Canopy at Babcock Ranch is the community’s first apartment complex, adding 373 rental units as the master-planned town expands its housing options beyond single-family homes.
Brian Tietz
Babcock Ranch, which bills itself as “America’s First Solar-Powered Town,” now has another first: an apartment complex.
Canopy at Babcock Ranch, developed by Indianapolis-based Milhaus, has 373 units and began to take shape after Babcock Ranch sold 17 acres to Milhaus for $7.7 million in December 2021.
Leasing began in December 2023, and occupancy has reached about 85%, nearing the industry goal of exceeding 90%.
Building an apartment complex in a town known more for single-family homes made sense, said Adriana Nelson, vice president of multifamily for Kitson & Partners. She said in offering apartments in addition to the single-family homes it’s known for, Babcock Ranch can offer a more complete community.
“The people who come to Babcock Ranch to work, those people need housing but maybe they don’t want a permanent home,” Nelson says. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to rent. We need to account for all of the demographics that will come to the city.”
Canopy won’t be the only option, either. Babcock Ranch is developing B Street, which will combine retail with a 140-unit, one- and two-bedroom apartment complex spread across two four-story buildings.
“It’s going to be a small community, but it’s going to be two buildings, four stories each,” Nelson says. “Between the two buildings, there’s going to be a clubhouse with a pool and different amenities. There will be a hub for retail and office space. Our headquarters are also here on B Street.”
Another option for renters: Flatwoods at Babcock Ranch.
“Those are single-family home rentals,” Nelson says. “There are 246 of them. They each have a private backyard and by fall should be nearing 100% leased.”
Flatwoods has a two-month free special with a $1,000 bonus and an additional $500 monthly discount for teachers, firefighters, police officers and paramedics.
“I would say that Babcock Ranch has a lot of elements,” Nelson says. “It’s one of the fastest-growing communities in Florida. It’s master-planned. At the same time, we’re trying to build a city. We need to have all kinds of uses here. This is where infrastructure, employment and quality of life converge.”