Wellen Park is officially one of the hottest master-planned communities in the country. The community reported 727 new home sales in the first half of 2026, a 37% increase over the same period last year. That surge puts it at No. 3 among America’s best-selling master-planned communities, ahead of developments in much larger metro areas.
For local families, the biggest milestone came this fall. Wellen Park High School opened its doors as Sarasota County’s first new high school in 25 years, serving students from Venice, North Port and Englewood. The Wellen Eagles wasted no time establishing themselves, winning their inaugural preseason football game over rival North Port before adding a win against Mariner.
Downtown Wellen Park keeps evolving too. A boutique Marriott hotel has broken ground, joining a growing lineup of restaurants, retail and live entertainment. Combined with the new hospital, dog park and splash pad, the area has moved well beyond the old debates about which zip code it belongs to. Now the question is whether the roads, schools and services can keep up with a community selling more than 100 homes a month. What do you think? Is Wellen Park growing the right way, or is it moving too fast for the rest of the Suncoast?
