- December 22, 2024
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A walkable residential community designed for people to be able to live, work and play in one location is under construction in southwest Bradenton, and developers just announced when residents will likely start moving in there.
The SeaFlower community will be on 1,175 acres operated as a flower farm for more than 80 years. Its name pays tribute to the land's history as well as its location near the bay. The property is south of Cortez Road between 86th Street and IMG Academy.
SeaFlower's first phase of development will include nearly 1,700 residential units, 250 hotel rooms and 350,000 square feet of office and retail space.
Within walking distance of the residences will be a main street area called the Village Square featuring a neighborhood grocer, restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues.
A welcome center and model homes at SeaFlower will open in spring 2025, according to a statement from developers, with the first resident move-ins to follow in summer 2025.
The development has been in the works for more than a decade; in 2014, the Business Observer reported that the project was being reviewed by Manatee County planners.
Lake Flores Land Company and investment partner LAMB Properties, the ones behind SeaFlower, have been fine-turning the project over the past several years.
“We have been working alongside Manatee County on our vision to celebrate the rich legacy of the land that is undergoing a remarkable transformation into an innovative, new mixed-use residential community,” Lake Flores Land Company Managing Director Edward Hill says in the statement.
The first phase of development will include 1,063 homes and 600 apartments on 400 acres south of Cortez Road and west of 75th Street, officials say.
Cardel Homes, David Weekley Homes, Issa Homes, M/I Homes and Pulte Homes will build the residences, which will include coastal, Craftsman, West Indies and transitional farmhouse designs in hues of white as well as townhouses and villas.
The homes will be one element of SeaFlower, which also includes places for people to recreate.
“At SeaFlower, we're crafting more than just residences; we’re cultivating a true regional destination and laying the foundation for a connected community," Hill says in a statement.
Surrounding a body of water called Lake Flores will be a park and amenity center with clubhouse, fitness center, pool with lap lanes, children’s play area, fire pit, meeting rooms, event lawn and pickleball court.
A 2.5-mile trail for pedestrians, cyclists and golf carts will connect the amenity center area with the Village Square, a nature preserve and dog park.
At full buildout, the community will include 4,000 residential units, meaning more than 2,900 residences would be constructed in the years ahead.
Says Hill: "SeaFlower is really the perfect blend of coastal serenity and unmatched accessibility along Florida's Gulf Coast, unlike any other in the region."
