PHOTO GALLERY: Heron Creek in North Port
One of North Port’s most attractive communities, Heron Creek Golf and Country Club is designed with nature’s beauty in mind.
More than 430 or its 676 acres are set aside for fairways, lakes, nature preserves and other green areas. Just north of U.S. 41 on Sumter Boulevard, Heron Creek abounds with a variety of birds and other wildlife.
An inviting, two-lane road divided by a median of palm trees and well-manicured shrubbery leads to the main entrance gatehouse, which is guarded from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. It and the other residential gates can be accessed by remote openers.
“It is one of the nicest areas in North Port,” said Jami Kellogg, a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Co., who has a listing at 5275 Royal Poinciana Way. The home has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a three-car garage, and is priced at $399,000.
Lee Rhodes, a Realtor with RE/MAX Alliance, agreed.
She has lived in Heron Creek since 2001 and has sold a number of houses there over the years. She also has many current listings.
“It is very well maintained,” she said. “So many people comment on that when I take them into the community and show the around.”
The developer, a German economics professor named Hans-Jürgen Reichardt, takes great pride in the community. A part-time resident of South Florida for the past decade, he wanted to create a beautiful community that preserves and enhances its natural surroundings.
He worked hand-in-hand with developers Ron York and Jim Bevillard of National Land Group in Cape Coral during planning and design. Their work gave most of the more than 800 residences in the community scenic views of lakes, preserves or the fairways.
Development of Heron Creek took place in two phases, starting in 2000. The sites surrounding the 21,000-square-foot clubhouse came first.
The second area, north of Price Boulevard, has larger homes — at least 2,500 square feet — and still has a few empty lots left. Rhodes said condominiums are planned to be built in the near future.
Heron Creek offers a variety of residences and price points — villas, townhouses and single-family homes — in 16 neighborhoods. Many of them are named after birds and other natural features — Quail Run, Scrub Jay Cove, Ibis Strand, Pine Meadows, Lakeside Greens.
Reichardt also hired famed links architect Arthur Hills to create a 27-hole, championship golf course. Hills, who has designed more than 185 golf course around the world, is known for his ability to incorporate the local landscape into his layouts. Heron Creek offers three nine-hole layouts — Marsh, Oaks and Creek courses — taking advantage of the surroundings. The difference is that the course has manmade hills around the clubhouse.
Residents are required to join the club at a social membership level, with a $3,000 nonrefundable initiation fee. This gives them use of the lighted Har-Tru tennis courts, a pool, spa and sundeck, the fitness center and the clubhouse. The restaurant offers lunch daily and themed dinners three nights a week. Activities include live music, karaoke and card and board games.
“The clubhouse is very active, which makes for a great way to meet people” Rhodes said. “It’s almost impossible not to get acquainted with other residents.”
Unlike many Southwest Florida golf communities, Heron Creek appeals not just to retirees and snowbirds, but also to working professionals and families, too.
“We have a wide range of ages, and about 50 percent are year-around residents,” Rhodes said.
“The people here are so friendly, so willing to help. As a resident, I feel that it’s a real community.”
Another attraction is the neighborhood’s central location. Heron Creek Middle School and North Port High School are within walking distance on Price Boulevard.
The Publix at Town Center on Sumter Boulevard backs up to the community. Numerous stores, restaurants and banks are on U.S. 41. They include a Walmart, Lowe’s and The Home Depot, as well as the Cocoplum Village Shops, a large new strip mall that opened just two years ago.
The development signals a strong recovery for the area, which was hit especially hard during the real estate bust, including a number of short sales and foreclosures in Heron Creek.
“It’s definitely coming back,” Kellogg said.
Sales over the past 12 months total 54 properties, including four villas and one townhouse, ranging in price from $130,000 to $167,000. The 49 single-family homes went for $167,000 to $470,000.
Eleven houses are priced from $349,000 to $429,000. Ten sales are pending.
“It’s a great community,” Rhodes said. “I’ve lived her 13 years. I’m not going anywhere.”
