The Grow Orlando: What to Know About Orlando’s First Agrihood

The Grow is a new master-planned community in East Orlando built around a professionally operated 9-acre farm. It is not a conventional subdivision with a few decorative garden beds: the farm, future harvest programs, gardens, trails, conservation areas, and gathering spaces are central to the community plan. New-home sales are underway, but buyers should separate what is operating now from what remains planned as the community builds out.

What Is an Agrihood?

An agrihood is a residential or mixed-use community designed around a working farm or community garden. The Urban Land Institute describes agrihoods as communities built with a working farm or garden as a focus. That last phrase matters: agriculture is meant to shape the identity and daily life of the neighborhood rather than serve as landscaping with a clever name.

At The Grow, residents will not be expected to run the farm themselves. The farm is professionally managed, while residents are expected to benefit from harvests, farm programming, gardens, demonstrations, seasonal events, and the social life that develops around them.

There is already evidence that the farm is more than a rendering. The Grow reported its first harvests in June 2026 and said the farm team was preparing for future resident farm shares, farm-stand offerings, educational experiences, and seasonal gatherings.

The Grow at a Glance

What Is Planned Around the Farm?

The farm is the headline, but the larger plan is designed around outdoor activity and community gathering. Pulte currently lists a harvest barn and greenhouses, a gathering barn with event space and a demonstration kitchen, a resort-style pool, natural play areas, pocket parks, a dog park, a fitness center, community gardens, trails, and conservation areas.

The community’s own site also identifies a future commercial district, a farm stand and demonstration garden, a gathering barn, a community pizza oven, greenhouses, and The Fieldhouse amenity center. Those features create a compelling picture, but the community’s published disclaimer is equally important: plans, amenities, dimensions, pricing, and completion are subject to change.

Current Home Collections and Starting Prices

Pulte is currently marketing five collections at The Grow. Published pricing changes frequently and does not necessarily include lot premiums, structural options, design selections, closing costs, or temporary incentives. The figures below are a dated snapshot, not a quote.

Across the full lineup, Pulte currently advertises homes from approximately 1,628 to 4,272 square feet. The architectural theme uses farmhouse-inspired elevations, porches, board-and-batten details, and other elements intended to give the community a more distinct identity than the stucco-and-tile pattern common across much of Central Florida.

Where Is The Grow?

The Grow’s published address is 16499 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida 32820. It sits in northeast Orange County along State Road 50, with access to State Road 408. The location places it in the broader UCF and Central Florida Research Park orbit while also providing an eastward route toward the Space Coast.

That positioning can work well for UCF faculty and staff, Research Park employees, defense and simulation professionals, and households that want newer construction without moving to the west or south sides of the metro. It also comes with a very Orlando-specific warning: a route that looks easy on a map may feel different during weekday traffic. Drive your actual commute at the time you will use it.

For a broader view of available housing, you can explore current Orlando homes for sale. A dedicated search filtered around The Grow and the 32820 corridor may also be useful as inventory expands.

Who Is The Grow Likely to Fit?

The Grow may be a strong fit for buyers who want:

• A new-construction home with a distinctive community identity
• Proximity to UCF, Research Park, and the east Orlando employment corridor
• Trails, gardens, conservation areas, and farm-centered programming
• A choice between townhomes, smaller detached homes, and larger single-family plans
• Farmhouse-inspired architecture rather than a typical Florida subdivision look
• A community currently advertised without a CDD

It may be a weaker fit for buyers who need every amenity completed before move-in, dislike living around active construction, require a different school assignment, or want a short and predictable commute to the west side of Orlando.

Schools Serving The Grow

Pulte’s current community page lists East Lake Elementary School, Corner Lake Middle School, and East River High School. These are Orange County Public Schools assignments, not Seminole County schools.

School boundaries can change, and a community-level marketing page is not a substitute for address-specific confirmation. Verify the assigned schools directly with Orange County Public Schools before relying on them in a purchase decision.

HOA Fees, No CDD, and the Real Monthly Cost

Pulte currently advertises The Grow as having no community development district, or CDD. That can be meaningful because CDD assessments can add a separate line to the annual tax bill in many Florida new-construction communities.

No CDD does not mean no community costs. The Grow’s own disclosures state that community association fees may be required. Buyers should review the current HOA budget, included services, internet or television packages, amenity obligations, architectural rules, reserve planning, and any separate neighborhood-level fees.

What to Know Before Visiting the Sales Center

The builder’s sales team represents the builder. That does not make the sales team the enemy; it simply means their role is different from the role of an advisor representing the buyer.

Before your first visit, decide whether you want independent representation and confirm the builder’s current registration and compensation policies. Builder policies can change, and waiting until after registration or contract may limit your options.

Independent guidance can help with lot-position tradeoffs, upgrade decisions, incentive comparisons, resale implications, contract deadlines, inspections, and the final walkthrough. It is also worth reading why a new-construction home still needs independent inspections.

The Bottom Line

The Grow is not simply another east Orlando subdivision wearing overalls for the marketing photos. Its working farm, first harvests, farmhouse architecture, conservation areas, and broad range of home types make it genuinely different. The right buyer will still evaluate it like any other major purchase: verify what is complete, understand the total cost, test the commute, confirm schools, compare lots, and read every community document.