Babcock Ranch
History
An Innovative History
Inspired by a bold vision and deep respect for the land, Babcock Ranch’s creation was led by Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, to become America’s first solar-powered town. Honoring the heritage of Southwest Florida while embracing innovation, its founding enabled the largest preservation land purchase in Florida’s history and the creation of the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve.
An Inspired Vision
Today, half of the town’s 18,000 acres are dedicated to greenways, parks, and lakes. From water-conserving landscapes to energy-efficient homes and solar fields that produce more clean power than the town consumes, every element reflects a pioneering model of sustainable living — one that respects the past while building a resilient future.
Community Milestones
- 1800s
Late 1800sPerry Wadsworth McAdow of Fergus County, Montana purchased the land that is now Babcock Ranch. His family called their new home Crescent B Ranch.
- 1910s1914
Edward Babcock, a Pittsburgh lumber magnate and politician, bought the 91,000-acre Crescent B Ranch, renamed it Babcock Ranch, and from here ran his family’s timber business.
- 1930s1930s
Fred Babcock, Edward’s son, managed the property and its many operations, establishing the cattle ranching and stewardship that has become synonymous with Babcock Ranch.
- 20062006
Kitson & Partners purchased the 91,000-acre Babcock Ranch, selling 73,000 acres back to the state in Florida’s largest preservation deal — a landmark step in proving preservation and development can work together.
- 20152015
Over the next decade, Kitson & Partners advanced environmental commitments, including a weir system to restore wetlands and flow ways. By 2015, infrastructure work was underway, highlighted by Florida Power & Light’s Solar Energy Center, with 300,000 panels generating 74.5MW — making Babcock Ranch America’s first solar-powered town.
- 20162016
Groundbreaking begins on Founder’s Square, Babcock Neighborhood School, and model homes in Lake Timber, the first neighborhood.
Summer
The nonprofit, Babcock Ranch Foundation is established to support community and regional initiatives. - 20172017
January
The FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center goes online, powering the town with clean energy.March
Founder’s Square opens with the first Founder’s Festival, drawing 15,000 visitors. The Discovery Center debuts, and builders welcome guests into the first model homes.August
Babcock Neighborhood School opens for grades K–6, offering a STEAM-focused curriculum just steps from home. - 20182018
January
First residents move into Lake Timber. Slater’s and The Hatchery open in Founder’s Square.March
Hometown Grand Opening draws thousands. Solar Battery Storage project launches with the largest system of its kind in the U.S.April
Lee Health’s Healthy Life Center opens. Babcock Neighborhood School expands to K–8 in a new building.August
Babcock Ranch earns platinum certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition.December
Jack Peeples Park opens with courts, fields, and playgrounds. Lee Physicians Group offices open in Founder’s Square. - 20192019
Babcock Ranch surpasses 500 homes sold.
January
Bloom Academy opens in Founder’s Square with daycare and Pre-K.December
FPL adds a second solar array with 10MW storage, boosting capacity to 150MW and 650,000 panels. - 20202020
Babcock Ranch debuts on RCLCO and John Burns’ Top 50 master-planned communities list.
January
Dr. Bill Hammond Trails open, honoring the ecologist who shaped Babcock’s sustainability vision.February
Babcock National’s 18-hole Gordon Lewis golf course opens; Publix-anchored Crescent B Commons breaks ground.December
Babcock Ranch surpasses 1,000 homes sold. - 20212021
Babcock Ranch rises into the Top 20 of RCLCO and John Burns’ rankings.
January
Cypress Lodge, Innovation Park, and Innovation Tower open, adding lakeside recreation and community spaces.September
Crescent B Commons debuts with Publix, restaurants, and neighborhood conveniences. - 20222022
February
Babcock Ranch surpasses 2,000 homes sold.August
Babcock High School and the multi-use Field House open, adding education, sports, and event space.December
The Field House earns ICC 500 certification as a certified emergency shelter. - 20232023
October
Grand opening of six new residential neighborhoods in MidTown.November
Babcock Ranch partners with Tampa General Hospital to bring a 6,500-square-foot TGH Urgent Care to The Shoppes at Yellow Pine. - 20242024
April
The Solar Ranch Eco-Discovery Center opens in partnership with FPL.July
The Shoppes at Yellow Pine fully lease 120,000 sq. ft.; The Flatwoods rental neighborhood opens.August
Bark Park opens as the first of six PKWY parks. Bloom Academy expands with a new Cypress Commons campus.September
The William & Mary Ann Smith Sports Complex opens beside Babcock Neighborhood School.November
Hillcrest Park, Bluebird Park, and The Lagoon debut in The PKWY.December
Palmetto Park opens in The PKWY. - 20252025
February
Explorers Park opens in The PKWY.May
First wave of shops and restaurants open in The Shoppes at Yellow Pine.
Roots in Preservation and Partnership
Spanning Charlotte and Lee counties near Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was named after Edward Vose Babcock, who purchased the land in 1914. For decades it supported logging and agriculture, uses that still fund the Babcock Ranch Preserve today.
In 2006, the Florida Legislature established the Babcock Ranch Preserve Act, creating the state’s first preserve required to generate its own funding through a public-private partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.
A Model for Sustainable Development
Occupying land in both Charlotte and Lee counties near Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was named after Edward Vose Babcock, a lumber baron and mayor of Pittsburgh (1918-1922), who purchased the land in 1914. The land’s primary use was logging and agriculture, and those uses continue to generate funds for the maintenance and operation of the Babcock Rench Preserve. The Babcock Ranch Preserve Act, enacted by the Florida Legislature in 2006, made it the first Florida preserve responsible for generating its funding under a public-private management partnership that includes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.
When Babcock proposed the 17,000-acre master planned community in 2006, many organizations worked to secure legislative approval for what still stands as the largest conservation purchase in state history. Sierra Club was the only conservation organization to file legal action seeking a stronger commitment to clean energy and wildlife protection, which in the end evolved into a collaborative relationship between Babcock and the Sierra Club, and the settlement of the case. That settlement provided several unique features, including the best technology to reduce water consumption and other environmental impacts; a smaller overall project footprint; wildlife, wildlife habitat, and wildlife corridor protection; and nearly 800 acres of land in the North Babcock Conservation Area set aside for the solar fields that now power Babcock Ranch. The result is Babcock Ranch today, a model for sustainable, environmentally responsible development. Sierra Club remains a close partner.
