Last year, when Hurricane Ian knocked out power to 2.6 million Floridians, a master-planned community called Babcock Ranch made international headlines for being the only town in southwest Florida that kept the lights on — thanks to the nearby solar array that powers its 2,000 homes.
Here in Central Florida, Tavistock Development Co. is embracing solar as a key component of Sunbridge, a 27,000-acre community now in development in northeast Osceola County. The developer best known for the wildly successful Lake Nona community in southeast Orlando approved deed restrictions for its Weslyn Park neighborhood that mandates all homes must have a solar rooftop system, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.
The five builders active now in Phase 1 of Weslyn Park, which has 577 homes, are working exclusively with Tesla to offer the minimum required 4.25 kW photo voltaic system. Rob Adams, vice president of development, said that system alone should reduce homeowners’ electric bills by about $60 per month.
Tavistock’s Sunbridge project is the first master-planned community in the Orlando market to require solar roof systems and wood frame construction on all homes.
Read the original story at Orlando Sentinel.
SAINT CLOUD, Fla. – Developer Tavistock is working on a new project called “Sunbridge.” The 27,000-acre property features homes being built with solar panels right from the start, that provide power to the house, and if the homeowner wants it, a battery backup in case the power goes out.
Mayra Pelaez is just moving into her new home in the Sunbridge Weslyn Park subdivision. “Oh, we’re so excited! Really excited!” she said, “We moved from New York last year, and finally we’re moving to the new home!”
Hers is one of nearly 600 new homes that’s going up in this part of the Sunbridge development project, in northern Osceola County, southeast of Orlando. “We are truly developing Sunbridge and completely re-looking at how you can build a community that preserves and protects our environment for future generations,” said Jessi Blakley, a vice president at Tavistock.
The whole plan will eventually hold nearly 23,000 single-family homes and 13,000 multifamily residences. Tavistock said each home is built to high environmental standards, including the solar panels and wiring that provides a minimum of 4.25 kw of electricity right from the start.
“It’s amazing,” Pelaez said, “it’s not having to deal with buying solar panels and not knowing what to do, the house comes with solar panels. Now we’re getting into a new car, which is going to be electric, so it helps a lot. And it’s also good for the environment.”
Construction in the Weslyn Park community started in Spring of 2021. Tavistock said building-out the entire Sunbridge project is going to be a multi-decade process. Susan Caswell, Osceola County Sustainability Director, said Sunbridge is a good fit for their development goals because of its sustainable character. “To have a developer providing that from the start is just a tremendous advantage for the community.”
Read the original story at Fox35.
One of the best things about Sunbridge is that there’s a home for every family. Whether you’re looking to downsize after an empty nest, need room to grow, or just starting your journey, you’ll find what you’re looking for in Sunbridge.
For first-time homebuyers, Sunbridge is special. With so many homes and plans to choose from, we’re dedicated to helping you find your perfect place to suit your lifestyle and family. Our welcoming community is a great place to plant your roots.
The flip side: The idea of owning and maintaining an entire property can be overwhelming and stressful. To ease your mind, we’ve outlined these tips to feel more prepared for the process and make those first years in your first home first-rate.
- Get to know your neighbors: Getting to know your neighbors is an excellent way to build a sense of community and feel more connected to the place where you live. They may be able to tell you about Sunbridge’s community events, as well as recommend restaurants and other local stores. Chatting up your neighbors can also enhance security in the area: when you know and trust the people who live around you, you’re more likely to look out for each other and keep an eye on each other’s property.
- Make room in your monthly budget for home repairs: While you might not use it every month, it’s a good idea to set aside some money monthly for home repairs. Buying a new home in Sunbridge generally means a warranty that will take care of many issues, but eventually those fixes will be up to you. With a cushion of savings specifically for home maintenance and repairs, those costly expenses won’t feel so daunting.
