Publisher's Pick: Community

The area that’s now the booming city of St. Cloud started as a sugarcane plantation in the 1870s. Later, after the plantation failed, 35,000 acres were acquired for a retirement community aimed at attracting Civil War veterans.

In 1909, the Kissimmee Valley Gazette announced the “New Town of St. Cloud,” a so-called “soldiers’ colony” offering “health, climate, and productiveness of the soil.” Many of the streets were named for states from which the Civil War veterans had served, and they retain those names today.

By the 1970s, St. Cloud and neighboring Kissimmee were closely associated with nearby Disney World, but in recent years the city has repositioned itself as a welcoming small town with distinctly Old Florida flavor. And it has blossomed with new communities. 

Among the newest is Gramercy Farms by KB Home, which offers all the advantages of cozy small-town life as well as easy access to Lake Nona’s Medical City and major thoroughfares such as Florida’s Turnpike and U.S. 192. Restaurants, shopping and schools are also close by.

Gramercy Farms buyers may choose from 10 ten one- and two-story floorplans ranging in size from 1,787 and 3,350 square feet and priced from $168,990. The huge 3350 model — KB names its homes for their square footage — has six bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and a two-car garage. It’s priced at just $244,990.

KB is offering its “Homes Built to Order” approach in Gramercy Farms, meaning buyers will have an array of personalization options to fit their tastes and budgets.

The first phase of Gramercy Farms is an enclave of 66 homesites, which will encompass such community amenities as a children’s playground, basketball court, dog park and pavilion with picnic tables.

KB, founded in 1957, has built 550,000 homes throughout the country. The company was named “Most Admired Homebuilder” by Fortune Magazine in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011. It was ranked No. 1 Overall Green Builder by Calvert Investments in 2010.

The company is known for energy-efficient construction, and built its first net-zero-energy home in 2011. The GreenHouse, created in conjunction with Martha Stewart, is in Windermere.
For more information, visit kbhome.com