Downtown Babcock Ranch will be the heart and soul of the town designed to foster the personal connection, personal well-being and lifelong learning opportunities that are the core of the town’s way of life.
Places of learning and exploration, a wellness center, restaurants, specialty retail shops, a locally grown produce market, and indoor and outdoor gathering places will convey a comforting Main Street ambiance that invites the town’s residents to come as they are and enjoy all that downtown offers.
Founder’s Square
In all, there will be about 70,000 square feet of commercial space clustered around the lakefront park called Founder’s Square. That’s the equivalent of more than a football field and it will be open to the public because there are no gates at Babcock Ranch.
Founder’s Square will anchor the downtown area and expand southward in future phases. Community events will bring people to the park to enjoy concerts in the band shell or stroll along the boardwalks. Children can play in the splash fountains while their parents relax under shade structures. You can take a virtual tour of Founders Square at http://view.mylumion.com/?p=vdgtvzs4.
Designed by Harvard Jolly Architects and built by Skanska, the buildings will have solar roofs that orient to maximize solar-energy collection. The first building will be a family friendly, farm-to-table lakeside restaurant, located on the west side of the lakefront park.
Woodlea Hall: Babcock’s Information Center
The next building will be Babcock Ranch’s discovery center, Woodlea Hall, where prospective residents can learn about the community using interactive tools and find out about the benefits of living in the solar-powered town. It will also serve as the offices for developer Kitson & Partners.
Health & Wellness at Babcock Ranch
Hikers, paddlers, birders and other outdoor enthusiasts will love the new outfitter store. Residents and visitors can get the latest gear to explore Babcock Ranch’s 50 miles of trails or paddle across its freshwater lakes.
For those who prefer to exercise indoors, a health and wellness center will anchor the east side of Founder’s Square. To cool off afterwards, they can relax and meet friends and family at the market café and ice cream shop.
Coworking Opportunities
To inspire entrepreneurs, downtown Babcock Ranch will be home to The Hatchery. The collaborative business incubator will offer open office space where entrepreneurs can meet and collaborate. In addition, there will be space to host speakers on a variety of business topics for continuous learning.
Babcock Neighborhood School
In the fall, Babcock Neighborhood School will open. The free public charter school will welcome its first students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The eco-focused Babcock Ranch development provides the ideal foundation for a student-centered education built on active learning, collaboration and community. At the heart of the Babcock Neighborhood School’s curriculum will be a green STEAM educational program. The letters stand for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
For more information about living, working and playing in Babcock Ranch, contact us here or call (941) 235-6900.
