It’s not easy to build in Lakewood Ranch. Originally built for ranch operations in the early 1900s, the sprawling community covers roughly 50 square miles. It is the top-selling, multi-generational master planned community in the country, with thousands of homes sprouting up every year. It is perhaps the most desired area to live in on the entirety of Florida’s Gulf Coast and with that kind of clout, comes a level of competition between real estate developers, construction companies and custom home builders that is intense, to say the least. The indoor/outdoor complex set to open in winter 2025, serves as a connection point between two communities: Shellstone at Waterside and Wild Blue at Waterside. “It’s really a joint venture between two communities, everything that’s east of Lorraine Road, we’ve joined forces here to create an amenities complex called Midway Park,” says John Woodman, Division Manager at Homes by Towne, one of the developers behind the project. “Midway Park is a large seven-acre plus facility that’s inclusive of a pro shop, a screened pavilion, multiple play areas for kids, a tot lot, restrooms, large and small dog parks, outdoor fitness equipment, eight pickleball courts, six tennis courts, a kayak launch and a basketball court. It’s going to be a pretty unique project.”

What differentiates Midway Sports Complex, however, is not just the bevy of high-grade amenities, nor is it the accessibility of said amenities. It’s the fact that this project is a joint venture between two developers: Homes by Towne, which has built Shellstone and everything on the south side of the lake it's positioned on, and Stock Development, which has built Wild Blue on Waterside, which is located on the north side of the lake. “It’s really unique in the fact that it’s very rare for two different developers to join forces and build something like this. It doesn’t happen often. A lot of the time you’ll get a big master planned developer who does something and they have all these other builders build in and sell single family lots,” says Woodman. “It’s really rare that two developers would join forces to construct something of this magnitude at the benefit of two communities.”

Midway Sports Complex, now under construction, and opening in Q1 2025, offers 13 acres for neighbors to explore, play and connect. In addition to miles of lakeside and preserve walking paths and trails, there are plenty of outdoor experiences to make your active life even more engaging. For racquet sports, there’s 6 tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts and a sports pro shop and gathering space. There’s a variety of fitness equipment for bodyweight strength workouts, with pull-up bar, ab station and more. Shoot hoops on the basketball courts, enjoy the outdoor activity center, or gather with friends and neighbors for a community event on the great lawn. Furry friends have two dog parks for them to romp and play. The children’s playground has fun climbing structures and playscapes for kids of many ages. At the water’s edge, there’s a lakefront park let, and kayak launch to paddle around the lake.