VENICE, Fla. (May 12, 2025) – Wellen Park recently celebrated several milestones in its Palmera neighborhood as five award-winning builders have opened model homes to the public. Palmera’s inaugural phase offers over 400 luxury single-family and semi-custom homes on oversized homesites overlooking beautiful lakes and preserved natural landscapes.
David Weekley Homes, Homes by Towne, ICI Homes, M/I Homes and Mattamy Homes have all opened model homes in Palmera. The model homes range in style from coastal or modern single-family and coach homes. Palmera’s sixth homebuilder, Neal Communities, has model homes under construction.
“These model homes give homebuyers a wonderful opportunity to imagine what it would be like to live in Palmera,” said Christine Masney, vice president of marketing for Wellen Park. “With six builders to choose from, Palmera has a variety of stunning floorplans for homebuyers to consider.”
As Wellen Park’s newest gated neighborhood, Palmera provides a choice of distinctive and thoughtfully crafted floor plans offering three to five bedrooms, two- and three-car garages and 2,300 to over 5,000 square feet in one and two stories. Luxury homes cater to modern lifestyles with natural gas connections, expansive outdoor living spaces and an emphasis on sustainability and energy-efficient features. Home designs feature chef-inspired kitchens with pantry closets and freestanding islands and swoon-worthy master suites with walk-in closets and luxury bathrooms. Attractive coastal architecture features shiplap siding, stone and wood trim details, dormer windows, trellises and decorative railings on second-floor balconies.
Appealing to a mix of families, retirees and young professionals, the neighborhood will also offer town homes and coach homes spanning 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. Palmera’s initial phase features looping tree-lined streets. Residents will also enjoy the resort-inspired pool at the neighborhood’s exclusive amenity campus.
David Weekley Homes, one of the nation’s largest privately owned builders, was the first U.S. builder to achieve the Triple Crown of American homebuilding – America’s Best Builder, the National Housing Quality Award and National Builder of the Year. Founded in 1976, David Weekley has ranked 18 times on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Celebrating 75 years of homebuilding excellence, Homes by Towne builds single-family homes and condominiums in six states – from Hawaii to Florida – and is known for innovative well-designed homes for today’s homebuyers.
Daytona Beach-based ICI Homes, ranked among the nation’s top 100 builders, was founded in 1979 and is renowned for exceptional home design, unparalleled customization options and energy-efficient standards and features.
Based in Ohio, M/I Homes opened a Southwest Florida division in 2023 and is one of the nation’s leading builders. Founded in 1976, M/I has built over 150,000 efficient and sustainable homes showcasing the builder’s outstanding quality and superior home design.
Mattamy Homes, the largest privately-owned homebuilder in North America, has a 40-plus year history across 11 U.S. markets and in Canada. The veteran Wellen Park builder also offers thoughtfully designed homes and amenities in Renaissance, Sunstone and Brightmore, Wellen Park’s first community for active adults 55+.
Specializing in luxury homes in Florida for over 50 years, Sarasota’s Neal Communities is a fourth-generation family-owned builder. Its forward-thinking homes are personalized to the individual with exclusive touches, innovation and award-winning design. Neal and Neal Signature Homes currently build in Wellen Park’s Avelina, Boca Royale Golf & Country Club, EVERLY, Grand Palm and Wysteria neighborhoods.
Palmera’s indoor and outdoor amenities will create a vacation-every-day lifestyle with spaces for socializing, fitness and leisure – for all ages and every life stage. The grand clubhouse will offer a fitness center, a golf simulator and a 19th hole-style restaurant grill for casual eats and drinks and event space for community activities. Alfresco amenities channel a resort with a tropical pool, a separate lap pool, splashpad, playground and pickleball courts. Additional outdoor amenities include a fireside lounge and a multipurpose lawn for picnics, playdates, food truck rallies, yoga, tai chi and more. An adjacent nature trail enhances Palmera’s active lifestyle, connecting to Wellen Park’s 30 miles of walking, running and biking trails and pathways.
Palmera is in the Playmore District with a main entrance on Preto Boulevard south of Manasota Beach Road and close to top-rated public schools serving the community. Wellen Park is home to the State College of Florida and its dual-enrollment Collegiate School, as well as College Preparatory Academy, a tuition-free charter school managed by Charter Schools USA. Sarasota County School District plans to open two schools for K-12th grade students in Wellen Park in the coming years, only a short distance from the new neighborhood. Wellen Park High School is scheduled to open in August 2026.
Palmera residents will also have easy access to everything Wellen Park has to offer, including Downtown Wellen, the region’s popular social and gathering spot with restaurants, boutiques, beauty services, and medical and professional offices.
For more information about Palmera, call 941-960-7805, go to wellenpark.com or visit the Welcome Center, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 12275 Mercado Drive in Venice, Fla.
About Wellen Park
With a focus on wellness, community connections and a vibrant lifestyle, Wellen Park offers an array of homes and neighborhoods built by leading national and regional builders. Planned for more than 50,000 residents and 22,500 homes at full buildout, the community is currently home to 10,000 residents who enjoy on-site recreational and fitness opportunities, amenities, events, Downtown Wellen and proximity to the area’s top-ranked Gulf of Mexico beaches. Wellen Park is also home to CoolToday Park, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, which further enhances its appeal as a premier destination for sports and entertainment.
Ranked as the nation’s No. 6 top-selling community, Wellen Park continues to expand residential and lifestyle choices with new gated neighborhoods featuring private amenities, low-maintenance villas, coach homes and condominiums, plus custom, semi-custom and single-family homes, including the community’s first enclave for active adults 55 and over.
Traditional apartment and single-family home rentals are also available, as is world-class independent and assisted living and memory care.
For more information about Wellen Park, call 941-960-7805, go to wellenpark.com or visit the Welcome Center, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 12275 Mercado Drive in Venice, Fla.
