taxing district whose purpose is to provide infrastructure, including community development systems, facilities, services, projects, and improvements to the District.[11]

The District was established by Florida Legislature on June 17, 2004.[12] A five-person board governs the District, which oversees approximately 11,000 acres (4,500 ha).[11]

References
  1. "FAQ | Wellen Park". Wellen Park. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  2. "Zoning Map". City of North Port. September 24, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  3. Hielscher, John (August 7, 2017). "Housing starts down but closings rise". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  4. Duhane, Lindo (January 10, 2017). "West Villages and developers in the process of making major additions". WWSB.
  5. Lawson, Scott. "A new name on the map: Wellen Park". Venice Gondolier. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  6. Lawson, Scott. "A new name on the map: Wellen Park". Venice Gondolier. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  7. Hielscher, John (January 5, 2017). "West Villages, Lakewood Ranch rank among fastest-growing". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  8. Kimel, Earle (May 25, 2017). "West Villages signs off on Braves agreement". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  9. Murdock, Zach (January 17, 2017). "Atlanta Braves pick Sarasota County for spring training". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  10. "North Port reacts to Braves coming: The best thing that could happen". WWSB. January 19, 2017.
  11. "West Villages Improvement District". West Villages Florida. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  12. "West Villages Improvement District (WVID) Information". Retrieved May 11, 2020.
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