Pulte will be the exclusive homebuilder of Falls at Drake Point, a planned 521-home boating community on Lake Harris, the largest lake entirely in Lake County.
The nation’s third-largest homebuilder is under contract for the 293-acre gated community from owner/developer GPK Holdings, which secured the preliminary plat approval in 2023 for up to 535 homes. Falls at Drake Point will have two access points from CR 48 between Yalaha and Howey-in-the-Hills.
Pulte has redesigned the community to replace a large public marina with a private boat ramp and to remove the canal along the southern boundary of the community. All of the internal lots will be 65 feet wide, large enough to accommodate the builder’s larger footprint homes with three-car garages or boat garages.
The subdivision will also feature 32 estate lots with lake frontage and the ability to build private docks. The southern boundary of the community incorporates 51 smaller lots, each 50 feet wide. Homes will range in size from 1,800 to 4,800 square feet, with 3-6 bedrooms, 2-5 bathrooms and 2+ car garages , according to Max Perlman, VP of Land Acquisition for Pulte’s Central Florida Division.
Along the eastern side of the planned site, a boat ramp will allow residents easy access to Lake Harris, which is part of the 75,000-acre Harris Chain of Lakes. Community amenities will include a clubhouse with a resort-style pool, a playground, pickleball courts, a soccer field, a dog park and nature trails, according to Perlman.
“We view this as an upscale community with resort-style amenities and an unmatched lakefront lifestyle that will appeal to a wide range of buyers,” Perlman told GrowthSpotter. “The surrounding area offers a quaint, small town feel with an abundance of convenience, natural beauty and over 54 holes of golf between Mission Inn and Bishop’s Gate, a lifestyle that would be hard to match in Central Florida.”
GPK purchased the property for $9 million from the Cathye J. Bouis Family Trust, the Melanie Hunter Life Estate and the Wilma M Hunter Life Estate.
Jeff Adelman, director of real estate development for GPK Holdings, said it had been in the family’s hands for more than 90 years and includes lakeside trails that would not be permitted today because of wetland encroachment.
County records indicate GPK Harris Lake entered a purchase and sale agreement with Pulte in September 2023.
Falls at Drake Point is one of three new communities being developed on Lake Harris. Less than a mile away, Toll Brothers is bringing its Regency active-adult brand to Lake Hills, a 560-home development in Howey-in-the-Hills by Reader Communities and Hillwood Communities, which will also have a Publix-anchored shopping center. Kolter Homes is currently selling in Cresswind at Lake Harris, a 625-home community with a $10 million clubhouse in Tavaras.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
