Sunrise Hills Breaks Ground in Brooksville: About 4,000 Homes and a Lagoon Community Planned

A 1,100-acre master-planned community is underway along Cortez Boulevard. Here is what's confirmed, what's still a plan and what buyers should ask before getting attached to the lagoon.

By Florida Home Vibes

Reporting reviewed October 22, 2026

Metro Development Group has broken ground on Sunrise Hills, a roughly 1,100-acre master-planned community along Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville. The October 14, 2026 groundbreaking marks a new phase for a project envisioned with roughly 4,000 homes, a planned 2.5-acre lagoon, walking trails and residences from three national homebuilders.

The size of the project will grab attention. But for future buyers and nearby residents, the more useful questions are simpler: When will homes be available? What will they cost? And how much of the resort-style lifestyle is confirmed today? Here is what we can verify, what is still being planned and what to watch next.

Where Is Sunrise Hills in Brooksville?

Sunrise Hills is planned along Cortez Boulevard (State Road 50) in the Brooksville area of Hernando County. Metro's October 20 news release describes the location as near Interstate 75, and Metro identifies Sherman Hills Golf Course and the Withlacoochee State Trail as nearby points of interest.

That puts the project in a different setting from many established Tampa-area subdivisions. Its appeal may be the mix of open space and planned amenities, but buyers comparing Sunrise Hills with communities farther south should evaluate their actual routes to work, school, health care and everyday errands. Advertised travel-time estimates are not a substitute for checking a commute at the hours that matter to you.

The developer describes the site broadly as along Cortez Boulevard. For parcel-level boundaries, check the final community site plan or Hernando County's GeoHub land development map.

What Is Actually Planned for the Community?

Metro's announcements describe an outdoor-oriented community with a 2.5-acre lagoon, miles of walking trails and opportunities for residents to gather and spend time outside. Its Sunrise Hills community page also promotes ULTRAFi high-speed internet and Streetleaf solar-powered streetlights as planned community features.

The lagoon is the headline attraction, but the important word right now is planned. A groundbreaking does not mean the water feature, trails, home sites or other promised amenities are open. Design, timing and terms of access can change during development.

Before deciding that Sunrise Hills is the right fit, buyers should ask the developer or builder whether lagoon access is included in community fees, whether guests may enter, whether reservations or additional charges apply and when each amenity is expected to open. Those details were not verified for this article as of October 22, 2026.

Which Builders Are Coming to Sunrise Hills?

Three homebuilders are identified in Metro's announcement: D.R. Horton, Lennar and DRB Homes. The developer's separate Sunrise Hills website refers to new homes and townhomes, but publicly confirmed Sunrise Hills-specific floor plans, prices and release schedules were not available from the sources reviewed for this story.

Choosing a builder is only one part of the comparison. Once sales begin, review the exact lot, included features, upgrade costs, warranty terms and estimated completion date for the particular home under consideration. Even within one master-planned community, floor plans, incentives and specifications may vary from builder to builder.

When Could New Homes Be Available?

Metro said it expected to deliver finished homesites to builders by the end of 2026. That is a developer expectation, not a confirmed date for model-home openings, contracts, closings or residents moving in. The official Sunrise Hills community page also said model homes were not yet available to tour when this story was reviewed.

As of October 22, 2026, we could not verify a public launch date, a communitywide home-price range or the date the lagoon will open. Those are important missing details, not numbers that should be estimated from a different community.

For the most current project announcements, see Metro Development Group's Sunrise Hills page and the official community website. Ask a builder to confirm any quoted availability in writing.

Why Do Reports Use Different Home Counts?

Readers may see Sunrise Hills described as a 4,000-home, nearly 4,000-home or more than 4,000-home development. Metro's October 14 announcement says it expects the community to be home to roughly 4,000 families, its October 20 news release describes nearly 4,000 homes, and another official community page refers to more than 4,000 homes.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal's October 14 report cites more detailed residential entitlements: 4,200 single-family homes and 600 multifamily units, alongside commercial and other uses. Those are reported development entitlements, meaning what the project has been permitted to build. They are not the number of homes guaranteed to be constructed, a construction schedule or a count of completed homes. We have not independently verified the entitlement figures against Hernando County's underlying approval records, so we are keeping the main article's description deliberately approximate.

For readers, the takeaway is that this is a large, multi-phase project whose ultimate number and mix of homes may evolve. We'll update the details when a final verified buildout plan is available.

What Could the Project Mean for Brooksville?

Sunrise Hills is part of a larger wave of planned development in Hernando County. Metro is also promoting Sandal Key, an approximately 872-acre community planned for more than 3,000 homes, with its own lagoon concept that Metro says will include a lazy river. These are ambitious plans, not completed neighborhoods.

The opportunity is more housing choices and planned recreation. The questions are how new construction will be phased and how roads, schools, utilities and services will accommodate it. An accurate assessment of those impacts requires official traffic, infrastructure and school-planning records; this article does not assume the impact will be either positive or negative.

Existing residents may follow the project for a different reason than homebuyers do: what happens beyond the entrance to the new neighborhood. That is part of the Sunrise Hills story too.

Five Questions to Ask Before Buying

1. What is the real total monthly cost? Ask about property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, any CDD assessment, amenity charges and optional upgrades. No Sunrise Hills fee amounts have been confirmed here.
2. Which amenities will be ready at closing? Get the anticipated schedule and any applicable written disclosures, rather than relying solely on renderings.
3. Which exact lot and floor plan are you buying? Confirm the builder's specifications, incentives, warranty and anticipated completion milestones.
4. What does the property's flood risk show? Check the individual parcel using Hernando County's flood-zone resources and speak with an insurer. Communitywide assumptions cannot establish the risk for an individual lot.
5. What will a normal weekday look like? Test your actual commute and check school assignments and nearby services through the responsible agencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens Next?

The next milestones to watch are delivery of finished lots to builders, builder-specific home announcements, model openings and confirmed amenity schedules. Florida Home Vibes will continue to track publicly verifiable updates rather than presenting preliminary plans as promises.

What matters most to you: a lagoon and outdoor amenities, a choice of builders, or the everyday commute? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Sources & Further Reading

• A New Day in Hernando County: Metro Breaks Ground on Sunrise Hills — Metro Development Group, October 14, 2026 (groundbreaking announcement)
• Metro Development Group Breaks Ground on 1,100-Acre Sunrise Hills Community in Brooksville — Metro Development Group via Business Wire, October 20, 2026 (news release)
• Sunrise Hills community overview — Metro Development Group
• Sunrise Hills community website — Metro Development Group
• Metro Development Group breaks ground on Sunrise Hills — Tampa Bay Business Journal, October 14, 2026 (subscriber access may be required)
• What Is My Flood Zone? — Hernando County (flood-zone lookup guidance)
• Hernando County Government Launches New GeoHub Land Development GIS Map — Hernando County (development and mapping resource)

Editorial disclosure: Site details and future amenities are subject to change. Florida Home Vibes is reporting on the development independently; this article is not an endorsement or a representation that amenities, pricing or openings are guaranteed. The lagoon artwork above is an editorial illustration, not a photo or architectural rendering of Sunrise Hills.

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