Lakewood Ranch

For the better part of a decade, Lakewood Ranch has consistently been considered one of the best master-planned communities in all of the United States, ranking as the second best-selling community in the country since 2018 and the best for multi-generational households during the same period. Much of the community’s success and popularity can be attributed to the direct vision of its parent company: Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, or SMR for short, whose roots date back to the turn of the 20th century.

In 1905, John Schroeder, a lumber mill owner from Wisconsin, purchased a 45-acre plot of land in what is now part of Manatee County for the purpose of harvesting timber. This property would be the site of his newly formed Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. In need of additional wood for his mills, Schroeder continued to buy surrounding parcels of land until he owned a nearly 50-square-mile tract of land. After his death and company’s acquisition by his sons, Schroeder’s business failed to find much success, despite attempts at expanding into other ventures such as furniture and children’s toys. In 1922, in need of money, his sons sold the property in Florida to the Uihlein (pronounced ee-line) family, friends of theirs from back home in Milwaukee. Despite the new ownership, the Uihleins kept the name of the company the same, which remains to this day.

For nearly 70 years after, SMR still continued to be used for timber harvesting, as well as growing citrus, cattle, and mining. Not until 1977, when discussions of building a new airport further east at SMR were being held, were there real considerations for developing the land into a community for people to live. In the early 1980’s, SMR’s board members designed a proposal for a development called Cypress Banks, which would consist of mainly condominiums, three golf courses, and a resort hotel over a span of 1,800 acres. This design was shelved for nearly a decade until 1989, when Cypress Banks was finally approved by Manatee County.

And yet, it never came to completion, due to the state of the real estate market at the time. It wasn’t until 1991 that the first efforts to develop the area were made, which came in the form of the Sarasota Polo Club. With University Parkway – the main road running through SMR – getting paved soon after, land east of I-75 became more accessible, and in 1995 the first major neighborhood in Lakewood Ranch, named Summerfield, was built. Focused on affordable housing, Summerfield became popular among the middle class, something its developer Roger Postlethwaite – who came up with the name “Lakewood Ranch” and also developed The Meadows nearby in Sarasota – envisioned as the start of the new community, with plans to expand to higher end properties soon after.

Today, Lakewood Ranch consists of over 40 different neighborhoods spanning both Manatee and Sarasota County and offers several housing options for any price budget, from condominiums and townhomes, to single family homes and country club manors. Lakewood Ranch is also home to multiple town centers, including UTC – home to UTC Mall, Market Square, and Lakewood Ranch’s “downtown” on Main Street – Waterside Place, and The Green, which both boast their own shopping districts. Some of the area’s best golf can also be found here as well, with five premier courses in the development: Azario, Esplanade, Lakewood National, Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, and The Ritz-Carlton. The community also offers plenty of recreational activities, with three county parks, nine community parks, and over 150 miles of trails. Along with several conservation areas aimed at preserving Florida’s natural wildlife and eradicating invasive flora and fauna, nearly 40% of Lakewood Ranch is designated “green” area. With so much to offer and housing for any price point, it’s no wonder this community is considered one of the best in the country.