Growing Sustainably: What We Can Learn from Babcock Ranch’s “Living Laboratory”

0:15Welcome everyone. I'm Syd Kitson. I'm

0:17the host of this special session. We're

0:19speaking with Syd Kitson.

0:22We have a magnificent session today.

0:24As you know, this is the

0:26beginning of Climate Week and this is

0:29the Climate and Sustainability Forum

0:31sponsored by Fin Partners. Let me tell

0:33you that Syd Kitson is a builder in

0:34every sense of the word.

0:36I think you define building not only

0:38because you're a great developer,

0:41but also you're the builder of

0:42communities and sustainable communities.

0:44And Syd reminds us that behind every

0:47community there's leadership. There's

0:50leadership that considers

0:51sustainability, that considers

0:52resilience, that considers nature, that

0:55considers the people who will live in

0:56the community. Just a bit about Syd

0:58before we dive into the conversation.

1:01Syd, who's sitting right here,

1:04is a former actually offensive

1:06linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and

1:09the Green Bay Packers. He went on to

1:11become chairman and CEO of Syd Kitson

1:14Partners, which is one of the nation's

1:16leading development firms. And he's the

1:19visionary behind Babcock Ranch, which is

1:21in Southwestern Florida. Now,

1:24it's not just any community.

1:26>> [clears throat] >> Actually, it's America's first fully

1:28sustainable community and

1:30self-supporting in terms of its energy

1:32production. I believe Syd that Babcock

1:34Ranch produces so much energy through

1:37solar power that actually you are able

1:39to store it back into the grid. Is that

1:41correct?

1:42>> We we produce 150 megawatts.

1:46We actually have 700,000 panels on 840

1:49acres powering our town.

1:50And whatever's left over goes right back

1:52into the grid.

1:53>> It's fantastic.

1:54>> Yeah. >> Now, just a little bit about Babcock

1:56Ranch and what Sid envisioned. First of

1:58all,

2:00Sid has been able to prove that growth,

2:02environmental stewardship, and quality

2:05of life can live in harmony together.

2:07And after acquiring 90,000 acres,

2:10>> Yes. >> Right, 90,000 acres. It's amazing. Sid

2:13and his partners helped preserve 73

2:16um uh thousand of those acres.

2:18>> Yeah, well, actually what happened was

2:20uh we purchased 91,000 acres. That's 143

2:23square miles.

2:24An area five times the size of the

2:26island of Manhattan.

2:28And then we sold 73,000 acres to the

2:30state of Florida.

2:31>> With a caveat though,

2:32>> It was Well, it was the largest land

2:33purchase in the history of the state and

2:35that would be preserved forever.

2:37And then we ended with 18,000 acres and

2:39we preserved half of that. So, at the

2:41end of the day, 90% of the original

2:44ranch, the original 91,000 acres, is in

2:47preservation forever. And that might be

2:49the thing we're most proud of.

2:50>> Well, I think there's many things you

2:52can be proud of and we're going to

2:53explore that. And the reason we're going

2:55to explore that, especially during New

2:57York City Climate Action Week, is

2:59because visionaries who actually work on

3:03their vision can create communities that

3:05are sustainable and environmentally

3:07sound. So, I want to sort of jump to a

3:10dramatic story if I can for a moment.

3:15You build a community

3:17environmentally considerate.

3:20Think of resilience, special building

3:23materials which you want to hear about.

3:25And then along comes Hurricane Ian.

3:29Um a mammoth storm

3:33that strikes Florida and devastates

3:36tragically many people's communities.

3:40>> [clears throat] >> Let's start at the end first. What

3:41happened to Babcock Ranch?

3:43>> Well, the end result was um

3:46we had no damage, virtually no damage at

3:49all. Um never lost power.

3:52And uh there was no flooding. Um Um,

3:54everything that we had worked on uh and

3:57planned actually was was successful.

