From what I have heard from some sources, the expected date is late 2020 or early 2021. Am I being pessimistic? I think not. Lets look at some facts.
No Man's Land:
The builder chose not to build between Hwy 44 and the Florida Turnpike. This created a “No Man's Land” between Hwy 44 and the turnpike. No homes, no lighting, no roads, no safety access. Just large secluded tracts of empty darkness at night. Would you drive a golf cart alone through that area in the darkness of the night? Think of the liability the builder would have if anyone were to have an unfortunate situation happen to them in that area. If I was the builder, I would not permit access until I had installed roads, lighting, had occupied homes, and built the safety intra-structure.
Distance:
In the Northern area (North of Hwy 44), the average distance between Town Squares is about five miles. This means that most, (I know, not all), people are within two and a half miles of a Square. This also means that most are within a fifteen to twenty minute golf cart ride of a Square. This golf cart life style is one of the main selling points of The Villages. What are the chances that someone would ride a golf cart thirty to forty five minutes to a Town Square in the evening and then home through “No Man's Land”? One of the main purposes of the Town Squares is to provide the Developer with a monthly income from the rental of the stores. A monthly rent of five thousand dollars is not uncommon. The developer has to attract the residents to the businesses to justify the rent. Income from residents of the southern areas, arriving by golf cart, would be negligible.
Air Rights:
The state of Florida is not going to just give away the air rights over the turnpike. The developer will have to pay either a monthly or yearly fee to lease the air rights. This fee helps keep us income-tax free. The minute the bridge goes up, the developer has to start paying the fee. Why would the builder want to pay the state for a bridge that connects to “No Man's Land”? If I was the builder, I would not put the bridge over the turnpike until it was profitable for me. Yes there is a bridge over Highway 44. We do not know what deal the developer made with the local county. A quick look while driving past the Hwy 44 bridge, Brownwood, will reveal that it has no access. In it's current state, it is just serving as a billboard, advertising “The Villages”. Development of the bridge in the Rohan area has come to a mysterious slowdown. (Additional information regarding air rights can be found at:
It’s Up in the Air: Air Rights in Modern Development – The Florida Bar)
Am I being too negative? I don't believe so. The Builder/Developer is a corporation. In our society, the first responsibility of a business is to make a profit. That profit then goes to the owners, or in the case of a publicly traded company, to the share holders. I do not expect “The Villages Corporation” to give me anything that is not profitable to them directly or indirectly. Remember the rule: Follow The Money.
Will I stay here? Heck Yes! I like the warm sand of Florida, I just choose not to bury my head in it. :-)
Cheers,
Eric