Construction begins on riverside community

When Mike Stephens first walked a 44.5-acre property along the Manatee River, he watched as an aggregation of manatees swam downstream.

That was winter 2017, and now, Stephens, vice president of land for M/I Homes, is clearing the way for others to enjoy the view.

This month, M/I Homes started construction on its first two model homes in the future Riverside Preserve community, located off Upper Manatee River Road, just east of The Enclave at Country Meadows.

“What’s really unique about Riverside is the amount of open space,” Stephens said. “We saw this as an opportunity to do something unique and special. We wanted to maintain the character of the riverfront, but also create something that would make people want to live here.”

The site’s configuration is narrow (about 1/10th of a mile fronting Upper Manatee River Road and about 1/2 mile from Upper Manatee River Road to the river itself), so the home sites will be located on the portion of land closest to Upper Manatee River Road. 

But from there, the property stretches north to the river, where M/I will construct a roughly 1,800-square-foot pavilion with restrooms. There will be picnic and grilling spaces near clusters of oak trees, lawn areas and access to the river for homeowners.

“The river itself is the draw,” Stephens said.

The community also will have almost 1 mile of nature trails.

The amenities format is meant to satisfy a desire for riverfront living and yet have moderate homeowners association fees.

Model homes are expected to be finished in February 2019 in time for the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association’s Parade of Homes event. Sales will open at that time as well.

Stephens said home pricing has not yet been released.