SPECIAL TO OCALA STYLE Nearly a year of observation, careful thought, and focused planning is wrapping up for the Ransome Group. The result is Woodfield Crossing, a traditional neighborhood designed in the spirit of the great neighborhoods of the past.
The Ransome Group team — consisting of Dawson Ransome, Pete Lee and Kevin Ogilby — believes that community appeal and long-term value come as a result of thorough planning. Dawson Ransome knew what he wanted to create when he first saw the Woodfield Crossing property. Over time, his vision began to take a firm shape, a nostalgic neighborhood that will evoke a quieter, more relaxed time, one that promotes neighborliness and enhances the social experience.
Woodfield Crossing is a lifestyle experience — carefully designed streets, generous green spaces, and classic architecture with features like front porches for interacting with neighbors, friends, and family and contemporary interiors that provide all of today’s convenience.
“Where we live influences how we live. Our physical environment has a meaningful impact on our lives,” says Dawson. “When you live in Woodfield Crossing, you get more than just a house, you get a close-knit community, a real neighborhood that will enrich your life and the life of your family.
“When you’re in Woodfield Crossing, your life won’t revolve around the car,” Dawson continues, “The layout of the neighborhood encourages positive social behavior and creates a safer, more pleasant environment for pedestrians.”
As a matter of fact, one of the many unique features available in Woodfield Crossing is a rear-loaded home.
“A majority of the 138 homes will have garages accessed by rear lanes,” Kevin says. “Garages won’t dominate the streetscape, allowing for uninterrupted lawns and sidewalks, and front yards that won’t be cluttered by idle automobiles.”
Yards in the community will be beautifully maintained by an association, affording homeowners the freedom to enjoy their favorite activities. Other inviting features include lamp-lit sidewalks, a community walking trail, and beautiful internal parks and green spaces.
The easy-going nature of Woodfield Crossing is augmented by the award- winning traditional home designs offered by the Ransome Construction Company.
“The community will be more ‘architecturally intensive’ than other new developments in Ocala,” Dawson says, “our homes are designed with classic architectural styles including Colonial, Victorian, and Craftsman, among others. The architecture will vary, but the design, the details, and respect for the neighborhood model will create a special place.”
Creating the Lifestyle
The Ransome Group has invested time and energy into creating a desirable layout for Woodfield Crossing. The group painstakingly plotted out their development on paper to determine the most appealing and sensible layout for their homeowners.
“We have spent as much time considering the horizontal layout as we have considering the architecture,” Pete says. “We designed our street system first and then focused on the relationship of the homes to the street and the other homes to create a real neighborhood. In most cases, newer subdivisions appear to be a series of randomly placed streets with roughly square lots, the typical suburban pattern. That won’t be the case in Woodfield Crossing. By today’s standard, it will be distinctive and it will require a unique approach to build it.”
And an approach that provides ease to its buyers. The Ransome Group has created a one-stop shopping experience where homeowners can complete the purchasing, accessorizing, and financing processes in one comfortable room.
“Our homeowners will not have a stressful building experience,” Kevin says. “There’s no need to visit five or six different offices to complete their home. We do it all here.”
For the Ransome Group, maintaining tight control of their community’s appearance ensures its residents the utmost in quality and design and ultimately value of their investment.
“The essence of Woodfield Crossing, and every project we do, is that we do not lead with economics. We lead with design,” Dawson says. “We create the design program for the project and then we study how the project economics flow from that design program. The reason is that we want to create a beautiful development that is timeless and has sustainable value, a place where our owners will get more than just a house, they’ll get a way of life.”
Woodfield Crossing offers something for everyone. With both manor- and estate-sized lots and a variety of home designs from which to choose, Woodfield Crossing appeals to growing families and to buyers seeking to downsize into elegant, but more manageable, low-maintenance residences. In every case, Woodfield Crossing will offer all of its residents a true sense of community in a beautiful neighborhood that is destined to become one of Ocala’s finest and most admired residential landmarks.
A Legacy of Innovation and Quality
The Ransome name is symbolic of quality, innovation and entrepreneurship and the Ransome Family has a long history in building not only structures, but business. Dawson Ransome takes this legacy seriously.
Dawson’s great grandfather, Ernest L. Ransome, was a pioneer in construction technology and began the family tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship in 1884 with his invention and subsequent patent of the reinforced concrete construction system known as “the Ransome System.” The system called for twisted steel bars to be interwoven with concrete to increase its strength, a revolutionary idea at that time, but one which is now commonplace. The system allowed for the use of concrete in construction of multi-story buildings, bridges, and other structures traditionally thought more suitable for steel or wood construction. Many buildings and bridges constructed by Ernest Ransome using the Ransome System still stand around the United States today.
In 1916, Percy A. Ransome, Dawson’s grandfather, founded Giles & Ransome, Inc., a construction equipment sales company. The company distributed concrete and masonry equipment throughout the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania. In 1931, during the height of the Great Depression, Percy made the decision to become an equipment dealer for the Caterpillar Tractor Company. G&R remains a successful supplier of construction equipment in the northeast United States.
In 1966, J. Dawson Ransome, Dawson’s father, founded Ransome Airlines, the family’s commuter airline business. The venture was born out of hard work, determination, and his passion for aviation. Ransome Airlines was named “Commuter Airline of the Year” in 1980 by Air Transport World magazine and, at the time, was the largest commuter airline in the world. J. Dawson was a consistent innovator, creating several air transport and traffic control systems for use by the airline that were widely adopted and are still in use today. Most notable is the Separate Access Landing System. The SALS system allowed Ransome planes to navigate an efficient route to their destination and then land on the unused stub end of runways at busy airports, saving time and fuel and increasing the overall capacity and efficiency of the airports and of the Ransome operation. Ransome Airlines served commuter passengers in the northeast United States with a perfect safety record before being sold to Pan Am in 1986.
“From my family, I learned to embrace ideas, never dismiss anything without analyzing it objectively, and that all things are possible with creativity, vision, and hard work” Dawson says. “We feel a responsibility to create a product for our clients that is timeless, unique, and has sustainable value. We are mindful that the buildings and communities the Ransome Group designs, develops, and constructs are going to be a part of the area fabric for generations. Consequently, we feel a commitment to stewardship and a responsibility to contemplate the true long-term impact on the area, weighed against the value of what we build.”
Woodfield Crossing
306 SW 26th Avenue
Building 403
Ocala, Florida 34474
352-402-0144
WoodfieldCrossing.com
