Blog: What Wellen Park means for North Port’s bottom line

Published on May 31, 2026

North Port is growing, and that growth brings important questions. Who pays for new roads, utilities, parks and public safety, and does new development help or hurt our bottom line over time? As your City Manager, I take those questions seriously, and I want you to have clear, straightforward information about what the latest numbers tell us.

That is why the developer of Wellen Park asked an independent consultant to evaluate the fiscal and economic impacts of that master-planned community and the proposed annexation of the Winchester Ranch property into North Port. Their findings will be presented to the City Commission on June 2, and I encourage you to tune in, listen to the details and decide for yourself what this means for our community’s future.

The numbers tell a strong story. Wellen Park is projected to generate about $8.8 billion in additional taxable value for Sarasota County and the City of North Port at full buildout. That added value supports the property tax revenues that help pay for police and fire services, parks, streets and other essentials. Within the city limits, the portion of Wellen Park that has been annexed punches well above its weight. At buildout, it is expected to make up only 18.6 percent of North Port’s land area, while generating 50.9 percent of projected city revenues and accounting for just 36.8 percent of projected city costs. In plain language, that part of the city pays more than its share.

One of the clearest messages I hear from residents is that growth should pay for growth. You want to be sure that existing taxpayers are not left holding the bill for private development. In the case of Wellen Park and Winchester Ranch, that concern is being directly addressed. The Wellen Park developer has already invested more than $741 million in infrastructure and land development, including about $207 million for roads, $130 million for water and wastewater systems and $39 million for fire, parks and police facilities.

For Winchester Ranch, the backbone infrastructure will be fully funded by the developer. Roads, water, wastewater, fire stations and parks are to be built at the developer’s expense and then turned over to the City of North Port or the West Villages Improvement District. The City’s up-front capital cost for that backbone is zero.

From a budget standpoint, that matters. The consultant’s analysis shows that from 2026 through 2040, Wellen Park and Winchester Ranch together are projected to generate more revenue than it will cost to provide services every single year of the study period for both Sarasota County and the City of North Port. For every $1 it costs the City to serve those areas, the City is expected to receive between $1.39 and $1.58 in revenue. That positive margin helps keep our general fund stable and supports the services our entire community relies on.

The study also looks at the broader economic picture. Between 2006 and 2040, the development of Wellen Park is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in labor income during the construction phase alone. At full buildout, Wellen Park and Winchester Ranch are projected to have supported more than 40,000 jobs and billions in annual economic output across construction, health care, retail, hospitality, professional services and more. CoolToday Park, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, is a visible example of that impact, with more than 100,000 fans attending games[JB1]  in the 2025 season and well over $100 million in economic activity tied to spring training each year.

Taken together, the message from this independent study is that Wellen Park and the proposed Winchester Ranch annexation reflect carefully managed growth that strengthens our tax base, supports jobs and attracts private investment in infrastructure that would otherwise fall to the public.

I invite you to watch the presentation to the City Commission on June 2, review the information and stay engaged with us as we work to guide this growth in a way that reflects North Port’s values and protects our residents’ long-term interests.

Jerome Fletcher is the North Port City Manager. He can be reached at jfletcher@NorthPortFL.gov.