4:00And Gil, I think it's important to

4:01understand Babcock is a town. It's a new

4:03town, um, which is different than just

4:05sort of building a regular subdivision.

4:08Um, ultimately there'll be 22,000 homes,

4:116 million square feet of commercial

4:12space.

4:13And there'll be about uh 60,000 people

4:16living there. >> You have children, you have school

4:18systems built into

4:19>> Great point. So, it's

4:20multi-generational. We have a K through

4:2112 school. We have already 1,500

4:24students.

4:25We have a university that's building a

4:27campus there. Um, you know, we have

4:29pre-K. We have an autism school uh

4:31that's coming on board. Uh it it's a

4:34full functioning uh town.

4:36>> And you have the possibility that

4:38corporations can come in and you can

4:40live and work within the community.

4:42>> And that's really the key is for people

4:44to be able to come to Babcock Ranch and

4:45stay there uh and not have to leave. Uh

4:48everything is is is there. And we we

4:51focused heavily, as you know, on the

4:53environment um and and education.

4:56Uh and and energy. We talked about it

4:59being the first solar-powered town. We

5:01have a very unique transportation

5:02system.

5:03Uh our technology, I think, is some of

5:05the best uh and we're certainly set up

5:07and built for the the latest and

5:09greatest technology.

5:11Um, health and wellness is sort of a

5:12focus. We have a 100 uh over 100 miles

5:15of trails within Babcock. We have great

5:17partnerships with Tampa General uh Lee

5:19Health and others uh to make it

5:21state-of-the-art.

5:23But let's go back to what you were

5:24talking about, and that was storm

5:25safety.

5:26And I think

5:27>> live down there.

5:28>> I I I live there. I have a home at

5:29Babcock Ranch. Everybody knows where

5:31where where I live there.

5:33But, you know, really what what it

5:35started was planning it right from the

5:38beginning.

5:39And so, what we did is we we went back

5:41and looked at maps from like the 1940s

5:44to find the natural flow ways that go

5:46through Babcock Ranch.

5:47Now, normally a builder or developer

5:50would come in and just say, you know,

5:51that looks good to me. We're just going

5:53to We're just going to build on it.

5:55But what what we're trying to do is work

5:56with nature. Work in harmony with

5:58nature, not work against it. Those

6:00flowways, that's where the water wants

6:02to go.

6:03And so,

6:05my my thesis was stay out of it. Don't

6:08go near it. It's going to become part of

6:09our park system, hiking trails. Wherever

6:12we had one of those natural flow and

6:13they're all all over Babcock. We stayed

6:15out of them. We preserved thousands of

6:17acres of wetlands and they're awesome

6:20because not only they beautiful, but

6:22they store water.

6:24And we we put all the

6:26all of the utilities underground. We own

6:28the water and waste water utilities. So,

6:29we harden that. We require native plant

6:32materials.

6:33The reason we we do that is cuz they're

6:35great in dry weather and they're great

6:36in wet weather and windy weather. So,

6:38>> I know that Time magazine named you sort

6:40of the dreamer of the year just a few

6:42years ago. When you were talking about

6:45your plans at the at the dawn of Babcock

6:47Ranch, did people in the development

6:50industry say, "Sid, are you off your

6:53rocker here? I mean, you're going to

6:55give up

6:56all of this land for for public use, for

7:00community use? I mean, you could build a

7:03building there and sell it. I mean, you

7:06made decisions that were not focused on

7:08how do you maximize every acre for for

7:11pocket, for profit, but you thought

7:13about people."

7:14>> Yeah, and and it's a it's such a good

7:17point because for many years

7:19I I would say that in Southwest Florida,

7:21if you talk to people and they were

7:23honest with you,

7:25they would tell you that

7:27that I I I was missing something

7:29upstairs. Maybe got hit in head too many

7:31times playing football and or

7:33just he's a dreamer.

7:36I always believe that intersection that

7:38intersection of dreaming and doing is

7:40what changes the world and that's what I

7:42live by. And it's one thing to talk

7:44about it, it's one thing to, you know,

7:46come up with these great ideas. It's a

7:47whole 'nother thing to actually do it.

7:50And and so that's that was sort of our

7:52mantra. We're going to We're everything

7:53that we said we would do, we were going

7:54to make happen. And all the plans you

7:57know, you talked about that hurricane

7:59experience,

8:00we had spent so much time preparing for

8:02it. The engineers, the architects,

8:04hardening, all these uh you know,

8:07understanding the hydrology of Babcock.

8:09We have a smart storm water system that

8:11is state of the art.

8:13Uh it lowers the the uh the water levels

8:16before the storm ever gets there when it

8:18moves it around the community. It's

8:20massive. Babcock is huge. So it has

8:22different basins actually, you know, I

8:24think almost 20 basins and we move the

8:26water around.

8:27And using that technology is very very

8:30helpful. But I'll tell you, Gil,

8:33when that uh

8:34when Hurricane Ian

8:36first uh started to uh uh cross over

8:39Cuba, I'll I'll never forget this. It

8:41was a category one.

8:43And when it crossed over Cuba and hit

8:45those warm Gulf waters, it just it was

8:48it was unbelievable to watch it. It just

8:50exploded

8:51into the strong category four.

8:54Now at first, it was heading to the

8:56panhandle.

8:57And then it moved to the big bend.

9:00Then it moved to Tampa.

9:02They said it was going to go to Tampa.

9:03>> Right.

9:04>> But it took a hard right turn and went

9:06went right into Fort Myers Beach. And we

9:08we have a protocol we go through. So we

9:10were preparing ourselves and getting

9:12getting ready for it.

9:14And there's we we'd been through it

9:15before.

9:16But I remember sitting at my home and

9:18the weather person says, uh get ready,

9:20Babcock Ranch, it's headed right for

9:22you.

9:23Sustained winds of 100 miles an hour,

9:25gusts of 150 miles an hour. And oh by

9:28the way, it's going 3 miles an hour and

9:30it's going to sit on top of you for a

9:32long time. >> Oh my goodness.

9:33>> Now I didn't understand what a long time

9:34was, but it was on top of us for 8

9:37hours.

9:38And that thing just just was creeping

9:40along and I'm in my home, which is right

9:42on one of our lakes.

9:44And just witnessing and seeing the power

9:48of this if if you've ever experienced it

9:51and you walk outside, you know, in in

9:53kind of a sheltered area, it it sucks

9:55the air out of your lungs.

9:57And I remember

9:58just sitting there. I had promised at

10:00the time we had about 5,000 people

10:03living there.

10:04I promised all of them they could

10:05shelter at home. I said, we got this.

10:07You can shelter at home.

10:08>> big pledge.

10:09>> Big pledge and we had a shelter that we

10:11built, a 40,000 square foot shelter, but

10:13it was for evacuees off the coast. It

10:16wasn't for the >> To assist other communities.

10:18>> Other communities. Had nothing to do

10:19with that Babcock Ranch.

10:21And sure enough we had a couple thousand

10:23people that came from other, you know,

10:25off the coast to to stay to stay at

10:27Babcock Ranch.

10:29And as I'm sitting there, they it just

10:31there was a whiteout because the water

10:33was was was hitting against slapping

10:36against the side of my house.

10:38I had hurricane resistant windows and

10:41sliders.

10:42And it just the the pressure was just,

10:45you know, bending and bowing in these

10:47these windows and and sliders.

10:50It it was it was frightening to see.

10:53More importantly, as I was sitting

10:54there, I'm going, "What's happening to

10:56my neighbors?" cuz I had you can see. It

10:58was it was so violent.

11:00You you couldn't see you couldn't see

11:01beyond couldn't see left or right and

11:03then of course it got dark.

11:06The strangest part about the whole

11:07experience was we never lost

11:09electricity.

