A DOWNTOWN HUB CALLING TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
July 21, 2021
BY RUSTY PRAY
Wellen Park Journal Correspondent
Rendering depicting the view towards Downtown Wellen from the 80-acre grand lake.
Worthy of an Instagram or Facebook post.. That’s the image Wellen Park President Rick Severance has in mind for the area’s newest downtown. Construction is scheduled to begin mid-August. It is expected to be completed in late 2022, Wellen Park officials say.
“There are just a lot of really thoughtful elements that I think will be both interesting and fun,” Mr. Severance says. “The downtown will be a central location for the community; it provides a great sense of place. It will be the heart and soul of Wellen Park.” All the elements are lined up to make it a picture-perfect environment for residents and visitors to the south Sarasota County community.
Wellen Park covers 11,000 acres, including about 7,000 acres of undeveloped land. It is among the top five fastest-selling master planned communities in the country,according to the real estate consulting firm RCLCO.
The majority of Wellen Park lies at the edges of unincorporated Sarasota County and within the city limits of North Port. Communities that are a part of the City of North Port include Oasis, Renaissance, IslandWalk, The Preserve and Gran Paradiso. The development, once known as West Villages, also includes in its marketing the communities of Sarasota National, Grand Palm and Boca Royale. And six new neighborhoods will begin selling late Fall/ early Winter in Wellen Park’s new Playmore District from builders including Lennar, Mattamy Homes, Neal Communities, Sam Rodgers, and Toll Brothers.
A signature shade structure across from the Brewpub building will provide an area for visitors to enjoy socializing with friends and neighbors.
Downtown Wellen Park will include shops and restaurants, of course. But there will be plenty of imaginative amenities to shape a character unique to the development.
“This will be the gathering place where you can meet your neighbors and your friends,” says Christine Masney, Wellen Park’s vice president of marketing.
Plans call for the area to include an 80-acre lake, wellness trail and fishing pier, along with a mixture of amenities.
A permanent food truck park is one of those amenities. Another perk, a hammock grove, will beckon shoppers to rest a spell. A unique natural playground and splash pad are also planned, which will offer kids a new experience where they can connect to a physical space and the environment of being on the water.
The food truck park area will offer a casual dining experience.
“We chose to make an investment not just in the trees, which create shade, but also designed a signature shade structure,” Mr. Severance says, “It’s a piece of art that is beautiful to look at, and extremely functional.”
Mr. Severance says he envisions Wellen Park’s downtown to be fun and a little funky. “We mean that. That’s why we have a food truck area. That’s why we have a kind of nontraditional playground. That’s why we have wedding park and a hammock grove where we have hammocks integrated with mature trees.”
“What I’m most excited about is how that permanent food truck area will integrate with the playground, the trail, the outfitter, the outdoor bar, the heritage trees and the concerts,” Mr. Severance says. “It just creates this amazing energy that doesn’t feel stuffy. You’re just as comfortable in your flip-flops and your shorts as you would be dressed up coming from a wedding reception.”
“It’s a healthy place,” says Ms. Masney. “There are many ways to be heathy. It might mean taking your kayak or paddleboard out or fishing the 80-acre lake. It might mean hiking, biking or walking around our pathway. Or it might be a sunset happy hour toast with friends, or simply sitting under the big oak and relaxing.”
The children’s natural playground is another insightful use of space.
“It’s not something you would find at an elementary school,” Mr. Severance says. “It’s done in a way where it looks like it is part of the land. We’ve used the elevation of the land and natural materials. it’s a place that is beautiful for Mom and Dad to sit while the kids are playing. It’ll be entertaining, energetic. But it won’t be what you would consider a traditional playground.”
Mr. Severance wants to create a hub that appeals to the eye as well as to lifestyle.
“In today’s world,” he says, “if it’s worthy of putting on Instagram, it’s worthy. And it’s not only teenagers posting about their experiences; our parents are the ones posting on social media.
“I trust that we’ve created a hub that’s not just social media-worthy but more importantly, has a heartbeat and a soul.”
Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate
