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White sand beaches and turquoise waters. A swim-up bar and kiddie splash park. Miles of riverfront boardwalk and acres of nature trails.
Those are just some of the amenities offered by St. Johns County’s master-planned communities, a concept that’s exploded in the housing market, particularly along the northern corridor of County Road 210 where most of the new construction is located.
For high-end developments, it’s a way to lure buyers and stand apart in a crowded market. Indeed, many of the subdivisions see some of the same potential homeowners who go”community shopping” before they decide where to put down roots.
It’s up to developers to show how they are different, to capture the imagination of a buyer, whether it’s offering New England-style architecture or a Caribbean-inspired beachfront.
“We certainly have buyers that do shop all the communities, but we feel like the natural landscaping and the connection to the river is something other communities just can’t compare with,” said Jason Sessions, vice president of development and land acquisition for Mattamy Homes with is both the developer and builder for RiverTown.
Since breaking ground in early 2017, RiverTown has sold 500 of the 5,000 single-family homes it’s been approved to build off State Road 13. The subdivision boasts miles of property overlooking the St. Johns River in keeping with its “fresh water living” slogan.
The topography of the land also differentiates RiverTown, according to Sessions.
“Most communities within St. Johns County are old tree farms, pretty flat, but we have a lot of different elevations here,” Sessions said.
Amenities include a boat launch, fitness center, pools, clubhouse and boardwalk.
“It’s really a full resort lifestyle,” said Sessions.
In the case of Beacon Lake and Beachwalk, less than a mile sets them apart on the same stretch of C.R. 210, two of three parcels in the Twin Creeks Planned Unit Development, a 3,000-acre Development of Regional Impact that was split off through their purchase by different developers.
Beacon Lake will encompass 1,380 single-family homes and 196 townhomes at build-out. The focal point of the development is a 43-acre, man-made lake for paddle boats, kayaks and canoes. A boardwalk, sand beach and athletic field surround the Lake House amenities center, and pocket parks, benches and fire pits along the walking trails encourage neighborhood interaction.
Beacon Lake’s coastal, New England-style motif is evident in the lighthouse monument that greets visitors at the front gate.
Two different builders offer homes ranging from the mid-$200,000s to the $500,000s.
At Beacon Lake, every house is required to have a covered front porch — or at the very least, an overhang — reminiscent of classical Southern plantation homes.
In a press release, Bruce Parker, managing director for BBX Capital, Beacon Lake’s master developer, said: “There is a strong demand for new homes in this price range in St. Johns County and our buyers are drawn to Beacon Lake’s family-friendly lakefront amenities and warm neighborhood environment.”
Shearwater requires both front and back porches be built onto every home, emphasizing the community’s “healthy” and “outdoor living” lifestyle, according to Andy Smith, president of the southeast division for Shearwater’s developer, Freehold Communities.
Smith describes the 2,600-home community as having a Low County, coastal feel with large oak trees lining the entrance, evoking “a place where it feels like you could’ve grown up.” When developers first started planning the community, they looked at the amenities most popular in other master-planned neighborhoods and found that walking trails were mentioned most often.
They carved out 13 acres of walking trails winding through preserved habitat, parks, lakes and fields.
“Instead of just one big pool, we added other things like a lazy river, playgrounds that are spread throughout, tennis courts and even things like a community garden,” Smith said. “We wanted the ability for people to have a lot of different experiences.”
Beachwalk may be in a league of its own as far selling a lifestyle.
The brainchild of developer John Kinsey, the centerpiece of the community is a 14-acre “Crystal Lagoon” filled with 37 million gallons of water engineered to take on a Caribbean aqua hue, surrounded by imported white quartz sand.
The beach hub will also feature water slides, swim-up bar, a splash park for dogs and a shopping plaza with restaurants, bars and stores.
The development will eventually accommodate 800 homes ranging from the high $300,000s to more than $800,000 as well as a 348-unit apartment complex. The architecture will reflect the island theme, with Key West and West Indies style homes, metal roofs and Bermuda grass.
In a 2017 interview with The Record, Kinsey said, “When we conceived of Beachwalk, we didn’t want to create the same type of community that everybody else was building. We said if we do that, we’re just chasing everybody else, chasing the same customers. We decided to come in with a totally different look, totally different architecture and landscaping.”
I'd love to see a study to determine how many residents of these communities actually regularly utilize any/all of the amenities. We have neighbors on each side of us here who never EVER use any of the neighborhood's amenities - pools, tennis/basketball courts, gym, beach volleyball, playground, baseball fields, etc. I'd be willing to bet the number is very low - less than 30%.
It's probably a good thing that the % of people using is low, otherwise every amenity would be elbow to elbow each and every day. I know in nocatee, the gym is almost always crowded, the splash park on weekends is packed, food trucks, wine tasting, craft beer events are definitely a hit, all the basketball/tennis/pickleball courts are typically in high use. I think some of the social events are less popular where people would rather plan their own things not be herded into a ballroom for a comedy act. I've said it before - paying a CDD fee is tough to swallow for a lot of people and I think it's those people who move to a place like Nocatee, Rivertown, Shearwater and just come home from work and shut their garage and on weekends they go to Costco and come home and shut their garage.