- Learn the lingo of your homeowner’s insurance policy: Find a cozy chair and get comfortable with the homeowner’s insurance plan you pay into each month. Now that the dust has settled on your closing and you can look at the policy with fresh eyes, review each paragraph and jot down any questions you might have for your agent.
- Dig in to your landscaping plan: Each home in Sunbridge is made for enjoyment of the outdoors. Now that you’re officially moved in, having a plan for what your landscaping will look like in each season is a good idea. You should get to know what plants are in your yard and how to care for them properly to keep them – and your home – looking their best. Click here to learn more about the Native Landscaping efforts in Sunbridge.
- If you live in the Weslyn Park neighborhood and have a love for gardening, you might want to get reserve a plot in the community garden! This can be a great way to tend plants that might not be a fit for your home’s landscaping in a dedicated space. Click here for more information.
- Maximize your home’s efficiency by following a home maintenance schedule: While your new home in Sunbridge is designed to be both efficient and environmentally friendly, you’ll still need to keep up with annual, quarterly and monthly maintenance to keep it functioning at its peak. A home checklist can help you stay organized with tasks you’ll need to complete and when, like changing HVAC filters, making appliance repairs, flushing tub and sink drains, inspecting electrical connections and testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. By keeping up with these tasks, you’ll ensure your home stays as efficient and eco-friendly as it was designed to be.
Your home is a special place where you’ll make long-lasting memories with family, friends, and neighbors. Armed with these tips, you’ll be prepared as you begin your homeownership journey to enjoy both your home and community for years to come.
Native landscaping is a growing trend in the world of housing development and homeownership, and for good reason. With a focus on using locally sourced and indigenous plants, this approach offers numerous benefits to both the environment and the community. From its inception, Sunbridge was an early adopter and thought-leader of this philosophy, dedicating its public spaces to utilizing native plants and trees as often as possible and setting the standard for homeowners to do the same through education and modeling.
As stewards of Florida’s natural lands, Sunbridge is committed to benefitting our community and our planet through sustainable and environmentally conscious landscaping. The use of predominantly native plants preserves the beauty of biodiversity, is low-maintenance, yields high-impact results, and enhances our sense of place within Florida’s larger ecosystem.
Native Landscaping: Good for the Birds, the Bees and Everyone In Between
Because native plants and trees are indigenous to the area where they’re planted, they’ve evolved and adapted to the local climate and growing conditions. Here in Florida, that means hot, humid summers and temperate, dry winters. The benefits of using these plants extend widely, as they are already an integral part of the local ecosystem.
- Lower maintenance costs: Native plants are well adapted to local climates and soil conditions, reducing the need for frequent watering, fertilizing, and other maintenance practices.
- Increased biodiversity: Using native plants supports the natural ecosystem, attracting and nourishing native wildlife, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
- Improved water conservation: Through their adaptation to local climate, these plants and trees require less water, making them an ideal choice for water-scarce regions or seasons, like Central Florida’s mostly-dry winter and spring.
- Reduced pesticide use: Evolving natural defenses against local pests gives these plants a reduced need for pesticides and other chemical treatments.
- Extreme weather resistance: In regions where certain extreme weather events occur, including hurricanes and heat waves, these plants have evolved greater resistance to these conditions.
- Erosion control: Native plants also prevent soil erosion and restore soil health through their natural living processes.
Sunbridge Residents See First-Hand Benefits of Native Landscaping
Sunbridge’s guiding priority is simple: to honor our land’s heritage and preserve it as a refuge for fauna, flora, and all those who feel as passionate about it as we do. For this reason, we take that responsibility seriously in building a sustainable and ecologically conscious community. Native landscaping is one way we keep our promise to the land. We are also firm believers in the tangible benefits this commitment yields.
Water management is one major challenge for developers, which requires thoughtful solutions that preserve the precious resource. Native plants do just that, requiring less water to thrive in their locations, and adaptation to our sandy soil conditions. In this way, Sunbridge is able to enrich the ecosystem, without drawing additional water resources to support it: a win-win.
