DIX Developments acquired Leesburg’s 74-acre Blake Ridge property from the retiring Motocross Professional Blake Baggett for $4.875 million.
According to a report by Growthspotter, Blake Ridge nodded to Baggett’s nickname during his racing career, and was set to include 216 detached lots, including 216 detached lots.
April Stevenson of Clermont’s Realtor, who represented Baggett, said that initially wanted the land to be used as a motocross facility, but ultimately decided to sell it as a development site. Baggett used the facility for training.
“We were hoping it would remain a motocross facility as the village has pushed south by the time he retired in his professional career,” she said. “But the land was so valuable that we couldn’t justify keeping it on a truck.”
Bladeridge was the first of three closures of DIX, bringing 1,466 new homes directly across from the village’s border along the county road.
The district includes Blairridge to the south, Huntington Oaks, a development of 84 acres north, and 597 acres of Oak Ridge between the two.
“We’re committed to providing a range of services to our customers,” said James Dicks, CEO and Founder of DIX Developments. “That’s how we came up with Oak Ridge in essence.”
Huntington Oaks includes 166 detached house lots and 144 villas. It will close in June and construction is scheduled to begin in the same month.
The largest of the three developments, Oak Ridge, includes 718 detached house lots and 222 villas. With DIX development, Oak Ridge approval is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
“We worked a lot with the Army and the (St. John’s River) Water Management District, so I think the application is about to be submitted this week,” he said. “We’re probably talking about a year for rezoning.”
According to the developers, DIX Developments currently manages approximately 4,900 acres owned or under contract.
Dix said his company is currently working on 27 projects that are now extending from Brevard County to Citrus County, all located north of State Highway 60.
“We’re beginning to build a pretty big presence in Lake County, so we like it because it’s in the middle between everything we have,” he said, referring to the Oak Ridge project. “We certainly love the area and will continue to grow for the village.
“We’re planning to triple the impact already in the county,” he said.
Any tips on developing Central Florida? Please contact jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or contact us at 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Original issue: March 26, 2025 5:30am EDT
