Posted March 23, 2017 11:47 am - Updated March 23, 2017 03:07 pm
By
stuart.korfhage@staugustine.com
By
stuart.korfhage@staugustine.com
Beachwalk, with its Crystal Lagoon centerpiece, celebrating groundbreaking today
An upscale neighborhood anchored by what is essentially a 14-acre swimming pool is no longer just a concept with artists’ renderings.
The new community in northern St. Johns County has a name (Beachwalk) and, more importantly, a real expectation that people will be living there before the year is out.
“This isn’t just a concept. This is what we’re building,” developer John Kinsey said.
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Kinsey and others associated with the development are in town today to celebrate the groundbreaking of the community, which is part of the original Twin Creeks development.
The project is being done by Art Falcone’s Encore Capital Management and Twin Creeks Development.
Bringing the man-made lagoon into the project was something Kinsey and Falcone talked about years ago. And it’s just part of the unique character of the community.
Kinsey said the architecture, landscaping and amenities will be different from any other community in the area.
“It’s a departure from what you see everywhere you go,” he said. “When we started working on the whole idea of Beachwalk two years ago, Art and I came to the conclusion pretty quickly that this area didn’t need more of what is being built and sold in every other community.”
At more than 1,000 acres, Beachwalk will contain about 1,000 homes and a 175,000-square-foot retail village that will provide waterfront dining and shopping.
The Crystal Lagoon will be surrounded by white sand beaches, including a private beach club on the north shore of the lagoon. The beach club will include a restaurant, several bars, a fitness center, an 18-hole miniature golf course and Laguna Dog, a splash park for the dogs of the community.
“We are excited to break ground on our largest lagoon in Florida,” said Uri Man, CEO, Crystal Lagoons U.S. East, in a release. “The developer is using the Crystal Lagoon to create a vibrant waterfront dining and retail experience that will revitalize the community and attract tourists and visitors alike.”
Although the groundbreaking is today, much of the work on the community has already been done.
Kinsey said the lagoon will be filled in July, and homes could be sold as early as the fall.