Using local plants also grants an area a sense of place, meaning that the plants and trees used to landscape an area can make the area feel more authentic and connected to its environment. In Sunbridge, that’s one of the major reasons we choose to use native plants wherever possible — we want our residents to feel at home, and that home is Central Florida. There’s nowhere like Sunbridge, and there’s no place like Central Florida.
On top of these benefits, as the housing market turns to more sustainable living options and enhancements, home owners will see added value to their property thanks to Sunbridge’s dedication to using predominantly native plants and trees.
In Sunbridge, Native Landscaping Is the Standard
Beyond all the benefits, Sunbridge is committed to being a good steward of our land and highlighting the beauty of Central Florida’s natural landscape. We’ve developed resources for residents and community members to carry out these standards and improve their properties through their use.
While the trend grows in development projects, Sunbridge is proud to be a leader in these efforts to make our community both more sustainable and more beautiful.
On February 13, Osceola County Public Schools and Gilbane Building Company broke ground on the first community K-8 school, scheduled to open in Sunbridge’s Weslyn Park neighborhood for the 2024-2025 school year. The school will have capacity for more than 1,400 students and 150 staff members when it opens in the summer of 2024.
The new school will have a stand-alone gymnasium, parent and bus loops and covered canopies for parking. Student athletics will benefit from a 400-meter running track, soccer field, two exterior basketball courts and other athletic amenities.
“The groundbreaking for this new school signifies our communities joining together by investing in the lives of our children and their future,” said Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace.
That unity will be evident in the school’s curriculum, as students will learn the essentials of sustainable and eco-friendly living in tandem with their academics. In her comments, Dr. Pace said that the Weslyn Park K-8 School will “complement the vision that Tavistock has for protecting and honoring the tradition of the land in the Sunbridge community” through the curriculum programming and the design and construction of the school.
Sunbridge is excited to welcome students and their families to the new Weslyn Park K-8 School for the 2024-2025 school year!
So much of our time is spent within four walls — at home, at work, at school — it’s time to get outside and get some fresh air!
Being outside has loads of health benefits, both mental and physical. Enjoying nature relaxes us, helps us stay present in the moment, helps us connect to family and friends, and keeps us grounded and aware of the natural beauty around us.
Here in Sunbridge, being outside and enjoying the fresh Florida air and glorious sunshine is in our DNA, and we encourage our residents to make it part of theirs too. There’s nature all around us, and here in the sunshine state we’re lucky to enjoy it all year round. Here are our favorite five ways to do it.
1. Hike or bike a trail.
There are more than 1,300 existing recreational trails in the state of Florida, including two miles that start at the trailhead at Basecamp, our information center. Walking a nature trail is one of the easiest ways to take in the native flora and spot some local four-, six- and eight-legged locals.
Pro tip: Florida’s tall live oaks provide much-needed shade, but it’s still important to protect your skin against the sun. Wear breathable fabrics and apply sunscreen and bug spray before leaving your parking spot. Once on the trail, you won’t need to bring much, but a full water bottle is essential, and a walking stick can help you get through sandy sections of trail a bit easier!
2. Plant Something.
Helping a plant or tree to grow is one of life’s great joys, and a productive way to spend time outside while providing food and habitat for local creatures like bees and birds. Gardening is a rewarding hobby, too, where you’ll see the literal “fruits” of your labor with lots of love and care!
Pro tip: Native plants do best under Florida’s hot sun, rainy summer and dry winters, so refer to Sunbridge’s Native Landscape Guide, or visit Basecamp, for information on which species will do best.
3. Host an outdoor activity.
When weather permits — may we suggest Central Florida’s cool, dry December through February timeframe? — hosting a picnic, pick-up sports game or community bike ride is a great way to connect with family, friends and neighbors. In Sunbridge, our community parks are the perfect gathering spots for these outings, or join us for a community event like a yoga on the green or seasonal festival.
