Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and Manatee's premier master-planned community, was recently honored with the Grand AURORA Award for best master-planned community in the southeast at the Southeast Builder's Conference (SEBC) held in Orlando. The Grand AURORA is the highest level for the award and the theme, Designs of Distinction, symbolizes AURORA as the most prestigious building and design showcase in the Southeast.

Lakewood Ranch won its Grand Aurora for a Residential Development over 501 Acres. Judged on many details that help to distinguish it from other master-planned communities. Some of the criteria are community entrance, overall master plan, streetscapes, common areas, recreational facilities, relationship of housing to community, relationship of automobile to community, landscape and signage.

"We are thrilled to be recognized by the building industry with the Grand AURORA for the best master-planned community in the Southeast," remarked Jim Doyle, VP of Marketing, who was on hand to accept the award with Tom Danahy, Executive VP of Development. "The entire team at Lakewood Ranch is committed to the creation of a community where people want to live, work, learn and play, the true definition of a master-planned community. To be recognized by the experts in the field is a major accomplishment of which we are very proud and honored."

The AURORA Awards are an annual event honoring builders, developers, architects, planners, interior merchandisers, landscape architects and others actively involved in projects in a 10-state southeast region who have demonstrated building and design excellence. The southeast region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The program is affiliated with the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and the Southeast Builders Conference (SEBC), one of two regional trade shows recognized by and affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Lakewood Ranch, the master-planned community on the county line of Sarasota and Manatee was awarded the "Best in American Living" award (BALA) for Best Community, Over 150 Units, at a recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Convention in Dallas. Considered the Academy Awards of the New Home Building Industry, BALA is the nation's foremost residential design award competition and is presented during the international show. The BALA program recognizes those developers across the United States whose communities illustrate design quality, success in the marketplace, and exemplify the "Best in American Living." Lakewood Ranch was selected from over 500 entries and joins a very select group of communities around the country receiving one of the highest awards in the industry. The design competition is sponsored by Professional Builder Magazine and the National Association of Home Builders. Judges for the competition included top architects, land planners, and home builders from across the country, many of whom are members of NAHB's design committee. "The BALA judges were impressed by the way Lakewood Ranch is architecturally themed to fit the historic, rustic character of the land," says William Lurz, a senior editor from Professional Builder who hosted the awards breakfast, attended by over 500 builders and design professionals. "Of course, the scale of development adds to the impression. To fit a new town of 7,000 homes, along with retail, commercial, and office development, onto 5,500 acres of sensitive Florida land, while actually enhancing the delicate ecosystems of the whole area, sets a benchmark for community developers to shoot for all across the country." NAHB design committee past president Rick Puzzitiello, a home builder in the west suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, and a BALA judge, said Lakewood Ranch is on the cutting edge of community design. "Today's most successful developments appeal to nostalgia-conscious consumers by creating friendly, old-fashioned neighborhoods that have a relaxed, unhurried sense about them. Lakewood Ranch has that. It's a real hometown in the making. New houses convert to homes very quickly in that kind of setting. And that's what people are looking for today." Lakewood Ranch is a 5,500 acre master-planned community set on the 28,000-acre Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. Development includes five residential villages offering a variety of price ranges and lifestyles; a Town Center with shopping, dining, entertainment and medical facilities; schools; hotels; and a Corporate Park. Lakewood Ranch provides opportunities for its residents to live, work, learn and play within the community--a true master-planned hometown. SMR Communities (SMRC) is pleased to announce that Lakewood Ranch has received an ENVY award from the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) for making the most significant contribution toward building in harmony with Florida's sensitive environment. This annual award recognizes one residential and one commercial development for their preservation of Florida's natural quality of life. Lakewood Ranch won in the commercial category for its development of Town Center and Corporate Park. "Our judging panel was extremely impressed with the Lakewood Ranch commercial development," states Jeff Zipper, VP of FAR Communications. "We are proud to recognize their fine development as one of the state's leading environmentally-sound business communities." Criteria considered in the judging for commercial development included preservation of natural flora and fauna; architectural compatibility; design scale with the surrounding environment; access to the surrounding environment; common area access and usefulness; streets, pedestrian and bicycle access; drainage as a design feature; utility design; and marketability. "The entire team is dedicated to preserving the integrity and beauty of the natural ranchland on which Lakewood Ranch has been created," remarked John Clarke, President and CEO of SMR. "Our goal has been to leave half of the 5,500 acres as open or recreational space and we are very proud that we have been able to accomplish this goal. The beautiful campus setting that we have been able to maintain has attracted, and continues to attract, some of the largest and most important corporations and business leaders in the area and the country." Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park is set on 1,273 acres and is zoned for office and light industrial use. Town Center offers office and retail sites at its 600-acre location. The excellent location, on the county line of Sarasota and Manatee just east of I-75 (exit 40) on University Parkway, provides easy access to Sarasota and Bradenton, as well as all points north to Tampa and south to the Ft. Myers and Naples area.