Kitson & Partners Announces Grocery-Anchored Shopping Center at Babcock Ranch

Kitson & Partners has announced plans for Crescent B Commons, an 85,600-square-foot shopping center anchored by a major grocery store at a new entrance to America’s first solar-powered town, Babcock Ranch.

Located just northeast of Fort Myers on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31 and Cypress Parkway, the project will be anchored by a 51,447-square-foot grocery store with a drive-thru pharmacy.

Three available outparcels totaling 14,653 square feet are suitable for retail or restaurants. The estimated opening date for the center is first quarter 2021.

“We’re looking forward to offering Babcock Ranch residents the conveniences of additional services and shopping,” said Thomas Hoban, president, and CIO of Kitson & Partners, developers of Babcock Ranch. “We also are planning an autonomous vehicle pick up and drop off area to provide additional convenience for Babcock Ranch residents.”

“Crescent B Commons will align with the Babcock Ranch vision and vernacular style,” said Hoban. “The shopping center will present two unique, distinct outdoor seating areas so shoppers can enjoy the area’s natural beauty.”

The shopping center offers in-line leasing opportunities for 18,200 square feet of space and an attractive bay configuration with 20 feet of frontage and 65 feet of bay depth.

Babcock Ranch was created by Kitson & Partners with respect for the natural environment and the philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand in hand. Half of the town’s 18,000-acre footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Founder’s Square downtown district.

Emphasizing a front-porch lifestyle to nurture a sense of community, Babcock Ranch promotes healthy living through a walkable community plan with 50 miles of planned biking and hiking trails, the 4.5-acre Jack Peeples Park with tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, interconnected lakes for paddling enthusiasts, a robust calendar of exercise classes, and the Healthy Life Center managed by Lee Health at Founder’s Square, with health club facilities, nutrition counseling, therapeutic services, and medical offices.

Table & Tap restaurant, Slater’s Goods & Provisions, Square Scoops Coffee & Creamery, Curry Creek Outfitters, and Babcock Neighborhood School welcomed the greater community to Founder’s Square even before the arrival of the town’s first residents. Founder’s Square is also home to Bloom Academy, offering infant care through VPK, and The Hatchery and Hive co-working classroom and meeting spaces.

A sprawling downtown park offers a lakefront bandshell, boardwalk, covered pavilions, and charging stations for electronics, including cars. An autonomous shuttle – part of the town’s mobility plan – provides transportation between homes and Founder’s Square. And with plans to expand into On Demand services, goods delivery, and hourly/daily car rentals within the next year, Babcock Ranch will continue offering compelling mobility solutions that reduce the need for car ownership in the new town.

Babcock Ranch has eight homebuilders offering more than 50 home designs for nearly every lifestyle, from condominiums to villas to single-family estates ranging from 1,107 to 5,000 square feet.

Homes appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees alike, with prices ranging from the $190,000s to $1 million. Homes are built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, emphasizing energy and water conservation, and offer a full gigabyte of fiber-optic connectivity.

Twenty-five model and quick-delivery homes are now open or under construction by Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Florida Lifestyle Homes, Fox Premier Builders, Lennar, Pulte Homes, Solara Homes by Banroc, and Stock Classic Homes. Many models are open for viewing daily.

Babcock National, a new golf and country club community within Babcock Ranch, will feature more than 18 of Lennar’s most popular home designs. A mix of multi-family and single-family homes, including condominiums, luxury coach homes, executive homes, and estate-style designs, will incorporate innovative design details and Lennar’s signature Everything’s Included® program that provides customers with a high level of standard features already included in the home price. Homes at Babcock National start in the $190,000s.