Miami developer's Saddlebrook Resort redevelopment plans move forward
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 12, 2023

A Miami developer is moving forward with plans to add hundreds of residential units and commercial space to Wesley Chapel’s iconic Saddlebrook Resort.

Pasco County commissioners on Tuesday approved Mast Capital’s comprehensive master plan for the redevelopment of the 480-acre Saddlebrook. Mast plans to add a town center to the property that will include the following:

75,000 square feet of retail and office space

465 apartments

25 townhouses

Pedestrian promenade

The plans also call for a 120-unit townhouse community and 25,000 square feet of commercial space near the town center. An “extensive” renovation of the resort, golf course and lifestyle amenities on the property is planned.

Mast Capital acquired Saddlebrook in March 2022 and has spent millions of dollars on improvements, including the addition of six pickleball courts, enhancing the greens and tee boxes on the golf course and tennis court upgrades. It has also relocated the hotel gym facility to the resort’s core, replaced all the buildings’ roofs and added a new fleet of vehicles, according to a news release from the developer.

Saddlebrook opened in 1981 and is home to a 500-key, condo-hotel resort, over 40 tennis courts, two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole golf courses and over 100,000 square feet of meeting space. Saddlebrook Prep, a golf and tennis academy, also operates on the premises.

“Since day one, we have been making immediate improvements to the resort and will continue to invest in its future with our renovation plans and new development that will bring premium housing and a retail-driven town center benefitting residents of Saddlebrook and meeting growing demand in the thriving Wesley Chapel community,” Jordan Kornberg, Mast managing director, said in a statement.