Gran Paradiso at the West Villages Information

Our Sarasota National Website
West Villages Florida Real Estate

Friday, October 13, 2017

Sarasota-based Tandem Construction, which lost the bid earlier this year, will take over immediately.

NORTH PORT — The Sarasota-based construction firm that complained after an out-of-town contractor was awarded the Atlanta Braves spring training stadium project will get the job after all.

In an unexpected twist, local firm Tandem Construction is taking over the project from Atlanta-based Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the primary firms to complete the Braves’ new regular season home at SunTrust Park in Cobb County, Ga.

The swap, formally approved Thursday, comes at the last minute, days before a formal groundbreaking event Monday at the stadium site in the West Villages just off U.S. 41 and River Road in North Port.

Despite the late shift, construction work is not expected to be delayed under the already extremely tight 14-month schedule for finishing the new stadium in time for pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training in February 2019, Tandem and West Villages leaders said.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20171012/local-contractor-taking-over-atlanta-braves-stadium-project

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Our Sarasota National Website
West Villages Florida Real Estate

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Gran Paradiso Coach Home and Villa Listings

Two great maintenance-free homes available. Must see. Call us to schedule your showing today!

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Monday, October 9, 2017

NEW LISTING - GRAN PARADISO AT THE WEST VILLAGES

Listing Details

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Our Sarasota National Website
West Villages Florida Real Estate

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Sarasota named best place to retire by U.S. News

U.S. News & World Report named Sarasota the number one place to retire for 2018.

It analyzed the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country, with a focus on “housing affordability, desirability, happiness, taxes, the job market and access to top-quality hospitals,” according to the story. U.S. News picked that criteria based on survey of people age 45 and older that asked what they were looking for in a retirement destination.

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Our Sarasota National Website
West Villages Florida Real Estate

Gran Paradiso Halloween Extravagnza

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Our Sarasota National Website
West Villages Florida Real Estate

Saturday, September 2, 2017

State Approves Funding for Braves Spring Training Complex September 1st, 2017

From Sarasota County News Page on 9/1/17

SARASOTA COUNTY - The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity on Thursday conditionally approved $20 million in funding for the new Atlanta Braves spring training complex being developed in West Villages in North Port. Earlier this summer, The West Villages Improvement District, along with Sarasota County, the City of North Port and the Atlanta Braves, filed the grant application seeking funding to help with facility construction costs. This is the final piece of funding necessary to move the project forward. "We are pleased to have the state join the partnership of the city, county, West Villages Improvement District, Mattamy Homes and the Atlanta Braves to make this a reality," said West Villages Improvement District Chairman Martin Black, AICP, ICMA-CM. "We are excited to be building a state-of-the-art spring training facility in this beautiful community," said John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves Vice Chairman. "We have truly found some incredible partners in Sarasota County, West Villages and the City of North Port, and we look forward to training and playing there for many years to come."

The city and county commissions and West Villages Improvement District will have final reviews scheduled for their respective meetings on Sept. 12. If all of these elected boards approve the final agreements on that date, the project's full funding will be committed and construction can start to meet the 2019 spring training season. "We are thankful for the state's positive response to the Braves spring training project and its benefits to our region," said Sarasota County Administrator Tom Harmer. "This is an important milestone that will allow the construction to move forward with the support of the elective bodies. We will continue to work with the team, West Villages, the City of North Port, state officials and the rest of the community as we prepare the necessary agreements to bring the Braves to Sarasota County."

MEDIA CONTACTS: Sarasota County Media Relations news@scgov.net, 941-861-NEWS (6397)
(Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at www.scgov.net/ADA/Pages/default.aspx.)

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Link to our main blog page

Our Sarasota National Website

Thanks for reading!
Ali

Gran Paradiso Area Events: Venice Main Street's September Craft Festival This Weekend

Venice MainStreet's September Craft Festival

Date: 09/02/2017 - 09/03/2017
Times: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Miami Ave W, Venice, FL

This event showcases variety of ceramics, jewelry, stained glass, metal works, etc. in the Gifts & Handicrafts industry.

Come down and join in the fun!

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Link to our main blog page

Our Sarasota National Website

Friday, September 1, 2017

Gran Paradiso at the West Villages: Some Getting Anxious for Stadium to Break Ground

From https://tomahawktake.com/2017/08/26/atlanta-braves-still-not-started-construction-florida/

Atlanta Braves still have not started construction in Florida

by Alan Carpenter

Posted 8/26/2017

There is still time, but it’s getting tight. Still two more hurdles to leap before the new Spring training digs can start being… dug.

At least the Atlanta Braves know where they will be Wintering come February: the facilities at the Walt Disney World/ESPN Sports Complex. It’s where they’ve been for 20 years.

That lease has been extended by one year through the 2018 season, so at least there’s no angst about what happens then.

It’s the 2019 season that is getting more interesting (probably for some on-field reasons, too, but that’s another story entirely).

In short, the city of North Port, the Braves, and the developers are in a holding pattern. They are waiting for the bureaucratic wheels to turn with the State of Florida:

For the complex to open in February 2019, however, design and construction work will need to commence shortly. And while there’s no deadline for the state to respond to the West Villages application for $20 million in funding, officials usually respond in a timely manner.

It was three months ago when we reported that the parties were “two to three weeks” away from submitting their grant funding application to the State. 2 to 3 weeks after that, we got wind of the economic impact study that was to be submitted as part of that application.

Since then… nothing.

Recent History

It was on November 9, 2015 that the Nationals and Astros held a ground-breaking ceremony for their joint Spring Training complex in West Palm Beach. Despite the size of this facility and the extra cost ($144 million) involved, they opened on time – barely – on February 28, 2017.

Even so, there were still several ‘finishing touches’ that didn’t quite get done in time.

So if that date represents a time bogey of sorts, the Braves now have about 11 weeks before the construction needs to begin.

Once the State does it’s part, there’s still one more approval needed… but from 3 different local governing bodies: the city of North Port, the West Villages development board, and Sarasota County.

While all parties are primed to do so, it will still take time to get those boards together to do the public’s business.

But the clock is ticking.

Article copied from /https://tomahawktake.com/2017/08/26/atlanta-braves-still-not-started-construction-florida/. Check out the website for more Atlanta Braves commentary and stats.

Posted by Ali Johnston of West Villages Realty. Check out area homes at http://www.westvillageshome.com/

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC
19503 S West Villages Pkwy
Stes A2 & A11 (by Appt)
Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Link to our main blog page