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BABCOCK RANCH SOLAR-POWERED TOWN

SOLAR-POWERED TOWN UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

When completed it claims to be the most sustainable, most innovative, and healthiest new town in the country. Located in southwest Florida, Babcock Ranch is not only the nation’s largest development currently underway, but it will also be the first town primarily powered by the sun.

“Babcock Ranch will exemplify what it means to be a town of the future, offering residents a highly unique balance of the most technologically advanced infrastructure and amenities, with ready access to a rich natural environment and a true sense of community,” said Kitson & Partners Chairman and CEO Syd Kitson.

Bordered by the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve – the single largest land preservation acquisition in Florida history, Babcock Ranch comprises nearly 18,000 acres – roughly the size of Manhattan.

Phase 1 development – to be completed in 2017 – will have a total of 1,100 residences, providing the earliest residents of Babcock Ranch with a diverse mix of single-family and multi-family options.  The initial downtown district buildings will feature a state-of-the-art wellness center, a market café, lakeside restaurant, educational facilities, and outdoor outfitters where residents and visitors can gear up to explore expansive lakes and an unparalleled trail system. When the town is completed, it will comprise 19,500 residences, an engaging downtown, and a total of 6 million square feet of commercial and community space while still dedicating more than half of the total land for green spaces, lakes, and nature trails. Ultimately, approximately 50,000 residents will call Babcock Ranch home.

The FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center will supply the community and the broader region with 74.5-megawatts of clean, renewable power generated by the Florida sunshine. The 443-acre solar power plant will be located within the town and will keep Babcock Ranch on track to become the world’s first new town where solar energy production exceeds the total energy consumption from day one.

Planning for Babcock Ranch has been underway since 2006. While 2009 plummet in the housing market altered the original timelines for construction, the vision remains unchanged. As the largest development project currently underway in the United States, Babcock Ranch provides a strong signal that the future of real estate will be smarter, greener, and healthier than ever before.

Features of the new town include:

  1. State of the art infrastructure that leverages technology to deliver superior services while lowering household costs
  2. Soon to be one of the largest solar power plants in the eastern U.S., the 75-megawatt FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center is expected to be completed and connected to FPL’s smart grid by the end of 2016
  3. A full range of on-site education choices from early learning to college degree programs with multi-modal digital and distance learning opportunities
  4. An innovative health and fitness center at the heart of town that will support lifelong pursuits of a healthier, active lifestyle, sports training, and medical wellness choices
  5. An advanced public and private transportation system of shared, driverless vehicles is expected to be the eventual backbone for moving people and goods about in Babcock Ranch
  6. Half of Babcock Ranch’s total footprint is dedicated to greenways parks & lakes, with an active trail system of more than 50 miles of preserved and restored ecosystems.
  7. Modern “smart grid” digital electric distribution technologies embedded in the infrastructure will optimize energy efficiency and lower utility costs for both residents and businesses.

If everything goes according to schedule, America’s greenest town will be ready to welcome its first residents in early 2017!

For more information, check out their website, very interesting! CLICK HERE!

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