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    Author: SparkDev

    New music festival in Lakewood Ranch aims to ‘keep the legacy’ of Bradenton Blues Festival

    Posted on by SparkDev

    Disappointed Bradenton Blues Festival won’t return this year? A new Lakewood Ranch music festival will feature “blues artists from around the world.”

    Jimmy Geurts

    Sarasota Herald-Tribune

    Soon after the announcement that one of Sarasota-Manatee’s largest annual music festivals will not return this year, a new event featuring the former festival’s artistic director has been announced.

    The inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival will take place 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Waterside Park in Lakewood Ranch’s Sarasota County development Waterside Place, according to a press release. The new event comes after last month’s announcement that the Bradenton Blues Festival, which took place for 12 years at Bradenton’s Riverwalk (and, during the pandemic, LECOM Park) would be canceled.

    Entertainment company Independent Jones, whose president is Morgan Bettes Angell, and Paul E. Benjamin will partner on the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival. Benjamin was the artistic director of the Bradenton Blues Festival that was produced by nonprofit organization Realize Bradenton, whose founding director Johnette Isham died last year.

    “It was important to us to keep the legacy that was created by Johnette and Realize Bradenton alive,” Benjamin said in a statement. “Morgan Bettes Angell and I have teamed up to create a new festival: The Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival. After looking at a number of places we decided that Lakewood Ranch was the best place to host the event, which will draw in blues fans from across the world.”

    “The blues are like coming home for me,” Bettes Angell said in a statement. “The Bradenton Blues Festival was the first festival I was a part of producing. Now we’re excited to bring a world-class festival to Lakewood Ranch.”

    Over a decade, Bradenton Blues Festival expanded to an event that stretched as long as three days and attracted attendees not only from throughout Florida, but other states and countries as well. It also featured a lineup of internationally touring blues acts ranging from established veterans to rising stars such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who played the 2018 festival and visited Manatee High School as part of the Blues in the Schools program before winning a Grammy and opening for The Rolling Stones and Vampire Weekend.

    Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival’s own lineup of acclaimed blues musicians, including Grammy-nominated and Blues Music Award-winning artists, will feature Danielle Nicole, Vanessa Collier, Kat Riggins, Monster Mike Welch, Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s, Dylan Triplett and Melody Angel. The festival will also offer food and craft vendors, interactive activities and an outdoor setting, with Kingfisher Lake next to the festival.

    Tickets will go on sale soon and cost $75 advance and $90 day of, with a limited number of VIP tickets, according to the press release. Tickets will be sold online at lakewoodranchbluesfestival.com, where those interested can also sign up to receive updates including lineup announcements, exclusive food and drink releases, and more.

    Heritage Golf Group Acquires and Repositions Legacy Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida as Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Fourth Private Golf Course.

    Posted on by SparkDev

    Expanding portfolio now includes eight golf course properties in Florida.

    Lakewood Ranch, FL – April 10, 2024 – Heritage Golf Group, the fastest-growing owner and operator of golf and country clubs in the US, has acquired Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch from Legacy Golf Holdings LLC. Terms are not disclosed.

    Legacy Golf Club is located adjacent to Heritage’s most recent acquisition – Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club and features an Arnold Palmer Signature 18-hole golf course, a 12,500 sq ft clubhouse, and practice facility. 

    Immediately following the acquisition, Heritage Golf Group has strategically repositioned the Legacy Golf Course as Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s fourth private golf course, solidifying its position as the Sarasota area’s premier private golf and country club with 72 holes of championship golf. Additionally, LWRG&CC offers a host of world-class amenities, with two award winning clubhouses, two golf practice facilities, 20 pickleball courts, 20 tennis courts, a full-service 24-hour fitness center, two heated swimming pools, bocce ball and croquet courts.

    “There was a definite opportunity and need for more golf at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club,” said Mark Burnett, president and CEO of Heritage Golf Group. “The inclusion of the Legacy Golf Course grants our members unparalleled access to private golf, and with major golf course renovations already underway, it signals a promising future for both current and prospective members.“

    The Legacy repositioning provides an opportunity to elevate the overall experience for existing members and serves as a compelling draw for prospective members seeking exclusive access to premium private golf in the Sarasota area.

    Legacy’s Arnold Palmer signature golf course is currently closed for a multi-million-dollar golf course renovation project consisting of rebuilding greens, tee boxes, fairways, bunkers, and cart paths. The restoration is anticipated to be completed and the course reopened in late 2024.

    About Heritage Golf Group

    Since purchasing Heritage Golf Group in January 2020, the current ownership and leadership team has grown the company to include 37 clubs across the US. With its office in northern Virginia, just outside Washington DC, Heritage clubs are located in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The company continues to grow by acquiring a mix of private country clubs in residential communities, member-owned clubs with growth potential seeking strategic alternatives, and premium daily-fee and resort golf properties in major resort destinations and metropolitan markets. Guided by the principle of evolving the golf experience to the highest level, each individual club’s amenities and operational systems are tailored to augment its unique assets. For more information, please visit www.heritagegolfgroup.com.

    # # #

    Media Contact: Mary Moore, Heritage Golf Group

    Phone: 703-570-4955

    mmoore@heritagegolfgroup.com

    Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation Welcomes Neal Communities and Neal Signature Homes to its Builders Give Back Program

    Posted on by SparkDev

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation (LWRCF) is pleased to welcome Neal Communities and Neal Signature Homes to its Builders Give Back program. Through this program, which launched in May 2023, builders make a $100 donation per closing to the LWRCF in the name of the new homeowner. Neal Communities and Neal Signature Homes join the other builders currently participating in the program: Anchor Builders, AR Homes, Homes By Towne, John Cannon Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes, Pulte Homes, and Stock Luxury Homes. The program is further supported by Lakewood Ranch Communities, which donates a matching $100 per closing to the LWRCF.