11:10>> Underground wiring.

11:12>> Underground and we had worked with

11:14Florida Power & Light for 8 years

11:17hardening the infrastructure into

11:19Babcock Ranch and then everything about

11:21Babcock Ranch was hardened.

11:23So, not only are you going through this

11:25experience of of of the violence of it,

11:28you know, it's and when people say it's

11:30like a freight train coming through your

11:31house. It is like a freight train coming

11:33through your house.

11:35And you're you're watching TV and

11:37they're showing it live.

11:38And it's so strange to see this thing

11:40sitting on top of back branch. We're on

11:42the eastern side of the Iowa, which is

11:44the dirty side.

11:45And it was just It was just relentless.

11:47And I just remember sitting there going,

11:49"Oh my gosh, what what what is

11:51happening?"

11:52You know, you do all these things, you

11:54know, all the engineers and architects

11:55and everybody spending so much time

11:57pouring their heart and soul into

12:00preparing for this.

12:02But it's a whole another thing when it

12:03actually happens. We're now being

12:05tested. We ain't been We We never been

12:07tested before. We had no idea what's

12:09going to happen.

12:10We thought it was going to work clearly.

12:12>> test at 150 mph.

12:14>> I mean, we went from zero to all the

12:16way.

12:17Um

12:18And so, you know, this went all night

12:20long and I was just up all night, you

12:22know, wondering, you know, was A, my

12:24house going to survive?

12:25>> Yeah, I thinking of the Star-Spangled

12:26Banner. And was our flag was our flag

12:29still there?

12:30>> I know, you know, it was I I was talking

12:31to my partner, um and Tom Logan, and I

12:34when I called him, I said, you know,

12:35Tom,

12:36uh this is either going to be, you know,

12:39a disaster or I think more likely it

12:41could be one of the greatest things that

12:42ever happened cuz we're going to prove

12:43something.

12:45What happened was the next morning when

12:46the sun came up, um as soon as there was

12:49any light at all, I jumped in my my

12:51truck and it started going out. And now,

12:53mind you, all around us

12:55was destruction. Flooding,

12:57unfortunately, uh a loss of life. It was

13:01It was horrendous. Anybody who witnessed

13:03what happened to Fort Myers Beach and

13:04the surrounding area will know what I'm

13:05talking about.

13:06>> Sanibel Island, all of that.

13:07>> Un- unbelievable the destruction.

13:10I honestly I could look you in the eye

13:12and say, I had no idea what to expect. I

13:14had none. No idea what at all.

13:16>> you have to open up that emergency

13:17center for

13:18>> It was It was opened and there were

13:20people in there and uh thank goodness.

13:23Uh even during Hurricane Milton,

13:25uh the governor of the state of Florida

13:27got on national TV and said if you're in

13:29one of the evacuation zones, go to

13:31Babcock Ranch. And so not only do we

13:33have 2,000 people in our shelters

13:35waiting another couple of thousand,

13:362,000 people staying with with with

13:39people, friends.

13:40>> So so much of this, I mean, obviously

13:43incredible planning to create a

13:45resilient community. But I I just want

13:48to back up a second because

13:50when generations look at us today,

13:54they'll realize that there were people

13:55like yourself who made very conscious

13:58decisions to construct a community in a

14:01very unique way. I know that you, as I

14:03said earlier, you're one of Time's

14:06Dreamers of the Year. But dreaming to me

14:08always is sort of like contemplating.

14:11It's It's visionary, which was important

14:14as well. But I wouldn't really call you

14:16the dreamer. I would have probably

14:18called you the doer of the year. I mean,

14:20you made it happen. You built it. You

14:22know, it's like if you know, if you

14:24dream it, it is it is no, it's a reality

14:27in your case in your case.

14:30I I want to go back just for a second

14:31because here you're a very established

14:34developer.

