Developer plans more than 500 housing units, retail in south Sarasota

A multibillion-dollar Charlotte, North Carolina, mixed-use developer and real estate investor has begun work on a pair of residential communities in south Sarasota with a forthcoming retail component.  

One is a multifamily project, dubbed Render Legacy Trail, while the other is a build-to-rent community called Harmon Legacy Trail. A groundbreaking, according to a statement from the developer, Crescent Communities, took place March 1. Combined, the company adds in the statement, the projects, on 15560 Render Way, will be part of an overall master-planned residential community “supporting Crescent Communities’ vision of bringing a mix of new housing options, including market rate apartment homes and build-to-rent townhomes, to the area.” Next to the Legacy Trail, a 20-mile path connecting downtown Sarasota to downtown Venice, the project also includes “six acres of forthcoming retail spaces.”

“We are thrilled to have reached this milestone for Render Legacy Trail,” Crescent Communities Multifamily Managing Director of Florida Tim Graff says in the statement. “Render offers residents thoughtfully crafted communities that are rich in character at a more approachable price point. The adjacent build-to-rent single-family offering, Harmon Legacy Trail, will also provide residents the opportunity to live in new construction homes. Together, these communities highlight Crescent Communities’ commitment to growing strategically in Florida and the Sun Belt.”