Babcock Ranch Partnership

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

In 2005 Kitson & Partners purchased approximately 91,000 acres of land in southeastern Charlotte County. That same day, Kitson sold 73,000 acres of the land to the state of Florida to be preserved as a state park. Kitson & Partners envisioned a sustainable, walkable, solar-powered community that incorporated innovative technology. Babcock Ranch would be built on roughly 8,000 acres of the land, with the remaining being preserved. Eventually, the community would include 19,000 residences and more than 6 million square feet of commercial uses. The community broke ground in 2016 and held its grand opening in March 2018. To get from vision to execution required a partnership that stressed communication, technology and stream-lined processes, while ensuring compliance with county codes, land development regulations and growth management goals. Charlotte County’s partnership with the Babcock Ranch development team has turned into a highly collaborative relationship and provides an exemplary model for how to handle something of this scale and complexity.