26 Serenbe: The Utopian Community Balancing Development with Green Space

Published: June 11, 2018, 4:57 p.m.

On this episode of The Barron Report, brought to you by Off-Premise Insights, Paul talks to a different type of hospitality professional. Steve Nygren is the founder of Serenbe, a community that has been described as a “Utopian experiment.” Nygren comes from the restaurant and hospitality industry, boasting experience with Stouffers Hotels and later opening more than 30 restaurants under his own name.

The idea for Serenbe came after Nygren moved his family to a multi-acre farm. Fearing serious development by a neighbor, Nygren began buying up land around his plot to ensure his green space would remain. The idea evolved to create a development in which 70% of the space would be reserved for green space, rather than conforming to the current models of urban sprawl.