New nature-preserving neighborhood in Parrish sells out

A suburban community built in Parrish in Manatee County with an eye toward nature conservation sold out in September.
 
Forest Creek is a gated community between Tampa and Bradenton, near Sun City Center and Ruskin. It's owned and operated by private builder Neal Communities. It opened in 2005, offering 464 single-family homes ranging from 1,162 to 2,504 square feet.
 
Neal Communities has built more than 10,000 homes in southwest Florida with the goal of integrating houses peacefully with the environment.
 
"We have a policy at Neal to take our sites and to preserve more land, preserve important and significant natural features, preserve habitat, and we think that helps the people, we think it's part of our brand at Neal, and we think overall, it creates a better living environment for the people that live here, and also habitat for the endangered species," says Pat Neal, CEO of Neal Communities, in a video about Forest Creek.
 
The company set aside 45 percent of the community's acreage for conservation space. It also worked to preserve a large oak tree, moving a road to accommodate it.
 
"We then spent quite a lot of time and money making sure that Mr. Oak was healthy," Neal says in the video. "We've trimmed it, we've given some special fertilizer, some biological treatments, and it's much healthier today."
 
Forest Creek features a 1-acre bird rookery, observation deck, gazebo, nature trails, community pool, spa and fitness center, and an 18-acre lake for water-based recreation.
 
“Forest Creek is a classic example of how Neal integrates and takes into consideration the natural elements of a piece of land when we create a community,” says Leisa Weintraub, VP of Marketing and Creative Director at Neal Communities, in a prepared statement.
 
Realtor Jan Swift has lived at Forest Creek for more than two years and calls the community a "masterpiece."
 
"Once the gates open and I drive through, sometimes I say to myself, 'I can’t believe I live here,'" Swift says in the statement.
 
Neal Communities has neighborhoods throughout southwest Florida, including in Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota and beyond.