Builder to begin work on 877-home community in south Sarasota County

One of the nation’s largest homebuilders will break ground Friday on its newest resort-style community — this one planned for south Sarasota County’s master-planned community of Wellen Park. 

Homebuilder Taylor Morrison will officially launch its latest project, Esplanade at Wellen Park, which will bring 877 new homes to the Venice area when it opens in early 2026. 

Development plans include resort-style amenities and wellness programs, along with “concierge services” and a full-time “lifestyle manager” will also be working in the neighborhood to organize events and activities. 

Taylor Morrison has built nearly 30 Esplanade communities across the country, the homebuilder says in a statement. The master-planned communities feature pools and spas, tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts, dog parks and a “Bahama Bar & Grill” open exclusively to residents.

Esplanade at Wellen Park will also include a 16,800 square foot amenity center called “The Venue,” housing the “latest innovations” in fitness equipment, group fitness rooms, a spa therapy suite, lockers and private showers, the statement says. 

The new, gated community will span approximately seven acres west of the Myakka Pines Golf Club, which is owned by a separate entity. To the south is the Myakka State Forest. 

According to the Taylor Morrison website, Esplanade at Wellen Park will offer a range of residences — from attached condos and villas to single-family homes ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet and two to six bedrooms. Prices are expected to range from the $400,000s to more than $1 million. No rental units are included in the development plans. 

In addition to Esplanade at Wellen Park, Taylor Morrison is currently developing four other Esplanade communities throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties, according to its website.