SMR breaks ground on Waterside

Lakewood Ranch officials celebrated a new milestone April 12.

They broke ground on their Waterside development, a project spanning 5,500 acres in Sarasota County. The future 5,100-home community is developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s first major venture into Sarasota.

“For 25 years, I’ve been waiting for this,” SMR President and CEO Rex Jensen said. “It’s a special day for Lakewood Ranch.”

At the ceremony, Jensen announced SMR has committed to starting construction on its future town center — an 86-acre acre slated for multi-unit housing, restaurants and other amenities all focused on waterside living — by January 2018. 

In the coming weeks, SMR will start construction to extend Lorraine Road and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard south to Fruitville. The projects should be complete within about 18 months.