Environment: Green Initiatives
Communities: Unwavering Commitment to Responsible Development and Green Living
Pat Neal has stood firm in establishing industry benchmarks in design integrity and building award-winning and environmentally sound communities and homes in a variety of price ranges. By doing so, Neal believes he gets closer to his personal and professional goals of helping to secure a more promising future for families from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds.
From site selection and land acquisition to entitlement procurement, planning, design process, and construction to the marketing and sales initiatives, Pat Neal has designed a turnkey program with his Neal team of experts to monitor and ensure the highest quality design and customer service satisfaction levels in the business.
An unwavering commitment to responsible land development, natural habitat preservation, innovative home building and unsurpassed customer service has been his benchmark for success for the past 40 years.
The recognition through hundreds of local and regional industry awards attest to a reputation that is without equal and instills his own personal sense of pride as well as that of every Neal Communities’ team member.
Highlights of award-winning, master planned community projects include:
University Park Country Club
As one of the original builder-developers along with partner Rolf Pasold, this 1,226-acre master planned residential community served as the foundation from which Neal Communities' commitment to protecting and preserving the environment and excellence in building integrity evolved.
In this partnership between the Pasold Family and Pat Neal, seed money for the land development was funded, making it one of the first major real estate developments in the Southeast United States not financed by banking or financial institutions.
From land acquisition and planning through design and construction, Pat Neal’s vision and expertise are evident. In addition to one of the most idyllic settings of any Southwest Florida golf community, University Park residents enjoy convenient access to shopping centers, new business parks, schools, beaches, I-75 and other services. Two on-site restaurants, Park Grille & Café and the Varsity Club offer locally focused dining with a contemporary European flair and an award-winning Sunday Brunch.
Honored with a "Best Master Planned Community Design in America" Award from the National Association of Home Builders, this environmentally-focused golf course community has led the way in responsible development for Neal Communities since the early 1980s.
A "save the trees" initiative spearheaded by Neal protected 1,800 trees and created an idyllic forested setting for the golf course and residential community.
A stormwater re-use system at University Park enhances the flow of the Braden River during the dry periods and helps meet the needs of the City of Bradenton. In addition, the continued reuse of the same stormwater keeps the phosphates and nitrates out of the public and drinking water supply, which also fosters cleaner bay water by minimizing algae growth. And residents enjoy a greener golf course and lawns in a responsible manner.
Perico Bay Club
Opened in 1987, Pat Neal and Neal Communities set a new standard in master planned community living and responsible development with the Perico Bay project in Bradenton. One of the area’s first premier, gated communities, Perico Bay’s multi-faceted 966-unit development includes bay front condominiums, paired patio homes, multi-plex buildings with three to six units each, and a variety of single-story and garden-view homes.
A joint partnership that Pat Neal initiated with Summit Properties added several rental apartment buildings to the community’s housing diversity.
Centrally located off Manatee Avenue West, Pat worked tirelessly to ensure Perico Bay’s design maximized private waterfront living on the Intracoastal Waterway, including views of Palma Sola Bay. In addition, 13 lakes, 10 pools, including an Olympic size pool at the Club House, four tennis courts and a community center, allow for an ideal mix of on-site lifestyle amenities for residents in 17 different neighborhoods, including easy access to downtown Bradenton, beaches, quality schools, shopping and other retail and cultural services.
Not to be overlooked was the attention given to creating 14 acres of Wetlands and preserving 70 percent of the land (5,500 linear acres) to protect Mangroves and other indigenous plants and trees. In addition, an archeological discovery on the property led Neal to pursue a more in-depth study whereby Bronze Age cultural artifacts were found, including points, arrows, shell spoons and kitchen shell middens. These findings were subsequently filed with
Department of Archives, History and Record Management
.
Subsequently, Pat and Charlene Neal donated in part and sold in part a 117-acre tract to Manatee County for the Patrick and Charlene Neal Preserve, diverting plans to build a high-rise condominium.
- 966 homes on 300 acres
- 17 neighborhoods with 13 lakes
- Waterfront living
- $100M in sales
- Model for responsible development
Wildewood Springs
A partnership between Paul Neal, Pat Neal, Frank Buskirk and Howard Adams in 1975 brought this 1,816-acre property to life and was Manatee county’s first major condominium project where the building styles were designed to fit with the land.
Even today these moderately priced homes retain their appeal by comfortably fitting into the surrounding natural environment, testimony to the vision and long lasting appeal of responsible development.
- 816 homes on 1800+ acres
- Lead condo project for responsible development
- 1975 opening sales price of $25,600
- 1981 sales price $109,000
Environment: Protecting the Land to Improve Desirability and Quality of Life
Four generations of Neal family vision spearheaded Neal Communities’ trademark for preserving the natural characteristics of every piece of land and adding to it to enhance and protect these features. All Neal Communities are individually planned and designed around the natural features before any building takes place.
Highlights of programs and policies that Pat Neal has championed for the past 39 years include:
Saving trees
Allowing trees to create the backdrop for each Neal Community development was instrumental in the development of an honor and reward system with contractors that compensates them for saving trees and penalizes them for ones that are needlessly cut down.
Building wildlife corridors
Protecting wildlife habitats helps minimize impact. Removing invasive exotics and replacing them with indigenous plant species provide visual barriers and sound buffers to animals so they can move about undetected.
Creating water estuaries
Preserving natural water resources, including lakes and ponds that create safe and natural environments for birds and other wildlife, are key features for all Neal Communities developments. Incorporating water into community design both for water re-use and natural beauty further enhances the quality of life for both residents and nature.
Restoring wetlands
Restoring wetlands helps protect damaged habitats and provide buffers adjacent to all wetland areas.
Conserving energy with reuse systems
Meeting or exceeding building standards that conserve energy make Neal Communities more valuable in terms of quality of life and re-sale value. Installing stormwater re-use systems for watering reduces the collective footprint and serves as a significant environmental feature for all homeowners.
“Responsible development is all about balance. Creating communities intermingled with indigenous landscaping, wetlands and uplands, nature preserves, and wildlife areas provide sustainable growth for the future, improves quality of life and builds lasting relationships with homeowners and the community.”
— Pat Neal, Neal Communities
| 