I see your point though, amenities and selling a lifestyle lure window shoppers and Nocatee mgmt does it very well. It partly sells itself but the visitor center, golf cart rides (aka noc-a-tour) leaves a good impression as buyers venture off to their next stop. Once you move in, it's up to you on actually living the lifestyle and taking advatage of everything.
Thanks for posting. Was not familiar with the Beacon Lake community so will have to check it out next time I visit. It sure doesn't seem like there will be a lack of nice communities when I am finally able to make the move down there.
White sand beaches and turquoise waters. A swim-up bar and kiddie splash park. Miles of riverfront boardwalk and acres of nature trails.
Those are just some of the amenities offered by St. Johns County’s master-planned communities, a concept that’s exploded in the housing market, particularly along the northern corridor of County Road 210 where most of the new construction is located.
For high-end developments, it’s a way to lure buyers and stand apart in a crowded market. Indeed, many of the subdivisions see some of the same potential homeowners who go”community shopping” before they decide where to put down roots.
It’s up to developers to show how they are different, to capture the imagination of a buyer, whether it’s offering New England-style architecture or a Caribbean-inspired beachfront.
“We certainly have buyers that do shop all the communities, but we feel like the natural landscaping and the connection to the river is something other communities just can’t compare with,” said Jason Sessions, vice president of development and land acquisition for Mattamy Homes with is both the developer and builder for RiverTown.
Since breaking ground in early 2017, RiverTown has sold 500 of the 5,000 single-family homes it’s been approved to build off State Road 13. The subdivision boasts miles of property overlooking the St. Johns River in keeping with its “fresh water living” slogan.
The topography of the land also differentiates RiverTown, according to Sessions.
“Most communities within St. Johns County are old tree farms, pretty flat, but we have a lot of different elevations here,” Sessions said.
Amenities include a boat launch, fitness center, pools, clubhouse and boardwalk.
“It’s really a full resort lifestyle,” said Sessions.
In the case of Beacon Lake and Beachwalk, less than a mile sets them apart on the same stretch of C.R. 210, two of three parcels in the Twin Creeks Planned Unit Development, a 3,000-acre Development of Regional Impact that was split off through their purchase by different developers.
Beacon Lake will encompass 1,380 single-family homes and 196 townhomes at build-out. The focal point of the development is a 43-acre, man-made lake for paddle boats, kayaks and canoes. A boardwalk, sand beach and athletic field surround the Lake House amenities center, and pocket parks, benches and fire pits along the walking trails encourage neighborhood interaction.
Beacon Lake’s coastal, New England-style motif is evident in the lighthouse monument that greets visitors at the front gate.
Two different builders offer homes ranging from the mid-$200,000s to the $500,000s.
At Beacon Lake, every house is required to have a covered front porch — or at the very least, an overhang — reminiscent of classical Southern plantation homes.
In a press release, Bruce Parker, managing director for BBX Capital, Beacon Lake’s master developer, said: “There is a strong demand for new homes in this price range in St. Johns County and our buyers are drawn to Beacon Lake’s family-friendly lakefront amenities and warm neighborhood environment.”
Shearwater requires both front and back porches be built onto every home, emphasizing the community’s “healthy” and “outdoor living” lifestyle, according to Andy Smith, president of the southeast division for Shearwater’s developer, Freehold Communities.
Smith describes the 2,600-home community as having a Low County, coastal feel with large oak trees lining the entrance, evoking “a place where it feels like you could’ve grown up.” When developers first started planning the community, they looked at the amenities most popular in other master-planned neighborhoods and found that walking trails were mentioned most often.
They carved out 13 acres of walking trails winding through preserved habitat, parks, lakes and fields.
“Instead of just one big pool, we added other things like a lazy river, playgrounds that are spread throughout, tennis courts and even things like a community garden,” Smith said. “We wanted the ability for people to have a lot of different experiences.”
Beachwalk may be in a league of its own as far selling a lifestyle.
The brainchild of developer John Kinsey, the centerpiece of the community is a 14-acre “Crystal Lagoon” filled with 37 million gallons of water engineered to take on a Caribbean aqua hue, surrounded by imported white quartz sand.
The beach hub will also feature water slides, swim-up bar, a splash park for dogs and a shopping plaza with restaurants, bars and stores.
The development will eventually accommodate 800 homes ranging from the high $300,000s to more than $800,000 as well as a 348-unit apartment complex. The architecture will reflect the island theme, with Key West and West Indies style homes, metal roofs and Bermuda grass.
In a 2017 interview with The Record, Kinsey said, “When we conceived of Beachwalk, we didn’t want to create the same type of community that everybody else was building. We said if we do that, we’re just chasing everybody else, chasing the same customers. We decided to come in with a totally different look, totally different architecture and landscaping.”
Yeah, thanks. I was somehow under the impression that it was improper to cut and paste an article and pass it off as one's own work. I wonder why there was such a need to post such a puff piece.
Yeah, thanks. I was somehow under the impression that it was improper to cut and paste an article and pass it off as one's own work. I wonder why there was such a need to post such a puff piece.
I never meant to pass it off as mine. I was just trying to inform folks moving into the area about the different options. In the future I will include the source.
those are nice ones but not for me. I prefer large shopping malls and nice restaurants So I guess those amenities will attract just a certain type of people
Also they may want to mention high CDD payments that go with that..
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So I guess those amenities will attract just a certain type of people
