After $30 million land buy, Taylor Morrison plans 1,300 homes in Manatee County
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 14, 2024

Taylor Morrison will build 1,300 homes in North Manatee County after closing on a $30 million land acquisition.

The Scottsdale, Arizona-based homebuilder purchased 547 acres in Parrish from the Goodson family in mid-February, Manatee County property records show. That property will become Firethorn, which will consist of 1,000 single-family homes and 300 townhouses, said Douglas Miller, Tampa division president for Taylor Morrison.

The community will also include a 12-acre amenity campus with a clubhouse, resort-style pool and more.

Rising insurance and interest rates coupled with an ongoing labor shortage have created a challenging environment for homebuilders across the U.S. But those in the Tampa Bay region say there's steady demand, particularly in far-flung suburban locations where lower land costs allow builders to offer an inexpensive alternative to the urban centers of Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Taylor Morrison, Miller said, is bullish on the region and searching for more land. It has 20 communities here that are actively selling homes, and six other communities in various stages of development in Hudson, Plant City, Wesley Chapel, Ruskin and Odessa. The builder entered Polk County in 2023 with communities in Lakeland and Auburndale.

"We've been thrilled with Tampa's performance," he said.

Firethorn is northwest of the intersection of U.S. 301 and Buckeye Road. The townhouses, which will range from 1,100 to 1,500 square feet, will be priced from the $200,000s. Single-family homes will range from 1,400 to 3,800 square feet and be priced from the $300,000s. Miller said the most expensive homes in the community will be in the low $600,000s.

Miller said infrastructure development on Firethorn is underway, and he anticipates sales will open in spring 2025.

"When we open the first phase, we should have a mixture of single-family and townhomes coming to life at the same time," Miller said.

Taylor Morrison also developed and built out Artisan Lakes, a master-planned residential community in Palmetto. WIth that community projected to sell out in 2025, Miller said the builder was elated to have another project in North Manatee County.

"We love northern Manatee County because of its convenient location to Saint Pete, Sarasota and Tampa," Miller said. "It took a while — we were somewhat pioneering when we developed Artisan Lakes."