Multi-family housing coming to match new mall demand

EAST COUNTY — In a nod to the wave of new workers that will live in East County when the Mall at University Town Center opens in 2014, a North Port company has plans to build 62 townhomes West of I-75.

Contractors should receive permits this month to build Muirfield Village at Honore, a multi-family project planned by Peach Willow LLC on nine acres at 59th Street and Honore Avenue.

Christopher Koncal, development partner at Barclay Group, one of the developers of the project, said sitework would begin June 1, pending permitting.

M/I Homes, the builder on the project in charge of vertical construction, will start its work no later than Aug. 1, Koncal said.

The first model would be built by the end of the year.

“This is the ideal spot for this project,” Koncal said. “There’s a lot going on West of Interstate 75 and we expect a demand for multi-family housing.”

Officials have said the mall, a $315 million project slated to open Oct. 16, 2014, will bring more than 2,000 permanent jobs to the area.

M/I Homes declined to comment for this story until permitting is complete.

Muirfield joins another planned multi-family project, The Venue at Lakewood Ranch, a 237-unit apartment complex to be built directly across from Lakewood Ranch Main Street at the northwest corner of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Health Park Way.

Previously, Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty had said the Atlanta-based Davis Development would start construction in January on three four-story buildings.

That hasn’t happened.

Now, says Brian Kennelly, president of LWR Commercial Realty, Davis said construction would begin June 1.

Kennelly said the Atlanta-based company’s commercial construction division is “mobilizing into our region” and is still seeking to line up the appropriate subcontractors.

“This is not a setback,” Kennelly said. “This is perfectly OK.”

Kennelly believes The Venue at Lakewood Ranch, built on 8.5 acres and set to include a fitness center, pool and elevators, will fill up quickly, like Lost Creek Apartments.

Lost Creek, located across from Manatee Technical Institute and Lakewood Ranch High School off Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, opened in January 2012 and reached 100% occupancy within about six months of opening.

Kennelly said crews would begin construction on the long-planned second phase of Lost Creek, 256 more units to be built south of the first phase, in the third quarter of this year.

“Multi-family units have been underserved in this area,” Kennelly said. “We’re comfortable there’s demand to keep up with the pace of building now.”

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].

Tale of the tape
Muirfield Village at Honore
62-unit townhome project
59th Street and Honore
Sitework will begin June 1 pending permitting

The Venue at Lakewood Ranch
237-unit apartment complex
Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Health Park Way
Construction will begin June 1

Phase II of Lost Creek Apartments
256-unit apartments
Construction will begin third quarter of 2013