People to Watch: Tracking builders Diggs, Rooney, Kitson
They are all framing and building communities – but in their own ways. Syd Kitson, Francis Rooney and Derrick Diggs were named The News-Press People to Watch for 2017 because of the challenges and opportunities awaiting them. The News-Press editorial board is reviewing their work each quarter of this year, tracking how they are making a […]
Charlotte County community dubbed ‘City of the Future’
You’ll find solar trees throughout the heart of Babcock Ranch, and electric vehicle charging stations in every home. It’s out-of-the box ideas like these that are helping Babcock Ranch exceed the “city of the future’s” sustainable expectations. “We’ve accelerated past what even the original vision was,” said Babcock Ranch President Rick Severance. “I don’t think we’ve had […]
The Easiest Plants to Grow in a Neighborhood Garden
Dust off your gardening tools when you move to Babcock Ranch. That’s because our town’s developer, Kitson & Partners, has made neighborhood gardens an essential part of each community. If you’re new to the idea of neighborhood gardening, the concept is a collaborative greenspace in which the participants share in both the maintenance of the […]
Post Hurricane Irma Update
Hurricane Irma put our preparedness planning to a full-scale test before the first resident moves in and we are pleased to report our new town was up to the challenge. After allowing a week for employees to focus on their own homes and families, all Babcock Ranch offices and model homes re-opened Monday, September 18. […]
The Benefits of Solar Power
There’s a reason Florida is called the Sunshine State. So, it’s no surprise that Florida Power & Light has embarked on an ambitious plan to build a network of solar plants across the state. In Southwest Florida, it has collaborated with developer Kitson & Partners to build the Babcock Ranch Energy Center. The Babcock Ranch […]
Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Sustainable
You’ve read about sustainable communities such as Babcock Ranch, but how do you make your own home more sustainable? One definition of sustainability holds that residents can meet their current needs without compromising the next generation’s ability to satisfy their own needs at the expense of the environment. When it comes to your home, there […]
The Best Homebuilders in Florida
When developer Kitson & Partners started planning for the town of Babcock Ranch, the firm knew only the best homebuilders in Florida would be privileged to build there. That’s because Babcock Ranch is the nation’s first new town powered by solar energy. With this groundbreaking project, Kitson sought builders that would embrace the concepts of […]
Babcock Ranch Featured on The Weather Channel
Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, spoke to The Weather Channel about the effects of Hurricane Irma at Babcock Ranch. Listen to Syd as he talks about the history of Babcock Ranch, our solar fields, and the minimal impacts we felt from Hurricane Irma in September 2017. “The eye of the storm […]
Babcock Ranch setting a new standard for smart, sustainable growth
Solar-powered town garnering national, international attention Florida Weekly November 29, 2017 People across the nation are talking a lot about the need for responsible growth, sustainability and “smart cities.” But to find someone who is doing something about it – you have to travel to Southwest Florida. Babcock Ranch has been attracting national and international […]
Announcing Battery Storage at the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center
Babcock Ranch’s clean energy efforts were taken to the next level when FPL created the largest solar-plus-storage system operating in the U.S. today. Each of the ten large gray steel battery storage units at the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center can store 1 megawatt of power and discharge for 4 hours. The adjacent 440 […]