14:36Um,

14:37one of the nation's most successful. And

14:40you decide you're going to build a

14:41community that considers all aspects of

14:45people's needs for the future, for the

14:47now and the future. Environmentally

14:49sound, um, resilient materials, you

14:52know, going with nature instead of

14:54fighting nature. You know, they always

14:56say mother nature, you know, don't

14:58don't, you know, sort of test mother

15:00nature. Mother nature will win. You

15:02understood that. You embraced that

15:03simple adage. You You looked at risk

15:06factors. You considered other

15:08communities that might need to be

15:11sheltered within Babcock Ranch. You You

15:14considered solar energy so that it would

15:16be sort of a a carbon net zero

15:18community. You considered power under

15:21the ground for obviously attractiveness

15:24but safety so that people would maintain

15:26power.

15:28What was the kind of the moment you're

15:30sitting at home and you have this like

15:33brainstorm that I'm going to build this

15:35community of the future now?

15:38>> Well, we really started from the

15:40beginning of our my career as after

15:43football if you will or maybe even

15:44before football because I consider

15:46myself an environmentalist.

15:48Um I know that sounds

15:50you know, kind of counter and an

15:51entrepreneur. Uh yes.

15:53But a lot of people go, how can you be a

15:55developer and and be an

15:57environmentalist?

15:58>> Right, that's the question everybody

15:59will ask. >> And and I I will tell I think it's

16:01perfectly

16:02uh natural and and exactly how it should

16:05be. We have to add homes. There's a

16:07dearth of lots and available new homes

16:10in this country. Somebody's going to

16:11have to build them.

16:13Let's do it the right way.

16:14And I've always talked about the impacts

16:16that we have as a as a uh as an

16:19industry. We need to mitigate those

16:21impacts and do it the right way.

16:23So, I I think it's natural and and it it

16:25makes sense to actually get involved in

16:27something that potentially could be

16:29harmful to the environment but rather

16:32prove that we can work in harmony with

16:34nature.

16:35But, you know, then we we did a lot of

16:38work early on where we would

16:41either buy or manage uh distressed

16:45master-planned communities. Like, we did

16:47a lot of it.

16:48And and and successfully.

16:50But, each time you learn a lesson and

16:53you learn why why did this fail? What

16:55what could they have done better before

16:57we we we stepped in?

16:59And um you know, finally I I I've talked

17:02to my partner and I says, I'm just tired

17:04of taking over somebody else's problems.

17:07Let's let's let's do it right from the

17:09beginning. Now, this proved you can do

17:11it right from the beginning and one of

17:12the one of the big things in in our

17:14industry is is it they'll tell you it's

17:16always the second or third group in that

17:18that'll be successful. Right. The first

17:20guy in usually goes bankrupt. The second

17:22one will come in and make it better.

17:25Right. First. We are the first. And

17:28we're proving that it it can be

17:29successful if you do it right from from

17:32the beginning.

17:33>> Do you have other developers who fly

17:35down to Babcock Ranch and say, "Could we

17:37study what you did? Could we

17:38>> Oh, absolutely. Oh, it happens

17:41all the time.

17:42Uh and just recently uh yes, we we have

17:45people coming from all over the country.

17:46We've had them come from outside the

17:48country.

17:49And uh just take a look because we we've

17:51gone from, you know, just starting sales

17:53to fourth in the nation in in just a few

17:55years and we're and we're we're very

17:58very proud of that and I think it's

17:59because people are embracing

18:00sustainability.

18:02The outdoor lifestyle, healthy

18:04lifestyle, something that we we talked

18:06about this 20 years ago, Gil, when I

18:08first announced Babcock Ranch. It was it

18:10was back in 2005.

18:12>> Wow.

18:13>> So, it that was way before people were

18:15even talking about uh sustainability.

18:17But, the one caveat I always ask

18:19everybody, I I will give you everything

18:21I have, everything. I'll show you

18:23everything.

18:24Just promise me you'll even do it

18:26better.

