Weston, Florida
Weston on the edge of the Everglades in Broward County is a glowing example of the nation’s future. A planned community with the perfect balance of business and residential neighborhoods, Weston is a unique blend of cultural and ethnic diversity.
Arthur Vining Davis, the original owner of Weston’s primary developer, bought 15,000 acres of land that now comprise the City of Weston in the 1950s. The area now known as Bonaventure was sold to be developed separately. The community was originally known as Indian Trace.
About the Community
The Indian Trace Community Development District was created in 1981 to build houses and the infrastructure for the development. The name of the Arvida development was changed from Indian Trace to Weston in 1984 and the first homes were completed in Windmill Ranch and Country Isles; Weston had its first residents. By 1991 there were five thousand residents in the community. Weston continued to grow and developed into a self-sustainable community that was incorporated as a new city in 1996. The Indian Trace Community Development District Board of Supervisors became the Interim City Commission. Since then, Weston has become one of the biggest-selling planned communities in the nation.
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Bonaventure community became a part of the City of Weston in 1997. The city continued to grow inland area with the annexation of conservation area along US 27 in 1999 and again in 2004. Today the city encompasses nearly 26 square miles and has a population of over seventy thousand people.
Vicinity of Weston
Additional Information
As the city developed, business districts formed in prime locations. Software companies and leading Fortune 500 companies such as American Express are now based here. The city is also home to several major industries and small businesses offering employment to a large section of the population. Weston also serves as a bedroom community for a sizeable population who enjoy the small-town feel and high quality of life here while working nearby.
Excellent schools, shops, religious diversity with a blend of churches and synagogues as well as recreational and cultural activities make Weston a sought after community. The city boasts of four hotels, a world-class hospital, an amphitheater, and Town Center. Numerous recreational parks dot the city and well-planned bike and walking trails provide access to all areas. Regular music concerts and movies in the parks, arts festivals, concerts, and celebrity golf tournaments bring the people together.
The City of Weston provides its services through public and private sector contracts rather than having numerous employees. This enables the City to cut costs and adjust services as necessary. The Weston University Program initiated in 2002 is an eight-month program for high school students providing them with a unique civic education. Students learn about state, local, and Weston’s municipal government through a combination of classroom and personal experiences through open communication with elected officials and city department personnel. The city hopes to develop leadership qualities and civic responsibility in its young citizens who are the future of the nation.
