A popular local resort-style real estate brand is opening another community in Sarasota County.
Look inside the new Mote Science Education Aquarium
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium opened the doors to the new Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) for members on Monday morning, Oct. 6, 2025.
- A popular resort-style brand is expanding with a new community in Sarasota County.
- The new development will feature 877 single-family homes and numerous resort-style amenities.
- Planned amenities include a resort-style pool, sports courts, a dog park, and a bar and grill.
Esplanade, a resort-style brand that got its start in Sarasota, is once again expanding in Sarasota County. The real estate brand broke ground Friday, Oct. 10, at the award-winning master-planned community of Wellen Park, where it will house 877 single-family homes, resort-style amenities and wellness programs.
Esplanade is a lifestyle brand focused on wellness and longevity. The brand’s logo features three pillars representing mind, body and spirit, which is how the brand approaches its community design, according to Cammie Longenecker, the president of Resort Lifestyle Brand.
“How we measure success is when we hear our members and our guests say, ‘I feel like I’m on vacation every day of my life,’” she said.
Why did Esplanade choose Wellen Park in Sarasota County for its new community?
Esplanade at Wellen Park is one of many community locations in Florida, and one of nearly 30 across the United States. Wellen Park was deemed a great location because of its proximity to the beach, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, and downtown Sarasota, Longenecker said.
The groundbreaking ceremony was a moment of celebration for the Esplanade team.
“It was really the purpose of being able to commemorate the groundbreaking of this new community we’re bringing to the market,” she said. “What better thing to do than take a pause in our development stage right now and celebrate, and quite frankly, have a little fun in the dirt.”
Where did Esplanade get its start in Sarasota County?
Since Esplanade got its start in Sarasota over 10 years ago at Lakewood Ranch, it’s opened communities in Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch, Skye Ranch and Wellen Park.
The brand caters to the resort lifestyle through concierge services, where residents can use curated services from dry cleaning and car detailing to exclusive travel opportunities to experience luxury right at home.
Planned amenities for Esplanade at Wellen Park include a resort-style pool and spa; tennis, pickleball and bocce courts; a dog park; concierge services; and The Venue, a state-of-the-art amenity center with facilities totaling over 16,000 square feet featuring fitness equipment, a group fitness room, a spa therapy suite, lockers and private showers. The community will also feature its own Bahama Bar & Grill, which has locations at Palmer Ranch and Lakewood Ranch.
Esplanade is a community-focused brand, with special emphasis on wellness and human connection. To accommodate that aspect of its brand, a full-time lifestyle manager will also be on site to coordinate lifestyle experiences and events that will bring residents together.
“We don’t believe in retirement. We believe in reinventing,” Longenecker said. “We always look through that lens of how can we find purpose and connect people with the journey they’re on?”
Ella Thompson covers real estate and development for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Contact her at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing today.
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