South of Riverview, where cattle pastures and strawberry fields once defined the landscape, Wimauma is turning into Hillsborough County’s newest suburban frontier. Master-planned communities like Berry Bay and Balm Grove are pulling in national homebuilders by the handful, betting that the same growth wave that transformed Riverview a decade ago is now cresting over this once-quiet farm town roughly 30 miles from downtown Tampa.
Berry Bay, a 1,100-acre master-planned community, is currently slated to build out to 3,200 single-family homes, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. The development has added Perry Homes and Ashton Woods to a builder lineup that already included M/I Homes and D.R. Horton, offering everything from entry-level layouts to larger, design-forward floor plans aimed at growing families and move-up buyers. Jeff Hills, president of developer Eisenhower Property Group, said the same factors that fueled Riverview’s transformation are now gaining momentum in Wimauma.
Perry Homes picked Berry Bay as one of its first projects in the Tampa Bay area, and division president Garrison Taska said the community combines quality homes, thoughtful planning and amenities that support everyday life. The Houston-based builder joins Ashton Woods in a community that already features a clubhouse, a resort-style pool, sports courts, dog parks and pedestrian-friendly pathways at its amenity center. Berry Bay residents are zoned for Reddick Elementary, Shields Middle School and Sumner High School.
Balm Grove Targets Entry-Level Buyers
A few miles away, Balm Grove is shaping up as the next chapter of residential development in South Hillsborough, with Lennar and D.R. Horton both offering homes starting in the low $300,000s. The pricing positions Balm Grove as an entry point for buyers priced out of pricier South Shore communities, with what the report describes as strong resale potential as the surrounding area continues to fill in with rooftops…