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Award will be Given at Prestigious Master-Plan Conference Future Place
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Zonda announced Syd Kitson and the Kitson & Partners’ team as 2025 recipient of its master-planned communities Legends Award, presented by BUILDER, ahead of Future Place at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Irving, Texas, on Oct. 27-29.
“The Legends Award uniquely spotlights executives and teams who are focused on future-proofing today’s master planned-communities,” said Jeff Meyers, chief executive officer of Zonda. “Syd and the Kitson & Partners’ team continue to evolve their efforts for ‘new kinds of hometowns’ that residents are not only proud of but that are truly safe, secure and sustainable.”
What is a master-planned community? Communities with multiple builders offering many price points for buyers of various budgets. According to Kitson & Partners, “Designed from the ground up to offer everything a community needs. Convenience, schools, shops, entertainment, and potentially even your workplace are all right there, minutes from home.”
Kitson founded Kitson & Partners in 1999 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The company’s development portfolio includes 21,500 residential units and 6.8 million square feet of commercial space. Kitson led the acquisition of Babcock Ranch in 2006, which became America’s first solar-powered town and successfully built to withstand the storm of the century.
Kitson and his team laid out seven initiatives when they began the work for Babcock Ranch including environment, energy, education, transportation, technology, health, and storm safety.
“We have a lot of true believers here that want to change the world. We want to do the right thing. We want to be leaders in innovation and how to do it right,” Kitson said in a feature interview with BUILDER. “Challenging the status quo is not easy. It’s our mission to prove that sustainable development can be both financially profitable and environmentally responsible. We’re proving it every day at Babcock Ranch – and we’re just getting started.”
Find homes in Kitson & Partners master-planned communities Babcock Ranch, Talis Park and Ibis Golf & Country Club on Zonda’s NewHomeSource.com.
Everything homebuyers need to know about master-planned communities
Is a master-planned new home community right for you?
“I have never met someone who has more will to succeed,” adds Tom Hoban, Kitson & Partners president and chief investment officer. “No obstacle or problem is too difficult to solve. Syd is such an inspirational leader. He motivates all of us to achieve beyond what we think is possible.”
Kitson and the Kitson & Partners’ team will be honored at the conference and featured on the cover of the Q3 edition of BUILDER Magazine with the “Working With Nature” feature story by award-winning feature writer Leah Draffen. Previous winners of the Legends Award include Adrian Foley of Brookfield Residential, Rex Jensen of Lakewood Ranch, Fred Balda of Hillwood Communities, Larry Johnson of Johnson Development, Emile Haddad of FivePoint Holdings, and Bob McLeod of Newland.
About BUILDER
BUILDER is the No. 1 resource — via its award-winning journalism and industry events — for anyone involved in new-home construction. Primarily focused on the single-family sector, BUILDER strives to help home builders manage their operations, large and small, more efficiently and profitably. Residential construction pros turn to BUILDER for housing-related news, market analysis, design trends, M&A deals, building product coverage, and more. builderonline.com
About Zonda
Zonda provides data-driven housing market solutions to the homebuilding industry. From builders to building product manufacturers, mortgage clients, and multifamily executives, we work hand-in-hand with our customers to streamline access to housing data to empower smarter decisions. As a leading brand in residential construction, our mission is to advance the home building industry, because we believe better homes mean better lives and stronger communities. Together, we are building the future of housing. zondahome.com
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