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REAL interview – Developer Of The Concession Kevin Daves

Kevin Daves

Developer of The Concession Golf Club & Residences

By Ed Bertha

Resurgence At The Concession

Why did you choose the location?
“When I started looking around for land I was amazed at the lack of land with trees. Almost everything I looked at you needed to move a lot of earth, bring in a bunch of trees and hopefully in 30 years it would look great. I feel very fortunate to have found this parcel of land, now known as The Concession Golf Club and Residences, that was untouched.

At the time the parcel was next to Lakewood Ranch, but access to the property was off of SR 70. When Lakewood Ranch allowed me to build the road ($3 Million) and make that the new front door we kind of became part of Lakewood Ranch. Prior to that it was considered to be too far out because of the entrance off of SR 70. Being able to enter off of University Parkway changed the dynamics.”

Is The Concession still considered far out?
“It’s funny. The only people who ask that question are from Sarasota. People from out of town have a checklist. If I move here what’s the quality of life around me? Is there any shopping? Probably the best shopping center in the country is right down the street. How about dining? 10 or 12 of the great restaurants are within 15 minutes. What about entertainment? You have golf, polo and more. So if you do a checklist it’s all here right around you. The quality of life couldn’t be better. I think far out has kind of gone away.”

Smiling he adds, “Of course when Lakewood Ranch first opened it was considered far out. I think it (Lakewood Ranch) has done OK.”

In your opinion what is the best attribute of The Concession?
“Of course you have the world class golf course and clubhouse. The best part of it is even though you have a 1 acre lot your density really is 1unit to 6 acres. You have all that land around you, but you don’t need to own and maintain 5 more acres. That’s something that is a thing of the past. I don’t know any developers today looking at that scenario. Land is expensive, utilities are expensive. It doesn’t make financial sense today. The Concession might be the last piece of property developed like that.”

People would look at you kind of strange thinking you have 1,240 acres and are only constructing 236 homes, that is almost unheard of in Florida. We did it too because we were very dedicated to maintaining the trees and the beauty that was out here, not looking at maximizing the density at the risk of wiping out some 200 year old trees, so we were very good about that, staying even farther away than required by the state to save trees and preserves. That is the grandness of it, and that will always be there. It won’t ever change.”

In other neighborhoods your house is within 15 to 20 feet of the neighbors. You feel claustrophobic. The lots are small and the neighbors close. At The Concession you have ability to buy a lot, build a house and down the road if you want to add on there is no fear that you can’t add on. The lots are so big you can construct a new wing, guest house or sport court.

What fees are associated with home ownership in The Concession?
“We are substantially less than our neighbors. That is a major advantage of ours. We extended University Parkway. We put in all the streets. We planted all the trees along the roadway. We paid for everything up front. The cost of your lot is the cost of the development. We have no debt on the entire project, thus no CDD fees and our HOA fees are a modest $740 per quarter, which provides our residents with truly private roads and 24 hour gated security.”

What is the impact of The Mall at UTC?
“Gigantic. It answers, ‘What is there to do around us?’ The mall is only the beginning. It is the things that come after the mall. You’ll see more hotels and everything else. Not because they are directly related to the mall, but because the mall is such a substantial economic investment in that area. It makes everybody else comfortable about also investing. When Benderson did it everyone thought, ‘What are you doing?’ Now it’s seen as a genius move. It’s great for us. We couldn’t be happier.”

Is a golf membership a requirement?
“No. Every lot and home owner has the right to buy a golf membership, but it is optional. You can buy a culinary membership though. That’s kind of nice as you can use the clubhouse facilities. I think the clubhouse has some of the best food in town. Sean Murphy (Chef/Owner at the award winning Beach Bistro) set it up, just perfectly, and the quality of the food is spectacular.”

Is the buyer today different than the buyer back in 2006 when Concession first opened?
“Back then our buyers were people who predominantly lived in Sarasota. We had local buyers. Many were those who built in Lakewood Ranch and wanted something bigger. They were comfortable with the area and saw The Concession as a new development opportunity. We sold Phase 1 pretty quickly, for pretty good prices.

Today’s prices are reaching a much broader segment of the market. We now have over twenty young executive families with children. The grand opening year(s) focused so much on the Golf Course, today people are buying for the beauty and privacy of the community, a real neighborhood is rising out of the ground now.”

Where do buyers tend to be coming from?
“Over 50% of our buyers are local. The balance are from out of town, many from the north east. The Concession provides people the space, privacy, and exclusivity other high density, congested areas can’t. We’ve seen folks migrate away from the keys lifestyle and of course the weather always attracts northern folks looking to avoid winter.”

Builder’s model row at The Concession
“There are 72 lots left for sale. When we started remarketing there were 150 lots. We sold half of them prior to builders launching their models. At the time we approached the builders most of them had a difficult time getting a loan. Not because they weren’t credit worthy. The builders we have now survived the down turn and we have the “cream of the crop”. These were the first builders the banks approached to loan to. Our selection of builders enables the homeowner to pick what they want.”

Do you see price increases in the future?
“Yes I do. When we stopped selling lots were going for a million three. They are a great bargain at the price they are at. Look at the replacement value of these lots. First, I don’t know where you find the land. If you did by the time you buy the land and put the infrastructure in the lots would be double what we are asking. So even with a future price increase The Concession remains an incredible value. Probably mid 2016 we will be sold out, unless the world changes.”

What’s next for Kevin Daves?
“I’m approached all the time to develop out of the area. Why should I get on a plane? I’m zeroed in on doing things in Sarasota. I think this is still the best market to be in. Downtown is a gigantic opportunity. I’m interested in a hotel or condo project. Stay tuned.”

Kevin Daves is a Kansan by birth and a Sarasotan by choice. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Architecture, he began a career that took him on architectural and development projects throughout the United States. As part of his involvement in a wide range of commercial, residential and hospitality projects, Kevin developed an expertise in historical renovations.

In November 2001 he opened the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Condominiums. From the beginning, the hotel has garnered numerous awards as one of the outstanding resorts in the world. In association with New York-based Property Markets Group, he developed The Concession Golf Club & Residences. This 1,200+ acre project bordering Manatee and Sarasota counties was designated “Best New Golf Course in America” by Golf Digest magazine when it opened in 2006. Currently Kevin is exploring other opportunities to continue putting his signature stamp on Sarasota.

Copyright © 2015 REAL Exclusive Magazine
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