Community
The history of SeaFlower: from the Preston gladiolus farm to Lake Flores to a coastal village
Ninety years of flowers, a 2015 approval, three names, and the family and developers behind the largest new community on Bradenton's coastal mainland.
Independent buyer’s guide, not the developer’s or any builder’s website. Figures are as published by the builders and developer on the dates noted and must be verified with them before you rely on them. The developer’s official website.
Quick answer
The 1,175 acres at Cortez Road and 75th Street West were farmed by the Preston family's Manatee Fruit Company for nearly 90 years, much of it as one of the country's largest gladiolus farms. Manatee County approved a master plan for the land in 2015 under the name Lake Flores; the project was rebranded SeaFlower before its 2024 unveiling, with the lake named Lake Flores for Flavia Florez Preston. Lake Flores Land Company, led by Ed Hill, is developing it with investment partner LAMB Properties. Sales began in May 2025 and the first residents moved in that September.
The farm
For most of the twentieth century the land was in flowers, with gladiolus the signature crop, and the fields were a west Bradenton landmark. The community's street names (Flower Fields Trail, Sunset Gardens Street), the Garden Club name and the flower motif all come from that history.
The plan
The 2015 approval set up roughly 4,000 homes, 600 apartments, a hotel and about 350,000 square feet of commercial space in three phases of about 400 acres each, with an unusual county allowance for an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Early names for the project included Crossroads and Lake Flores.
SeaFlower
The SeaFlower brand, the coastal-village design code with four architectural styles, and the five-builder lineup were unveiled in 2024. A preview center opened on Cortez Road in January 2025, builders released plans and prices in March 2025, models opened through 2025, and the grand opening came in late October 2025. The Garden Club broke ground in July 2025 and the Village Center in September 2025, both opening in late 2026.
The people
Ed Hill is the principal of Lake Flores Land Company. The developer's community relations team and, from opening, an Art of Living Director run programming. The brand and site plan are held by an affiliate, Cortez75W Investors, LLC.
Sources: Sarasota Magazine (Jun 7, 2024); Bradenton Herald via Yahoo News (May 22, 2024); Business Observer (Oct 31, 2025); seaflower.com history and development-team pages; Pulse of Manatee (Nov 3, 2025).
Written by Trenton Miller, MBA
Buyer’s agent with LPT Realty, LLC and founder of Found Your Florida. Seven years on the builder side, including operations at David Weekley Homes, where he briefly oversaw the SeaFlower community. He now represents buyers only. More about Trenton · Book a call
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