Sarasota County’s newest master-planned communities. How do they differ?
Skye Ranch and Wellen Park are Sarasota County’s newest master-planned communities, but what exactly does each community offer its residents, and why are people moving to them? If you’re considering a soon relocation to Sarasota County, this page will help to give you a top-level overview of what each community provides as we compare and contrast them.
Community Size & Planned Home Sites
Skye Ranch, Sarasota’s newest master-planned community, is located in the middle of Sarasota County, 3.2 miles east of I-75 on Clark Rd (SR 72) at the intersection of Lorraine Road. First breaking ground in 2019, Skye Ranch spans 1,000 acres and will include 1,200 single family homes and 360 town homes. Pricing for Skye Ranch starts in the 300’s.
Wellen Park, located in the southernmost part of Sarasota County in the city of North Port, first broke ground in the mid-2000’s and began gaining traction in the mid 2010’s after the Great Recession. By comparison, Wellen Park is much larger in scale as it’s an 11,000 acre master-planned community and will have 22,000+ homes and 60,000 residents at full build out. Wellen Park has also been recognized as a top-selling master planned community nationwide in recent years as it was officially ranked as the #9 best-selling community in the U.S in 2023 and #5 in all of Florida (Ranked by RCL & Co.). Pricing for Wellen Park starts in the 300’s.
Resident Amenities
As Skye Ranch and Wellen Park are both new communities with many of its amenities currently being built out, let’s take a look at what each community has planned for its residents. Skye Ranch offers a 25,000 sq ft amenity center which will feature a resort-style swimming pool, a splash pad, a kid’s pool, a junior Olympic pool, a starry camp fire and an event lawn. Across from the new amenity center is Turner Park which will feature tennis, basketball, baseball & sand volleyball courts and provides access to the community’s 25+ miles of planned walking and fitness trails. For residents of the Esplanade subdivision, they will also have access to their own resort-style pool, bocce ball courts, pickle ball courts, fireside seating, a bark park and more.
Wellen Park, by comparison, as a much larger community in scope, features a centralized town center called Downtown Wellen which will provide for an active scene on-going community events around their 80-acre Grande Lake. Adjacent to the new Downtown Wellen is the new Publix-anchored Marketplace Shoppes which provides convenient dining and retail options. And just south of Downtown Wellen at the intersection of Playmore Road is the new Cool Today baseball park which is the new spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. Residents of Wellen Park also enjoy clubhouse, pool, tennis and other popular amenities within their own community subdivision.
School Zones & Districts
As Skye Ranch and Wellen Park are both located within Sarasota County, students within these communities utilize the top-rated Sarasota schools within their respective districts. For Skye Ranch, these include Lakeview Elementary, Sarasota Middle and Riverview High School. For Wellen Park, these include Taylor Ranch Elementary, Venice Middle and Venice High School. Also, due to the on-going population growth in the areas of these new communities, Sarasota County has now officially approved a new K-8 school at the intersection of Lorraine and Clark Roads (for Skye Ranch) as well as a new K-8 and high school to be built in Wellen Park.
Now that we have overviewed some of the main differences between these two communities, be sure to check out our Skye Ranch and Wellen Park community pages to view more photos, interactive maps and information about each respective community.
Map of Skye Ranch and Wellen Park
Skye Ranch
The new master-planned community of Skye Ranch in Sarasota is located 3.2 miles east of I-75 on Clark Rd (SR 72) at the intersection of Lorraine Road. This 1,000-acre, top-selling community first broke ground in April of 2019. When fully built-out, the Skye Ranch community will feature 1,200 single family homes and 360 town homes offering residents many amenities including community pools, recreational parks, dog parks and over 25 miles of fitness trails to explore. Skye Ranch has been specifically designed to preserve the natural beauty of Florida with its many nature preserve and wetland areas which are integrated throughout the community.
- Priced from the upper $300’s
- 1,000-acre master-planned community
- 1,200 homes are planned
- 360 town homes are planned
- 25+ Miles of walking & fitness trails (when complete)
- 25,000 Sq Ft amenity center
- Community park with tennis, basketball, baseball & volleyball courts
- Close proximity to I-75, Siesta Key Beach, shopping & dining!
Wellen Park
The top-selling, master-planned community of Wellen Park is located in south Sarasota county, just west of I-75, within the city limits of North Port. This 11,000-acre multi-generational community, accessible along US 41 and River Road, first broke ground in the mid-2000’s and began gaining traction in the mid-2010’s after the Great Recession. When fully built out, the community will have approximately 22,000 homes, more than 60,000 residents and offer a centralized town center with an active scene of community events for all to enjoy.
- Priced from the upper $300’s
- 11,000-Acre master-planned community
- 22,000+ homes are planned
- 60,000 residents at full buildout
- Single family, twin villas, townhomes, and coach homes available
- 18+ Miles of walking/fitness trails and growing
- Home of the new Cool Today Baseball Park
- A Vibrant Town Center will include shopping, dining and more!
- Will include an active scene of community events, concerts and farmers’ markets
