Friday, October 24, 2014

Palm Beach Gardens developer advancing massive Lee County project

This is destined to become a new "city" of 50,000 people on the west coast of Florida. Discussions are underway about a new solar energy plant, to be constructed and operated by FPL. Click title for link. Here is a bit from the article:
The planned Babcock Ranch development in Southwest Florida has taken a big step forward with an agreement that calls for Florida Power & Light Co. to be the sole provider of its electric service.
Since 2006 Palm Beach Gardens-based Kitson & Partners, headed by Syd Kitson, has been working on plans for the 18,000-acre environmentally sustainable future city north of Fort Myers. Kitson purchased the 92,000-acre Babcock Ranch wildlife preserve, then sold almost 74,000 acres to the state for $350 million. The state has set that land aside for preservation and recreation.
Kitson spokeswoman Lisa Hall said Thursday that a groundbreaking is expected next year. The first residents could be moving in as soon as two years from now.
Juno Beach-based FPL wants to build a large solar power facility at Babcock, but the details are still being worked out, FPL spokeswoman Sarah Gatewood said.