Pulte Group has officially put down roots on more than 400 acres of pastoral land in northeast Orange County where it will soon begin construction on Orlando’s first Agrihood community.
The homebuilder paid $10 million recently for what would be the first phase of a long-awaited and controversial project called The Grow.
The first phase will consist of 504 lots across a mix of housing types along with a nine-acre working farm, two barns, farm stand and restaurant/welcome center.
Upon completion by Pulte, The Grow will stretch across a total of 1,185 acres between Lake Pickett Road and State Road 50 with 2,078 residential lots and more than 165,000 square feet of commercial space. The working farm will serve as the community’s centerpiece.
In addition to a mix of attached and detached single-family homes, the project calls for 21 acres of community gardens, a 20-acre community park, 12 miles of recreational trails, an equestrian facility, edible landscaping, a street for farmers’ markets, and a farm-to-table restaurant, among other agricultural amenities.
Pulte’s acquisition covers 407 acres in total on the southern portion of the site.
Before Pulte took over the deed, the land was owned by an entity led by Dwight Saathoff. Saathoff, owner of Project Finance & Development, has spent more than a decade trying to get all of the necessary approvals in place for The Grow.
Saathoff told GrowthSpotter the closing clears the way for the construction of 76 townhome units and 428 detached homes. Five of the homes will sit on lots as large as half an acre.
Construction of the first phase, which will also include the first of two large pool and cabana facilities, is expected to begin in late January, Saathoff said.
“This is a very unique project and we have labored over the design details extensively,” he said. “The team is very talented so we are really excited to actually see the translation of the drawings as built out in the field.”
While he has clearance from Orange County to build out some of the project, including the entire southern phase, other aspects are still awaiting a final OK.
For example, Saathoff and his team submitted an application to the county on Sept. 28 related to the internal farm and associated structures.
Saathoff said Pulte will be closing on an additional 395 approved lots in January.
In an earlier interview, Max Perlman, the VP of Land Acquisition for the Pulte’s Central Florida division, told GrowthSpotter his team is “grateful” to be a part of The Grow project.
GrowthSpotter previously reported that the project will have a mix of architectural styles and product types with lots ranging in size from 32 feet to one-acre.
Townhomes are planned to be between 1,600 and 1,900 square feet with 3-4 bedrooms while detached homes will range in size from 1,600 to over 5,000 square feet.
VHB and Jim Hall with HallDSI are the community planners for the subdivision plans. VHB also serves as the civil engineer on the project. Bio-Tech Consulting Inc. is handling environmental affairs and Allen & Company is the surveyor.
The project team also includes Longwood-based landscape architect Dix.Hite+Partners.
The Urban Land Institute defines Agrihoods as “single-family, multifamily, or mixed-use communities built with a working farm or community garden as a focus.
ULI estimates that there are more than 200 agrihoods across the United States, spanning at least 30 states, from rural communities to major cities.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407)-800-1161 or dwyatt@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Read More: Pulte closes on 407 acres for The Grow, Orlando’s first Agrihood – Orlando