Did not realize that while Fenney is Sumter County, the millrate tax is more in Fenney due to Wildwood. My millrate near colony (Sumter County) is about 11 (or $1100 per $100k), while Fenney areas is about $400 more per $100k or $1500 per $100k; higher taxes. Homestead will help but interesting higher taxes.

Moved in to our home in Monarch Grove in June and love the near by amenities at Riverbend, Robert dog park, and Swallowtail. Plus other villages are nearby at Marsh Bend, McClure, DeSoto, and Fenney. Many homes and lots are being sold in Monarch Grove and many sales pending or houses are sold. Check Villages app and filter to new and pending in Monarch Grove only and click map. People haven’t moved into some yet and yes construction is still going on albeit a short term issue. My wife and I drive around in our golf cart to watch the progress.

Also noticed bunch of spec homes and some new lots appeared in the app this week in MG.

What short term issue?

Work is already starting on the Bailey Bridge to allow it to connect across the Turnpike.

Drone shot of Bailey Bridge 6-19-19

According to reports I've read, it's being upgraded to handle both auto and GC traffic.

Growth plans are kept very quite to not impact current sale. The sales adage of SWAT, Sell What's Available Today applies. Don't want people not buying today because they are waiting for the next area to be built because will have a (fill in the blank) that I really want to be next to.

Thanks for the response Wingnut. It’s appreciated. As are the videos.

Leesburg Gas
 

Just sharing some historical info on the gas company in the MG area. The article give some clues on the direction of possible future decelopment.

Eye on The Villages: Fight over natural gas

Village of West Lakes
 

MG could end up close to center of The Villages as development plans materialize.

Unable to paste link to article, but map image attached...

Link to relatively recent satellite images including MG, guessing less that one year ago.

Scrolling to the north shows substantial progress of Village Oaks land prep in progress north of the Turnpike Plaza and cattle bridge.

https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=601f4...=2&form=S00027

I drove down to Monarch Grove today to buy seven tacos from the food truck that sells to the workers and I was amazed to see all of the building that is going on. It is much more than was going on in Osceola Hills when we had our house built three years ago.

I heard The Villages just purchased the land just south of Monarch Grove so I expect to see them start building there very soon. I seems like it was just a few months ago that my wife and I parked in McClure and walked through what is now Linden and Monarch Grove and there wasn't a single house anywhere.

We recently moved to McClure, near MG and we love it. It is so nice that everyone is moving in within a few months of each other, all looking to make new friends and do things together. All of our neighbors are so friendly and it will be the same in MG. Everything is clean and new, with lots of green space and natural areas.
For now, we do have to drive a bit to go shopping, but we can always get in the car. What is more important is where we spent most of our time - our home and neighborhood. There is so much to do here and with the new regional rec center, Everglades, opening soon, there will be so much more.

The last official word from TV on connectivity was January 2020 on full connectivity. I've since heard a rumor that it changed to spring 2020, but have never seen that in writing and have yet to find anyone to confirm it. There are 2 major bridges that need to be in place to support the connectivity. One is already built and on the side of 44 just waiting to be lifted into place at any moment, and the other is currently being constructed on the side of the turnpike with the superstructure already half complete in only a couple of weeks. Given what you can see with your own eyes, there's no way it will be delayed until the end of next year. As a matter of fact, it looks more to be right on the original schedule.

This morning, we took a drive south of Monarch Grove. (We will be moving to Monarch Grove, off Reagan, in early 2020.) 501 dead-ends into 470. Right at that intersection, we saw one of The Villages' covered wagons. It'll be interesting to watch the development.

The expansion I going so fast, I have to constantly open up Google maps to see where everything is.

They are filling in the gaps, just mind boggling the future may bring MG central to the community.

It would be logical the next square be somewhere central in the expansion areas..

From Villages News (unable to paste functional direct link)

Wildwood approves annexation of 770 acres that could be part of Villages of Southern Oaks
By Marv Balousek - July 23, 201

Wildwood commissioners Monday approved annexation of about 770 acres that could become part of the Villages of Southern Oaks development.
The property includes three parcels near the intersection of county roads 501 and 470.

The annexation was requested by The Villages Land Co., the Southern Oaks developer, on behalf of the Sanders Transfer Co. and Duval Farms, who may be the current land owners.

Two smaller parcels are north of CR 501 and west of CR 470. A larger parcel is east of CR 470, set back from the road, next to a 4,130-acre property that was zoned agricultural two years ago.

A decade ago, an 8,000-home development was proposed for the large agricultural property. Two years ago, Buffalo Hide & Cattle Co., an entity linked to The Villages, persuaded Wildwood officials to designate the property for agricultural instead of mixed-use zoning. At that time, the land was earmarked for use as pasture land.

The two smaller annexed parcels could be used for commercial or residential development since they border CR 501. But the larger annexed parcel currently has no road access and borders the pasture land.

Last year, Wildwood added 5,664 acres to the Southern Oaks area, nearly doubling the number of permitted homes to 49,339. The number of permitted homes often is higher than the number actually built.

Condominiums and apartments also are allowed in Southern Oaks, a sprawling development that stretches from U.S. 301 east nearly to CR 470 on both sides of the Florida Turnpike.

If all permitted homes are built, Southern Oaks would nearly double the size of The Villages, which had about 65,000 homes before the development began.

Southern Oaks also is authorized to include up to 11.2 million square feet of non-residential uses such as commercial and up to 1.4 million square feet of government or office space.

Another map showing planning for new roads.