Andres Duany's New Urbanist philosophy of human-scale, walkable communities is alive and well at Citrus Square -- the first new community to be built in downtown Sarasota in two years -- which is rising on Orange Avenue just north of Fruitville Road. Boutique-style condominiums priced from the mid-$200s to the $500s will be set above ground-level shops and restaurants, outdoor cafes, green spaces and an open plaza.

Mark Pierce of Pierce Contracting is encouraged that construction is ahead of schedule. "We are following the principles that Andres Duany has long recommended for our downtown core."

New buyers are excited because Citrus Square opens a door to downtown living for them. "The range of pricing offers an opportunity for a diversity of ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, which only adds to the cultural richness of the community," says George Birkhold, Pierce's business partner.

Michael Saunders, whose real estate company is the exclusive selling agent, describes Citrus Square as "just the sort of pedestrian friendly, live-work-play neighborhood that makes areas like New York's Chelsea and Greenwich Village."