Family-owned.
Florida-grown.
Building communities since 1947.
For more than seventy-five years, Colen Built Development has done more than build homes—we’ve been shaping lifestyles and redefining what it means to live well in Florida. Our story began in 1947 with Sidney Colen, a visionary who believed that neighborhoods should be about more than streets and houses. He pioneered Florida’s first planned retirement community and North America’s first modern condominium, creating new ways for people to live, connect, and thrive. That same pioneering spirit led to the purchase of Circle Square Ranch in Ocala in 1975, where On Top of the World took root and grew into one of Central Florida’s first amenity-rich, active-adult communities.
Since then, we’ve built more than 25,000 homes for Floridians, always guided by the same values that defined our beginnings: integrity, quality, and community first. Still family-owned and debt-free, we continue to innovate with lifelong learning, wellness, cultural experiences, and world-class amenities—all designed to prove that retirement isn’t an ending, it’s the beginning of your next adventure.
Our Mission
To build communities that inspire active living, lasting friendships, and endless opportunities for discovery.
Our Vision
A future where retirement isn’t slowing down—it’s leveling up. Where every homeowner can learn, play, and thrive in a place designed for connection and joy.
A Message from
Our Founder
At the heart of Colen Built Development is a vision that has guided us since the beginning. Our founder, Sidney Colen, believed that building communities wasn’t about profit—it was about purpose. His words from 1980 continue to define who we are today:
“This Company has always stood for quality, value, moral obligation and sustainable development practices. We have never undertaken the development of anything or any community unless we believed there would be a redeeming value. Money has never been the motivation or the purpose of our existence. We have always believed keenly that service and human values are greater than mere development. We affect the lives of people and we affect their lives for good.”
– Sidney Colen, Founder (1980)
Core Values
Join the Team That Builds More Than Homes
When you create communities this vibrant, it takes great people. At Colen Built Development, we’re more than developers—we’re innovators, neighbors, and memory makers. Join a team where legacy meets opportunity.