18:27And uh you'd be surprised the enthusiasm

18:29a lot of these really good There's good

18:31developers out there uh who have those

18:34same goals in mind.

18:36You know, uh when people come to work

18:38for us, I I I sit down with them and I

18:40say, "This is for real. This is a

18:43passion.

18:44We're not doing this just to sell homes.

18:46The idea is that if we do it right, we

18:48will sell homes. People will want to

18:50live here."

18:51But, we're going to do it the right way.

18:52>> And you have businesses coming down now.

18:54>> Correct. Oh, a lot of businesses. So,

18:56we're going to do this the right way

18:58because we want to change the world. We

19:00want to prove that it can be done right

19:01and you got to think that way.

19:03And and I always tell them, "Look, if

19:05you don't feel that way, don't work for

19:07us. Go work for someone else. This isn't

19:09about just slapping together and you

19:11know, and just kind of cookie cutter it

19:13and and we're going to move on. This is

19:15about creating a true place

19:17that people can come in with their lives

19:20and and and know that they're living in

19:22a place that is hopefully creating

19:27a better future

19:28for our kids and our great grandkids.

19:30>> You you've done that. So I have to ask

19:32the question. Here you are, you are a

19:34visionary who's able to implement what

19:37you envision. Are there plans for other

19:40similar communities in the United

19:41States?

19:42>> Well, that that's

19:43Well, sick kids and plans?

19:45>> Yes, exactly.

19:47>> Well,

19:48>> Or is this is this the big is this like

19:50the we've just gotten started?

19:52>> I I have had

19:54I've had quite a few opportunities.

19:56Quite a few.

19:57I I I think that I want to make sure

19:59that Babcock

20:01it it's so big.

20:02>> I'm sure people at Babcock are happy to

20:03hear that.

20:04>> It's so big.

20:05>> And your dedication to the community.

20:06>> So I've really focused on Babcock and

20:08making sure that

20:10that vision is is is finished and done

20:13right. >> Yeah. I I really have to ask

20:15>> But but I will say to you it is it is

20:17certainly

20:18you know, I know the younger people you

20:21know, young younger people in our

20:22company

20:23are asking me the exact same question.

20:25So eventually, yes, we we will be doing

20:27>> Hey, we want to move something into some

20:29place else. Will you be there

20:31to help and build it for us?

20:33>> Well, I tell you I always

20:35I live I had homes in many of the

20:37communities I've built and I I

20:40philosophically will tell you if you're

20:41not willing to live there with pride

20:44then you're not building it right. So I

20:46bought I built a house at Babcock Ranch

20:49early on and I've lived there and people

20:51know I live there.

20:52And I I love it. We love it. My wife and

20:55I love it and

20:56and so again, if you're not willing to

20:58do it, why should they do it?

21:00>> the people moved into Babcock Ranch

21:02which is as important to you. I wanted

21:04to just return for a second to this

21:06concept of

21:07you've kind of expressed it purpose and

21:10profit. Babcock Ranch is a profitable

21:13venture, but it's driven by purpose. A

21:15lot of people feel that purpose-driven

21:18people like yourself are dreamers.

21:21And

21:22that clearly is not representative of

21:26the work you've achieved.

21:28What would be your message to people who

21:30are in the space of

21:32building not just communities, but

21:35thinking of of enterprise. How do they

21:38incorporate purpose into and and realize

21:41it's not purpose or profit, it's purpose

21:44and profit in harmony for the sake of

21:46society?

21:47>> Yeah, it's an and for sure.

21:50Um it's such a great point, Gil. Um

21:52it

21:53One thing we knew going into this was

21:56if if it doesn't make money, it's not

21:59going to be replicated. So there that

22:02the capitalistic side of that had has to

22:04shine through. It it has to.

22:06The you can't rely on the public sector

22:09and government to to make this stuff

22:11happen. You you you've got to make it

22:12work.

