- July 12, 2025
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In June 2024, Lakewood Ranch resident Barbara Zdziarski, 79, was one of the 85 future residents of Emerson Lakes by Erickson Senior Living in Lakewood Ranch to load up on two buses and head to Siena Lakes in Naples, another community by Erickson.
The purpose of the visit was to get a sense of what their future home in Lakewood Ranch would look like.
“We took a bus trip to see what it’s like in actuality ... and 'Wow!” Zdziarski said. “I was blown away to the point where I asked one of the employees, ‘Can I stay?’”
She liked that the employees she met were young, but obviously liked being around older people. Zdziarski described herself as an active senior who enjoys doing workout classes and going on long walks. She is eager to have her choice from the 200 clubs and activities that will be offered at Emerson Lakes when it opens in the fall of 2026.
Zdziarski has also previously lived in the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and at Esplanade at Azario.
"Emerson Lakes isn't a 55-plus (community), and it isn't a rental,” said Adam Zubowsky, the director of sales at Emerson Lakes by Erickson Senior Living. “It's not a health care service on a corner. It's a comprehensive, wrap-around community. It's resort style living with bars, restaurants, a theater room, fitness center, aquatic center, all with on-site health care.”
“I wish I could move tomorrow,” Zdziarski said.
Zubowsky said even in times of rain or extreme heat, the residents at Emerson Lakes will be able to get to any place on the 46-acre campus without going outside. Everything will be connected.
Zubowsky said while people in most neighborhoods need to have their life structured around having to use an automobile to get to restaurants, live entertainment, doctor's appointments, and such, the Emerson Lakes residents can do that without leaving the campus.
The Emerson Lakes clubhouse will be called Coral Ridge and will be the first thing people see when visiting the campus. Zubowsky described it as “the heart of the community.”
Coral Ridge will be 50,000 square feet, and two stories with indoor and outdoor dining. The outdoor dining of the clubhouse will be offered in areas that can be screened-in with heaters and fans.
When residents begin moving in a little more than a year from now, the community will have two full-service restaurants in Water’s Edge and Breeze Point. The goal is to eventually grow to have six or more restaurants on campus depending on Emerson Lakes' population.
When it opens, the complex also will offer Sandbar, which will provide pool service that includes light breakfast and lunch along with full bar service throughout the day.
Zubowsky said extensive research indicated that Lakewood Ranch was right for such a community and that was no mystery as developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch has been vocal about its joy in giving potential Lakewood Ranch residents another home choice.
When people choose to live at Emerson Lakes, they will pay a one-time entrance fee with a choice between an 80% refundable entrance fee and a declining balance entrance fee. Then there will be a monthly service fee.
The Emerson Lakes website lists its 80% refundable entrance fee ranging in price from $343,000 to $1,373,00. The declining balance fees are listed at $250,000 to $503,000, but that is only available in one-bedroom "apartments."
Monthly service packages ranged from $3,214 to $5,612. To find out more about the fees and what amenities are available, call 210-0636 or go to the website at EricksonSeniorLiving.com/emerson-lakes/pricing.
Zubowsky said his company's research indicated the area would embrace a different kind of senior living choice.
“It gave us an idea what the market wants — size, square footage, amenities, views,” Zubowsky said. “We've been doing this 40 years and we have 23 other communities and we are growing.”
There will be 25 different floor plan options available across 315 residences (approximately 500 residents) in the first phase in three residential buildings. Zubowsky estimated that about half the homes will be occupied by single residents with the other half having two occupants.
The floor plans range from one bedroom and 1 1/2 baths to two bedroom, and 2 1/2 baths. The option for a den, outdoor lanai and laundry room differ by floor plan. All of them have quartz countertops, recessed lighting and stainless steel appliances that they cover for life if the residents ever have an issue.
Emerson Lakes will be the 24th Erickson Senior Living community and the third in Florida.
“Lakewood Ranch did a great job of kind of encouraging us to explore coming here — it was an area kind of starving for this option,” Zubowsky said.
The sales and information center opened in December 2023 and the wait list opened in January 2024.
“We're often asked ‘So once it opens, do you guys go away?’” Zubowsky said of his fellow employees. “Our team actually only gets larger because the community grows. Sales is just one of about a dozen departments when we open.”
Other departments will include maintenance, dining, healthcare, emergency management and more. Emergency management that is on site is prepared to do everything an EMT can do, without the need for transportation because medical care is on site. If transportation is needed, transportation can be arranged.
“All of our homes are equipped with pull cords in the bedroom and bathroom, and so (help) is there in three to four minutes, night or day,” he said.
The on-site medical center was a big part of Zdziarski’s decision to move to Emerson Lakes.
“The folks moving here are proactive planners,” Zubowsky said. “They don't want to leave this area — Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch — but they're tired of owning a home.”
Emerson Lakes is approved to build up to 10 residential buildings.
The first residential building and the clubhouse building will open in fall of 2026. Two more residential buildings that are also currently under construction will open in 2027. Zubowsky said due to the success of early sales, they are looking to break ground for a fourth residential building by the end of this year to open in 2028.
“We're selling more than just floor plans and square footage and views,” Zubowsky said. “It is a holistic lifestyle that folks are getting. They're making an investment because they've worked hard their entire lives. They want to spend this next chapter doing other things with their time.”