01/08/09

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Florida in brief

Orlando

Business park rises in Ocoee
During a time when many commercial developers are taking a "wait and see" strategy, developer William Alexander Brown has unveiled plans to construct a multi-purpose development in Ocoee. The 100-acre Ocoee Business Park will feature commercial, office and industrial space.

Situated near State Road 429, the development is near an existing railway line that will serve its commercial and industrial tenants. Brown, who spent five years getting regulatory approval for the new development, has completed the park's first two buildings. One is leased, and the second is being marketed by Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors.

Fort Myers/Naples

Plans for Cape Coral Estate Homes
Southwest Florida's residential builders have been hit hard by the current market, but that's not stopping two Lee County developers from building 42 custom estate homes in Cape Coral.

Priced from $5 million, the Tarpon Estates gated community is under construction in the Tarpon Point Marina development. It is being built by Naples-based BCB Homes and developed by Harry Albright Jr. of Fort Myers and Kim Wallace of Cape Coral.

The community features docks that can accommodate 100-foot-long boats, quick access to the Gulf of Mexico and homes ranging from 4,200 to 20,000 square feet. One "entry-level" home has been built so far, priced at $4.95 million.

Sarasota

Older homes rebuilt to be green
On a mission to preserve the existing architecture and look of neighborhoods in Sarasota County, Stephen Ellis and Grant Castilow recently started MyGreenBuildings. The company rebuilds existing homes to meet green standards and practices, using sustainable and renewable materials and energy-efficient design.

"It's about working with the existing infrastructure, instead of tearing it all down," says Ellis, co-founder of the Sarasota-based firm, which is building a new home on Lido Key in "Sarasota School Style," or, mid-century modern architecture. Construction of the 2,000-square-foot home will incorporate various sustainable methods and techniques, according to Ellis.

"Everyone is building these McMansions, and we feel that our generation really needs to be more fascinated by the concept of conservation," says Ellis. Other projects include gutting and rebuilding a residence on Siesta Key, and turning a 1,000-square-foot, postwar dwelling into a 2,000-square-foot energy-efficient home. The latter was ranked as the second-highest rated sustainable home in Florida by the Florida Green Building Coalition.