Local and national businesses continue to flourish at Babcock Ranch, the No. 5 best-selling master-planned community in the U.S. With the Publix-anchored Crescent B Commons shopping center near full capacity and construction now underway for a freestanding Pet Supermarket and a drive-thru Starbucks, town developer Kitson & Partners is planning the neighboring Shoppes at Yellow Pine, complete with a lakefront restaurant. Since residents lined up for the September 2021 grand opening of Crescent B Common’s first business – the 48,000-square-foot Publix – remaining spaces have filled quickly. Recent business openings include NV Realty, Kumon learning center, Dental Care at Babcock Ranch, Great Clips, the Animal Hospital at Babcock Ranch offering on-site wellness, emergency and surgical care, and the popular U-Yee Sushi, supplying a steady ding of notifications on Matt Buehler’s cellphone from happy customers. Crescent B Commons is also home to Publix Liquors, Clover Nails & Spa, The Postal Place Pack & Ship, The Royal Paw Grooming and doggie daycare and Stellar Vision. Resident-owned Pi Local Pizza and M’xuma Tacos Mexican Grill offer a taste of local flavor for guests attending Babcock Ranch’s many events and exploring the town’s new parks and trails. The restaurants are also favorite spots for homebuyers visiting the Discovery Center, where they learn about Babcock Ranch’s neighborhoods, builders and the new Midtown development phase. Crescent B Commons recently completed a 1,700-square-foot playground with towering slides and raised decking with tables and chairs for alfresco dining. Also on tap is a national bank with a drive-thru. With Babcock Ranch in the national spotlight and plans underway for the next phase of development in Midtown, regional and national businesses are taking notice, prompting Kitson & Partners to accelerate the introduction of The Shoppes at Yellow Pine. Groundbreaking is planned toward the latter part of 2023. The new center will offer 120,000 square feet of commercial, retail, office and restaurant space – 1.5 times the size of Crescent B Commons – plus patios and outdoor dining areas. In addition to new eateries, including a freestanding restaurant overlooking Sunset Lake, Buehler anticipates The Shoppes at Yellow Pine to attract general shopping, medical offices, a hardware store and services. Created by Kitson & Partners with respect for the natural environment and the philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand in hand, half of the town’s footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Founder’s Square downtown district. Babcock Ranch homebuilders offer more than 50 home designs ranging from 1,120 to more than 4,000 square feet. Homes appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees alike, with prices ranging from the upper-$200,000s to over $4 million. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and offer a full gig of fiber-optic connectivity. The town also offers homes from national and regional homebuilders, including D.R. Horton, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Pulte Homes, Toll Brothers, WCI and William Ryan Homes and custom homes by AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, Divco Custom Homes and Florida Lifestyle Homes. Christopher Alan Homes will also soon introduce new homes at Babcock Ranch. For more information about Southwest Florida’s new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit www.BabcockRanch.com.