‘Something new’ in Bradenton? Developer shares details on massive SeaFlower community

At nearly 1,200 acres, SeaFlower is easily West Bradenton’s largest mixed-use development in decades.

After years of planning, site preparation and a couple of name changes, the developers of SeaFlower revealed new details about the massive development that will bring new stores, offices and many homes south of the Cortez Road and 75th Street West intersection.

“West Bradenton is ready for something new,” Edward Hill, managing director of the Lake Flores Land Company, said Tuesday.

First, SeaFlower will open its welcome center and model homes next spring. Residents are expected to start moving in during the summer of 2025.

The first phase of the community will cover 400 acres and include 1,700 residential units, 250 hotel rooms and 350,000 square feet of office and retail space. A grocery store, restaurants and entertainment venues are planned for the area, according to a news release.

Further information about the retail options will be revealed at a later date, developers say.

Lake Flores project has a new name

When the 1,175-acre development is complete, SeaFlower is projected to have 4,000 residential units. Hill estimated that different housing options could range from $400,000 to $1.5 million.

Whiting Preston originally conceived the idea of developing property where his family had commercially raised flowers for over 50 years under the name “Crossroads.”

Later, the name was changed to Lake Flores in honor of his mother, Flavia Florez Preston, and the flowers that his father Walter Preston grew there.

In 2022, Preston told the Bradenton Herald that he was anxious to get going with the project, but that it was taking longer than anticipated because of the complexity of permitting and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preston always said that he wanted the project to be known for its innovation, sensitivity to other neighborhoods and design as a walkable community.

This week, Hill said SeaFlower is cultivating a true regional destination and laying the foundation for a connected community.

“We have been working alongside Manatee County on our vision to celebrate the rich legacy of the land that is undergoing a remarkable transformation into an innovative, new mixed-use residential community,” Hill said.

Even though the name of the development has been changed to SeaFlower in homage to its history as a flower farm and its proximity to Sarasota Bay, the Lake Flores name will be given to a large man-made lake at the heart of the first phase.

SeaFlower takes inspiration from the character of old Florida coastal towns and is inspired by planning practices of traditional neighborhood developments. SeaFlower will become a vibrant, walkable community connected by the water, according to the news release.

Community amenities planned at SeaFlower

SeaFlower promises a mix of home types, catering to buyers at all stages of life.

Architectural styles will include coastal, craftsman, West Indies and transitional farmhouse designs with details such as front porches, discreet rear garages, Florida-friendly landscaping and homes in hues of white with warm coastal accents.

The community would have a village square reminiscent of a classic “Main Street” with a neighborhood grocer and a mix of retail, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Planned at the center of the first phase is a lakefront resident-only amenity center. The amenity campus would feature a clubhouse with gathering spaces, a resort-style pool with lap lanes, a fitness center, a meeting hall, an event lawn, pickleball courts and a children’s play area.

A 2.5-mile multi-modal trail is planned throughout SeaFlower for walking, biking and golf carts, connecting to the Village Square, pocket parks, lakes, open green spaces, a nature preserve with an interpretive trail and a dog park.

The paved trail would be 16 feet wide bordered by seven feet of landscaping, until it reaches the village square along a sidewalk where it would narrow to eight feet wide, along a sidewalk.

Motor traffic would be slowed to about 20 mph through SeaFlower to “make sure everyone gets along,” Hill said, referring to automobiles, cyclists, joggers and walkers in the same space.

Home builders include Cardel Homes, David Weekley Homes, Issa Homes, M/I Homes and Pulte Homes.

Bradenton’s SeaFlower community to open in 2025

SeaFlower is being developed by the Lake Flores Land Company and its investment partner, LAMB Properties.

“SeaFlower is really the perfect blend of coastal serenity and unmatched accessibility along Florida’s Gulf Coast, unlike any other in the region,” Hill said.

For more information about the SeaFlower community planned for West Bradenton, visit www.SeaFlowerFL.com.