Wildewood Springs off Cortez Road in Bradenton. Seibert Architects designed the complex in the mid-1970. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 4-9-2013.
If you are looking for a beautifully designed condominium community with modernist architecture, Wildewood Springs fits the bill. Located in Manatee County, off Cortez Road on the way to Anna Maria Island, the neighborhood is a mix of one- and two-story garden apartments linked in pleasing cluster arrangements and nestled in a lush setting.
Mature vegetation — palms, banyan trees, moss-laden live oaks and shrubbery — abounds, some in trimmed garden areas, some in wild nature preserves. The 80-acre subdivision is a designated as bird and wildlife sanctuary. (FOR A GALLERY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, CLICK HERE.)
The 558 units, distributed over seven village clusters, range from 900 to 2,300 square feet. There are single upper or lower villas or apartments and two-story townhouses. Many have walled gardens in back; others back onto ponds or nature preserves.
Four tennis courts, seven swimming pools and numerous ponds are sprinkled throughout the community, all connected by nature paths. The private, interior dual-lane roads meander from the three entrances to the villages — one on Cortez Road and the other two on 43rd Street — dotted with densely planted medians and center islands.
Modernist condominium villas in Wildewood Springs off Cortez Road in Bradenton. Seibert Architects designed the complex in the mid-1970s. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 4-9-2013.
The neighborhood, built in the 1970s and early 1980s, was the brainchild of developer Paul Neal, father of well-known developer Pat Neal, and architect Tim Seibert, perhaps the most prolific practitioner of the Sarasota School of architecture.
Seibert still remembers the initial creative vision. “We decided that it was time to try a condominium project without the ‘goop’ — cut-out mansard roofs, fake shutters and fake light fixtures of wrought iron — something that was modernist architecture.”
They also worked hard to preserve green space. “I went out and measured the branches on a spreading oak and jiggled the building around, so we didn’t have to cut at all,” Seibert recalled. “Paul made me do it — he wanted it done right.
“It was economical,” he said. “The materials — concrete blocks and wood framing — were white and the wood was brown. There is beautiful landscaping between buildings, and they relate nicely to each other.”
Modernist condominium villas in Wildewood Springs off Cortez Road in Bradenton. Seibert Architects designed the complex in the mid-1970s. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 4-9-2013.
The wide, wooden louvers on the windows were designed to be functional to open up and encourage air flow or “passive air conditioning,” as it was called then. “It was ‘green building’ before its time,” Seibert said.
Martie Lieberman, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker who specializes in properties featuring modern architecture, has sold a number of units in Wildewood Springs and has lived there since last September.
“It makes me feel good when I drive into it,” she said.
She loves the sense of living in a jungle. “It’s dark and lush. Just walking around in it and seeing the architecture from the green spaces is beautiful.”
A strong homeowner’s association ensures that the place is well cared for. The quarterly dues of $1,046.45 cover maintenance of the private roads, exterior gardens and grounds; a full-time on-site manager; upkeep of tennis courts and pools; and basic cable, water and sewer.
Over the next two years, all of the exterior stucco walls will be redone and the louvers sanded, repaired and repainted.
Residences at Wildewood Springs off Cortez Road in Bradenton. Seibert Architects designed the complex in the mid-1970. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 4-9-2013.
“Living here requires an understanding that these wonderful buildings and grounds require upkeep and maintenance,” Lieberman said. “The area attracts people who love vegetation, gardens, architecture and the wildness of it.”
As it turns out, that group includes a variety of residents — retirees, snowbirds, working people and professionals. Some renters live there, but because owners have to wait two years after buying before they can rent their condos or villas, the neighborhood hasn’t attracted the typical investor.
Mike Rosario, whose Rose Realty has two listings in Wildewood Springs and manages three units for rental, appreciates the eye-catching surroundings and pointed out the convenient location.
“Shops, restaurants and a Publix are literally within walking distance; a bowling alley and Oakmont movie theaters are just down the road on Cortez; and Gulf beaches are a short drive away,” he said. “You have everything you need right outside your door.”
Because Wildewood Springs suffered a number of foreclosures during the housing bubble, prices are still relatively low. Lieberman paid $71,000 for her villa with enclosed courtyard last year.
The market has been active.
In 2012, there were 38 sales — 14 first-story condos, 11 second-story condos and 13 villas.
Currently, 19 units are on the market, with eight pending sales. The one first-story condo, a bank-owned property, is listed at $75,900. Fourteen upper-story condos range in price from $55,000 to $124,900, and the four villas are priced from $104,000 to $189,900.
“For people who love architecture and low or no maintenance, this community is it,” Lieberman said.