4. Try a new water sport.
Kayaking, paddle-boarding, canoeing — water sports are a great way to work out and stay cool. Florida is jam-packed with plenty of opportunities to try a new water sport, as the area’s waterways are often lined with rental spots where you can try them out without an upfront investment in gear. In addition to having these opportunities soon in Sunbridge, we’re also less than an hour from some of Central Florida’s most beautiful springs where the water is clear, cool, and you might just see a manatee or two.
Pro tip: Never kayak, paddleboard or canoe alone. Use the buddy system to stay safe!
5. Get grounded.
Move your yoga or meditation practice to the fresh air. Whether you’re setting up your mat in our weekly yoga sessions at Basecamp or in your backyard, mindfulness and movement is better outside where you can focus on the sounds and smells in nature while paying attention to your breath. Bring your journal outside for some extra space to allow your mind to wander to new ideas, goals and settling thoughts.
Because Sunbridge is designed to help you live your best life in the company of Central Florida’s natural beauty and environment, it’s the best place to enjoy the outdoors. There are plenty of other ways to take in the sights, so hop aboard a bike, hit the trails and keep your eyes open for more opportunities for outdoor adventure along the way.
Welcome to the Sunbridge Builder Spotlight Series: A look at the best-in-class builders turning our vision of Living Florida into reality. These homes blend classic Florida architecture with innovative and energy-efficient upgrades; in this piece, we take a deep dive into the owner-centric styles of Pulte Homes.
Pulte Homes knows what it means to build homes with the homeowner in mind. Intelligent, personalized home designs perfected by their 70-year legacy has allowed this builder to create features that let you make the most of every moment. Simply put, you can do more in a Pulte home, because they’ve built in all the ways to get more out of life.
These homes give you the power to do more and that’s More Life Built In®.
Every square foot is thoughtfully designed—think of a lifestyle that is happier (and easier), with resident-centric elements like maximized storage, flexible floorplans, dedicated entertainment space, and the ability to truly personalize your home. From their interactive floorplan tool that lets you customize the home’s layout, to their professional design studio with experts to guide you along the way, your new home will end up being uniquely yours. Plus, Pulte Homes are fitted with a deep list of features for the future, including USB outlets in the walls, hard-wired internet outlets, and enhanced wifi design to support your biggest needs.
It’s the kind of seamless integration Pulte Homes is building at Sunbridge, where Florida’s natural environment lives in harmony with innovative, tech-forward features (like solar power that comes standard in Weslyn Park). And their quality is backed by more than just 70 years of experience.
Pulte Homes offers a slate of four core home designs on 45-foot lots that begin in the $500,000s.
Home Plans 4
Bedrooms 2-5
Bathrooms 2-3.5
Floors 1-2 Stories
Price Range Starting in the mid $500,000’s
Pulte Homes is here to build a brighter future, making an impact in our Naturehood—where home designs feel ingrained with the environment.
For more information about Pulte Homes available in the community, please click here for an interactive listing map! For more information regarding our builders, please click here.
Welcome to the Sunbridge Builder Spotlight Series: A look at the best-in-class builders turning our vision of Living Florida into reality. These homes blend classic Florida architecture with innovative and energy-efficient upgrades; in this piece, we take a deep dive into the heritage and culture of David Weekley Homes.
David Weekley Homes (DWH) has cemented a reputation for personalized homes built around a few core values: choice, service, experience, and design. In a David Weekley home, LifeDesign℠ comes first. The concept focuses on maximizing space to live larger, focusing on form and function through sight lines, traffic patterns, room placement, and lighting.
DWH constructed the first model home in Sunbridge, and offers two key product lines—an alley-loaded home on a 34-foot homesite and a front-loaded home on a 50-foot homesite; with prices starting in the $500,000s.
These are homes built for Florida’s demanding environment, using EnergySaver construction methods that are 39% more efficient than homes built as recently as 2006. Because the homes use a wood frame construction, the builder has more flexibility in resizing and relocating windows during design—just one of the ways DWH works to incorporate the LifeDesign concept into each home.
