Manatee school board closes on 30 acres for school in Parrish
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Feb 9, 2024

Manatee County School District has closed on 30 acres of land in North River Ranch, a master-planned community in Parrish, where it plans to build a middle school.

Neal Land and Neighborhoods, the master developer of North River Ranch, announced the sale on Feb. 5. Construction on the school is set to begin in February, and the school should open in July 2025, ahead of the 2025-26 school year.

“As the community grows, so should the educational opportunities in the region that provide quality facilities and walk-to-school access to families in the area,” John A. Neal, president of Neal Land & Neighborhoods, said in a statement. “This new campus will enhance the educational hub being developed in North River Ranch, and we’re very pleased that for the 2025-26 school year, our families will have access to this new middle school just steps away from their North River Ranch neighborhoods.”

The land sale is one of several recent milestones in North River Ranch. A Publix Super Markets Inc. store in Market Walk, the community’s retail center, is nearing completion and is slated to open this spring. HCA Florida will break ground on an emergency room this year, the first phase of a hospital planned in the community.

Brightwood, a neighborhood within North River Ranch, is expected to sell out this spring. Two other neighborhoods, Wildleaf and Riverfield, are still active.