by Patti Connor
Staff Writer
Begin with a 17-acre waterfront park. Then build 100 townhomes and condominiums of various sizes, each equipped with elegant appointments such as nine-foot ceilings, marble floors and countertops and Snaidero paneled cherry wood cabinets.
Next, construct a private marina for the sleek, streamlined yachts and sailboats that soon will be docking there. Last, but certainly not least, garnish the entire project with sculpted gardens designed by the renowned Massachusetts landscape architect Sasaki, the sheer magnificence of which will reportedly rival those of the Epping Forest Yacht Club and the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens.
A recipe for certain success? Builders of One Shipyard Place, an upscale residential condominium community now under construction along the banks of the St. Johns River, are banking on it. The sales office at 950 E. Bay St. opened in April.
“Sales so far have been very good. At this point we’ve sold about 25 percent of our units,” said Suzanne Cash, who recently took over as the new sales manager. “July actually was a banner month for us. As much as anything, I think, that was a result of the renewed interest in downtown revitalization.”
If in fact sales got off to a bit of a slow start, Cash attributes that primarily to the fact that some people had a hard time visualizing what the finished product was going to look like.
“We ended up having to spend more time constructing the models than we had originally anticipated,” she said.
Phase One is expected to be completed within 18 months.
“As we speak,” she said, “they’re putting in the infrastructure and getting ready to install utilities, water and sewer.”
Along with a 350-room hotel, plans call for three 17-20 story high rises, two office buildings, each about 5,000 square feet, a parking garage, townhomes, boutiques and restaurants.
Prospective owners have their choice of river views: garden/marina/river views and riverfront/marina views. Prices range from $440,000 for a two-bedroom, 1,672 square-foot floor plan overlooking the river, up to $1,240,000 for a three-bedroom, 2,564 square-foot floor plan overlooking the riverfront/marina.
In addition to security features such as concierge service and video surveillance at all entrances, the garage and pool area, each living area will boast nine-foot ceilings, spacious balconies and terraces, solid wood raised panel doors and recessed ceiling lighting in all the soffit areas. Owners suite bathrooms feature marble floors and countertops, Snaidero stained wood panel cabinets, recessed down lights and a decorative wall sconce at the vanity, under-counter mounted vanity lavatories, Kohler or equal plumbing fixtures and a separate shower and garden tub. Optional features include ventless fireplace and mantle, jacuzzi bathtub, hardwood floors, tiled balconies and numerous upgrades to kitchen cabinets. By its scheduled completion date in 2005, “We should be the Super Bowl’s showcase luxury condominium community. Residents will not only be able to walk to the various [downtown] concerts and ball games, but they will be within easy proximity to all the culture of downtown with its shopping, dining and river venues as well,” said Cash.