22:13And uh so going into this,

22:16you know, our our financial partners, of

22:19course, you know, it's got to be tough

22:20on them, too, to hear, you know, we're

22:22going to spend a few more dollars. It's

22:23not crazy. When you do it right from the

22:24beginning, it's not nearly as expensive

22:27as you think it is. It's when you

22:28retrofit or have legacy issues.

22:31But they want to know that they're going

22:33to get a return.

22:34>> Right. Private equity is about return on

22:36investment.

22:37>> Yeah, and we're we're we're our partners

22:39are a pension fund, and we take that

22:41responsibility very very seriously.

22:43Those people who their hard-earned money

22:47uh is they're entrusting that to us to

22:50provide a return to them and not just

22:52short-term, but a long-term return.

22:53That's why we when we build all our

22:55commercial assets, we're owning them.

22:57Anything that creates income. The the

22:59sewer plant, the sewer and water plant,

23:01we own it, and we're not going to be

23:03selling it. That's going to be held uh

23:04long term.

23:05So, the quality is there. Everything is

23:07about quality and building it right and

23:09thinking long term, not short term,

23:11which I think is very important. But,

23:14if if if you're not going to be

23:16profitable, it doesn't make sense

23:18financially, this will fall uh and fall

23:20hard. And that's why proving that you

23:22can do it the right way, you can be

23:24resilient, you can work with nature, you

23:26can be sustainable, all those things can

23:28happen, and you can make money. As a

23:30matter of fact, my argument is

23:32if you if you ask people at Babcock

23:34Ranch, why do you live there?

23:35So many of them say it's because of of

23:38the of the outdoor lifestyle

23:40and the and the sense of community and

23:43the fact that they can come there and

23:45live there and for the most part not not

23:47have to leave.

23:48>> Right. >> And uh and when and so if you if again,

23:51if you went down and talked to people,

23:53what is it about Babcock Ranch? They'll

23:54tell you it's a feeling. And it's a

23:56feeling of community.

23:58And and I think that's that's just

24:00>> Do you think that they share in your

24:01sense of purpose that they realize that

24:03they have moved into a place that is so

24:05unique and

24:08respects the environment, prioritizes

24:11their needs, has the sense of community,

24:13school systems, stores, transportation,

24:17recreation. Do you think that they sort

24:19of are um

24:21are passionate about

24:23being pioneers at Babcock Ranch?

24:25>> I would say that um

24:28they they take it even a a further step. If

24:31I'm not doing it the way that they think

24:32I should be doing it, they let me know.

24:34>> That's a good feeling.

24:35>> It's a great feeling. Um they take a lot

24:37of pride in in living there. And if And

24:40it's not for everybody. It it's it's

24:43not.

24:44But for the people who are there, they

24:45want to know that we are in fact um

24:49you know, we're we're

24:50that the promise

24:52that we've made, that we're we're we're

24:54delivering on that promise.

24:56And I think that's really really

24:58important. And they they keep an eye on

25:00things cuz they they are very proud.

25:02Uh

25:03they talk about I think our

25:05as in most places our number one

25:08sales tool if you will are referrals

25:10from people who live there. And it's

25:12really important.

25:13>> So in other words, building sustainable

25:15community is attractive to

25:17other people. Uh

25:19it's it's a reference point. People sort

25:21of say, "Come here. This is a great

25:23community because it's essentially a

25:25sustainable community. And obviously

25:27many of your pioneers lived through with

25:29you through Hurricane Ian and saw the

25:31impact of that."

25:33>> Yeah, and I think people are you know,

25:34they turn on the news and you know,

25:36they'll see but I want they'll say if

25:38they're from the Northeast or Midwest

25:40and they say, "Look, I I want to move to

25:41Florida."

25:43But then they'll see the hurricanes or

25:45or in other parts of the western part of

25:47the country you're seeing all these

25:48wildfires fires whether it be in Canada

25:51or throughout the the western part of

25:52the of the country, even the central

25:54part of our country. And you see all

25:56these things going on.