Home Plans 7
Bedrooms 3-5
Bathrooms 2-4.5
Floors 1-2 Stories
Price Range Starting from the mid $400’s
David Weekley Homes bring unmistakable innovation and imagination to Sunbridge—a true Naturehood, where Florida’s natural environment thrives in lockstep with Metro Orlando.
For more information about David Weekley Homes available in the community, please click here for an interactive listing map! For more information regarding our builders, please click here.
Welcome to the Sunbridge Builder Spotlight Series: A look at the best-in-class builders turning our vision of Living Florida into reality. These homes blend classic Florida architecture with innovative and energy-efficient upgrades; in this piece, we take a deep dive into the Toll Brothers’ top-of-the-line homes.
Toll Brothers—a publicly-traded FORTUNE 500 Company with more than 50 years of experience crafting luxury homes—makes excellence a daily habit.
Toll Brothers was named the World’s Most Admired Homebuilder in FORTUNE magazine’s 2022 survey of the World’s Most Admired Companies® seven times, has been honored as national Builder of the Year by BUILDER magazine, and was twice named national Builder of the Year by Professional Builder magazine. The Company sets impeccable standards from coast to coast with homes in over 60 markets and 24 states. And still, Toll Brothers knows Florida, with properties in more than nine Sunshine State cities.
Touting expertise that bleeds into a wide array of distinct architectural styles, each and every Toll Brothers home is outfitted to fit your lifestyle; the luxury of choice is universal, beginning with a hands-on Design Studio experience, guided by a personal design consultant.
With a dedication to building homes in the most desired locations, they’ll fit right in at Sunbridge, where the community thrives in harmony with the lush natural landscape.
Here in Weslyn Park, they offer homes exclusively built on 60-foot lots, with five floorplans available: the Ivey, Larue, Bunnell, Davey, and Glen. Starting in the $600,000s and ranging up to six bedrooms, these homes are built to grow with you—featuring solar power as standard, three-car garage space, spa-like bathrooms, and expansive flex space to fit your needs.
Home Plans 5
Bedrooms 3-6
Bathrooms 2.5-5.5
Floors 1-2 Stories
Price Range Begin $600,000s
We’re proud to work with some of the region’s best and most respected builders—Toll Brothers brings a proven track record of award-winning standards to our community, where Florida’s natural environment thrives in lockstep with Metro Orlando.
For more information about Toll Brothers homes available in the community, please click here for an interactive listing map! For more information regarding our builders, please click here.
Welcome to the Sunbridge Builder Spotlight Series: A look at the best-in-class builders turning our vision of Living Florida into reality. These homes blend classic Florida architecture with innovative and energy-efficient upgrades; in this piece, we take a deep dive into the future-forward designs of Craft Homes.
Building a Vibrant Tomorrow with Craft Homes
Craft Homes builds for the future, and for the past 30 years, they’ve shaped the look and feel of Central Florida’s most innovative communities—with homes in Lake Nona’s Laureate Park, Summerdale Park, and now in Sunbridge.
Featuring modern homes that harness the charm of Florida’s vibrant ecosystem, Craft Homes brings an impressive mix of designs to Sunbridge. Between the luxury, low-maintenance townhome designs and newly-designed single-family homes, the varied models fall into four distinct classes: the Townhome Series, the Frontier Series, the Botanic Series, and the Traverse Series.
Home Plans 15
Bedrooms 3-5
Bathrooms 2-5.5
Floors 1-2 Stories
Price Range Begin from $500,000s
Home Plans 3
Bedrooms 3-4
Bathrooms 2.5-3
Floors 2 Stories
Price Range Begin from $400,000s
We’re creating something special here—Craft Homes fits into that vibrant picture of tomorrow with modern homes that feel rooted in the Florida lifestyle—and this Naturehood is where Florida’s natural environment is destined to thrive in lockstep with Metro Orlando.
For more information about Craft Homes available in the community, please click here for an interactive listing map! For more information regarding our builders, please click here.