    The Builders Give Back program benefits the LWRCF by both developing engagement with homeowners in their community and introducing them to local philanthropy, which in turn will help create support for the LWRCF into the future.

    “This program allows new residents to experience the welcoming and giving culture of Lakewood Ranch right when they move in,” said Adrienne Bookhamer, executive director of the LWRCF. “Our builders understand that the lifestyle in Lakewood Ranch is unique, and they are supporting that by participating in Builders Give Back. There is no better way to thank new residents than by contributing to the community and helping the LWRCF make an impact here.”

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation has a “live here, give here” approach, Bookhamer explained. “We support local life-changing nonprofit organizations and causes embedded in the area. By engaging our new residents early, we are hopeful of more involvement from the community to make an even bigger impact locally.”

    The mission of the LWRCF, which is financed fully by residents and businesses, is to enhance the quality of life in and near our community by responding to local needs, granting funds, and building lasting relationships. As Lakewood Ranch continues to grow, the needs of the community – including human services, education, animal services, and arts and culture – will also grow.

    For more information, visit lwrcf.org or call (941) 208-6799.

    ###

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to enhancing the quality of life in and near the Lakewood Ranch, Florida community by promoting philanthropy, responding to community needs, and granting funds. Since its founding in 2000, the fund has granted over $1.5 million to more than 140 nonprofit organizations to directly improve the lives of Lakewood Ranch residents.

    Lee Wetherington Homes Selected Among Preferred Builders for Shellstone at Waterside

    Posted on by SparkDev

    Luxury homebuilder Lee Wetherington Homes is proud to announce it has been selected as a preferred home builder for the new Shellstone at Waterside community, located east of Lorraine Road and south of University Parkway in Lakewood Ranch. Developed by Homes by Towne, Shellstone will provide an enviable living experience, featuring amenities designed specifically for modern homebuyers, all conveniently set near Waterside Place — one of Lakewood Ranch’s award-winning town centers. Lee Wetherington Homes will begin building its model home, the Sand Dollar, in the second quarter of 2024 and is expected to open in early 2025 for prospective homebuyers to tour.

    “We are honored to have been selected to design and build dream homes for future residents in Shellstone,” said David Hunihan, CEO of Lee Wetherington Homes. “It’s an exciting time for our team of designers and builders, as we continue to expand our presence in the nation’s top multigenerational master-planned community.”

    The Sand Dollar showcases a masterful blend of the Suncoast lifestyle and sleek modern design that highlights the natural Florida scenery found throughout this 682-home development. Homesites nestle against pristine lakefront and preserve views, with each custom home package over $1.5 million. Lee Wetherington Homes’ incomparable design styles are complemented by impeccable amenities found in Shellstone.

    Shellstone plans to allot 30 homesites to Lee Wetherington Homes. The longtime local homebuilder’s newest floor plans incorporate exquisite features its customers have come to expect, including spacious great rooms designed for casual living and entertaining, dramatic ceiling heights, beautiful kitchens with immense islands, pool baths, sweeping primary suites, private guest retreats, broad closets, and three-car garages. Shellstone will be a maintenance-assisted community for all mowing and landscaping with maintenance and irrigation taken care of by the homeowners’ association.

    The community’s premier amenities are designed for recreation and relaxation. The Summit at Shellstone features a social hall, fitness center, pool and spa, firepit, poolside cabanas, poolside grill, and fitness lawn, and will have a full-time activities director. Shared with Wild Blue at Waterside, where Lee Wetherington Homes is also a trusted and preferred builder, The Midway Sports Complex spans 13 acres and includes eight pickleball courts, six tennis courts, a kayak launch, special events lawn, pro shop, and dog park.

    “Together, we’re not just building homes; we’re shaping lifestyles and creating enduring legacies for families to thrive in,” said John Woodman, Division Manager at Homes by Towne. “It’s the fusion of vision, expertise, and passion that defines our commitment to crafting exceptional living spaces in Lakewood Ranch.” 

    Shellstone is strategically situated near Lakewood Ranch’s growing shopping, dining and entertainment options that have garnered national attention. The development is just minutes from Waterside Place’s vibrant town center, which in March won a gold “Best of American Living” award from the National Association of Home Builders for its “Main Street-type setting.” Homebuyers will also have easy access to University Town Center’s shopping and dining offerings in addition to I-75.

    “Lee Wetherington has been a luxury builder in Lakewood Ranch since its inception,” said Laura Cole, Senior Vice President of Lakewood Ranch Communities. “We are excited to see them in Shellstone.”

    About Lee Wetherington Homes

    Lee Wetherington Homes designs and builds high-quality single-family homes and custom homes in the most prestigious and sought-after communities of Sarasota and Manatee counties. The mission at Lee Wetherington Homes is to provide customers with the best experience in homebuilding, delivering exceptional home designs, features, and value in a caring and professional manner throughout the entire construction process. www.LWHomes.com.

    About Homes by Towne

    Homes by Towne® specializes in building new single-family homes and condominiums in livable, well-thought out communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas. For 75 years, we have built innovative, well-designed homes with today’s home buyer in mind. For more information visit www.homesbytowne.com.

    About Waterside Village

    Waterside Village will feature more than 5,000 for-sale and rental homes in a variety of neighborhoods ranging from $400k to over $3M. All neighborhoods are connected to Waterside Place via trails and many homes will benefit from an upcoming water taxi to the town center. For more information visit www.lwrwaterside.com.

    About Lakewood Ranch

    Lakewood Ranch is the 33,000+-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 67,000 residents and features top-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, three town centers, and countless shopping and dining experiences. For more information visit www.lakewoodranch.com.