Sam Rodgers Homes' Magnolia model in Quail Preserve, a new section of GreyHawk Landing, off S.R. 64 in Manatee County. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 3-12-2013.
In 2001, when Sam Rodgers, the president and founder of Sam Rodgers Homes & Neighborhoods, started to develop GreyHawk Landing on State Road 64, five miles east of Interstate 75, a prospective customer told him, “This is out in the middle of nowhere. What are you doing here?”
Rodgers replied, “Everything will come toward us.”
He was right.
Today, schools, sports complexes and recreation facilities are nearby, and ample shopping and dining opportunities are found in Lakewood Ranch and at the Ellenton Outlet Mall north of the Manatee River. Convenient driving times to Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa and St. Petersburg make it an appealing community for working professionals who like to come home to a safe, attractive environment.
Built on 650 acres of a former dairy farm, GreyHawk Landing has 789 home sites, of which 750 were sold by the time the real estate downturn hit in 2006. The houses are a combination of Sam Rodgers Homes designs and Arthur Rutenberg models, for which Sam Rodgers Homes has held a franchise for nearly 20 years. WANT TO CHECK OUT A GALLERY OF PHOTOS FROM GREYHAWK? CLICK ON THIS LINK.
The company is creating a new section of 492 units on 300 acres purchased from the Aurora, a charitable organization that houses retired ministers. As the master developer, Sam Rodgers Homes is a partner in the venture with Homes by Towne and has invited Ryland Homes to build houses, as well.
The entrance to GreyHawk Landing, off S.R. 64 in Manatee County. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 3-12-2013.
For Sam Rodgers, the original GreyHawk Landing was something of a departure. He founded the company 43 years ago in Lakeland to manufacture housing, but soon expanded into the development business, creating mobile-home communities. In 1988, Rodgers built the Sandpiper Golf Club in Lakeland.
“It was my first golf-course community,” he remembered. “I wanted to build low-cost housing for seniors 55 and older.”
“I had never built a home in my life, but they were all good houses, and they’re still standing.”
Rodgers followed up with communities throughout Central Florida in Lake and Pasco counties and the Orlando metropolitan area. In 1993, he moved his corporate headquarters to Venice and developed the successful Pelican Point Golf and Country Club there.
Rodgers also developed Gran Paradiso in North Port’s West Villages. But that development, with infrastructure funded by community development district (CDD) bonds, struggled when the boom turned to bust. Only two dozen houses exist in what was to be a 1,999-home, master-planned community, and the CDD tax district is deeply in debt.
He owns the company privately with his wife and his two sons, Richard and Rex, who also work in the business.
The activities center at GreyHawk Landing, off S.R. 64 in Manatee County. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 3-12-2013.
For GreyHawk Landing, Rodgers envisioned a non-age-restricted community, his first. To attract younger families, he built a recreational facility with a resort pool and water slide, a playground, tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, and softball and soccer fields.
A large bus turnaround at the entrance gate was added specifically for students.
“That way, they don’t have to go out on Highway 64 to catch the school bus,” Rodgers said. “It’s a very safe environment.”
In time, Rodgers’ vision became a reality. Today, more than 600 families with children live in GreyHawk Landing. The other households are empty-nesters. His son Rex, who manages sales for the company, lives in the neighborhood, as well.
“The residents appreciate when the developer does that,” Rex Rodgers said.
The planning focused on the surroundings. GreyHawk Landing includes a long, well-landscaped entrance corridor and oak hammocks throughout the community, with plenty of wildlife and greenery. It also has 3.5 miles of nature trails.
This one-owner house on Peregrin Circle in GreyHawk Landing is listed for sale at $ 360,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms and three baths in 2,977 square feet. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 3-12-2013.
Son Richard Rodgers, vice president of construction, talked more about the original concept. “None of the properties back onto each other with the exception of corner lots. The rest either back up to preservation areas or lakes.”
The new section will have many of the same features — an additional two miles of nature trails and lush natural surroundings. It also will have a new clubhouse with its own playground and resort pool. As a benefit to old and new residents, everyone in GreyHawk Landing will have access to all facilities.
Interest in the new section is already high. The first two days of the recent Parade of Homes brought nearly 130 couples out to visit, and Sam Rodgers Homes put five lots under contract that weekend.
The Kingsley model by Homes by Towne won Category 7 for best curb appeal, kitchen, master suite, floor plan, architectural detail and overall design.
Sam Rodgers Homes offers four models with flex options and a “rolling inventory” program, which allows customers who need to move quickly to purchase a spec home. The 3- and 4-bedroom residences are priced from $293,100 to $318,000.
Seventeen resales are available in the current GreyHawk Landing, ranging from $289,000 to $499,000, with one pending.
