Wellen Park and the City of North Port break ground on new North Port Fire and Police Public Safety Building

NORTH PORT, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2021) – Wellen Park and the City of North Port held a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 3 for the new $13-million, 24,300-square-foot City of North Port Public Safety Building.

Wellen Park is partnering with the City of North Port to develop the new Public Safety Building. The largest city in Sarasota County, the City of North Port provides emergency services through its fire rescue and police departments. As the city’s population has grown west of the Myakka River, the new building is needed to meet current and future demand.

“This new Public Safety Building will fulfill a critical need for the growing Wellen Park community,” said Rick Severance, president of Wellen Park. “As we continue experiencing sizable growth, we’re pleased to partner with the City to ensure fire, police and other emergency services are readily available for our current and future residents.”

The campus-like structure will be the future home of Fire Station 86 and the North Port Police annex. Located in the heart of Wellen Park, this building will provide faster emergency services to Wellen Park and the surrounding areas and reduce the demand placed on the current Sarasota County fire station at the State College of Florida campus.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to provide exceptional public safety services to the Wellen Park community with a new, state of the art, first class facility,” said North Port Fire Rescue Chief Scott Titus. “The new Public Safety complex will ultimately provide the best coverage possible for those we serve.”

The Public Safety Building will be located along Tamiami Trail near the intersection of Preto Boulevard, with construction by Willis Smith Construction expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2022. Plunkett Raysich Architects designed the building. Engineering work will be completed by Snell Engineering Consultants, AM Engineering Inc., Kimley-Horn and Quest Design Group.

A four-bay, double-deep, 7,000-square foot apparatus room will house rescue vehicles and fire trucks behind bright red metal and glass doors. At the building’s corner, a 1946 Seagrave fire truck will sit within a glass display room, symbolizing the rich history of North Port Fire Rescue and glowing at night like a lantern for the community.

The new Station 86 will also provide offices, sleeping quarters and support space for the City of North Port and Sarasota County in this shared facility. A masonry stair tower will serve as a spot where personnel can practice rappelling, ladder and hose training and other simulated conditions.

In addition to the Public Safety Building, the campus will also include a rescue helipad, 1,600-square-foot police garage for support equipment and dedicated parking for police and fire personnel and visitors. A commemorative Hero Plaza will memorialize and honor the men and women who have served for their dedication and achievements.

Wellen Park was recently named the No. 4 top-selling master-planned community in the U.S. for 2020 by prominent real estate consulting firms John Burns and RCLCO. Wellen Park offers a vibrant mix of residential, commercial and recreational options amongst three districts: West Villages, Downtown Wellen and Playmore. The community currently has approximately 8,000 residents, and at full build-out will have more than 60,000 residents and 22,000 homes.

The community’s brand and vision are rooted in wellness. Wellen Park’s wellness focus is holistic and practical, designed to give residents greater opportunities to connect with one another, take care of themselves and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle, all within an inclusive, genuine community vibe.

Mattamy Homes, North America’s largest privately owned homebuilder, is the developer and majority landholder of Wellen Park. For more information about living at Wellen Park, call 941-960-7805, go to wellenpark.com or visit the Welcome Center at 12275 Mercado Drive in Venice, Fla. The Welcome Center is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Contact:

Jennifer Hamilton, Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR, 239-275-5758, [email protected]