25:58I I think people want to feel safe. Um I

26:00I think that drives uh

26:02a lot of people's buying decision. Can

26:04they feel safe?

26:05>> Brilliant. Brilliant idea. Brilliant

26:07idea. And also I I have to ask you sort

26:10of a

26:11um maybe a humorous question. I mean,

26:14you're a person who has demonstrated

26:15it's possible to build a sustainable,

26:18resilient, environmentally thoughtful

26:21community. When will the call come to

26:23name you secretary of HUD?

26:25>> That is humorous. I like that very much.

26:28>> But but that I I say that just so that

26:30you won't discount the question. But but

26:33clearly obviously you've demonstrated

26:36not only vision and and business savvy,

26:39but operational ability. Uh you brought

26:41that all together. I think that not only

26:44are the residents of Babcock Ranch

26:46likely very appreciative to to obviously

26:49Kitson & Partners Kitson Kitson &

26:50Partners, but but I have a sense that

26:52people when they see you kind of walking

26:55around the community probably come over.

26:57You're the unofficial mayor. I know you

26:59don't hold a public position there, but

27:01they probably see you as really the the

27:03pioneer who built the community.

27:05>> Well, you know, and I hope they

27:06understand that there's a lot of just

27:08wonderful people

27:10that are are part of this organization.

27:13And what I love about it, too, is is you

27:15know, everyone we encourage ideas from

27:19not only home owners, but we receive

27:21great ideas from some of the people who

27:22live there.

27:23But for people who work for our

27:24organization.

27:26And

27:27I got to tell you, it it's wonderful to

27:29see if you get uh maybe one of our our

27:32development people or an engineer, it

27:34happens all the time where they go,

27:35"I've got an idea."

27:37And when you can't do them all, right?

27:39But when when they actually see it

27:41happen,

27:42the sense of pride that they have is

27:44unbelievable cuz they're going, "That

27:45was my idea." I I I that that's that's

27:48because of me. And they're not they know

27:50it's going to be there forever. And that

27:51you know, people who live there are

27:53going to be enjoying something and be

27:55impacted by something that they did and

27:57and and proposed.

27:59And I think that's exciting because

28:01I think the one thing that uh and for

28:03anybody listening who's who's in this

28:05business, they'll they'll be able to

28:06tell you, there are very few people in

28:08this entire world who have the

28:10opportunity to build a new city. That's

28:13there Well, there's a handful. It's just

28:15not that many people. So, we have this

28:17very unique opportunity, very unique

28:19responsibility, but it takes a whole lot

28:21of people you know, coming together,

28:23your financial partners, you know, all

28:25the planners and the the engineers and

28:28the architects and you know, all the

28:30people that work for us to execute on

28:32all these things. It's just really

28:34wonderful to see all the work from all

28:36the people who have made Babcock Ranch

28:38possible.

28:39>> I think this is a wonderful way to begin

28:41the climate and sustainability forum

28:43during climate week in New York City uh

28:46to hear from you, Sid, someone who

28:49envisioned the possibility of building a

28:51new city, a sustainable city, an

28:54environmentally thoughtful city, a city

28:57that can deal with the elements, a city

28:59that can consider the people's needs,

29:01that sustains and retains sort of open

29:04land for people to enjoy. And now it's

29:06been closed. I have to say, do you ever

29:08watch any of the Babcock Ranch school

29:10football games?

29:11>> I do.

29:12>> They do.

29:13>> I do. [laughter]

29:14>> And how do they How do they look this

29:16year? >> We've got a little work to do, but we're

29:18we're going to get there.

29:19>> Well, your envision of Babcock Ranch is

29:21going to get there. Sid, thank you for

29:22joining us. >> Thank you. Thank you for having me here.

29:23I appreciate it. Thank you.

29:27>> [music]

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