By Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
When you drive down U.S. 17 on Fleming Island, you feel isolated as if you are driving down a deserted country road.
That, says developers, was the plan.
“The county had the foresight to require a set back of undisturbed natural vegetation along U.S. 17,” said Mitch Montgomery, president of Montgomery Land Company who developed Margaret’s Walk, a residential community on the island.
But, if you make a right turn into Eagle Harbor or Fleming Island Plantation you will see the peacefulness was just a facade to the growing corridor of new family communities and commercial development lurking behind the trees.
Over the last 25 years, new residential and commercial developments have been popping up left and right on Fleming Island, creating a town all in itself.
“We have built a whole city out there,” said Tom Champion, vice president of Centex Homes, the master developer of Fleming Island Plantation. “Our motto is ‘Live, work and play’. We have created a new lifestyle out there. You don’t have to go into Duval County anymore, you can stay in Clay County and the jobs and amenities are there. It was a natural progression. Eagle Harbor set the tone and they did a very nice job.”
Champion said the quality of life is what draws buyers to the island.
“The schools are fantastic and all the amenities are now there from shopping to dining,” said Champion. “There is a Home Depot and a Wal-Mart on the island. So there is no reason to have to go off of it.”
With all the residential developments on the island, one wonders what is in store for the future.
“There will be more residential developments,” said Montgomery, president. “It’s like all other areas, land is becoming limited, as to what is available for development. So, it is rapidly approaching build out in regards to available land. But, there is still some residential land that will be available to develop.”
Champion said he does see more development coming on the island, but not a lot due to the limited availability of land.
“I see a combination of retail and residential,” said Champion.
Currently, the active developments on Fleming Island are Fleming Island Plantation developed by Centex Homes, Eagle Harbor developed by East-West Partners and Margaret’s Walk, developed by Montgomery Land Company.
Hibernia Plantation, Pace Island, Oak Creek and Harbour Island are older communities on Fleming Island that are not being developed in anymore.
Here’s an overview of what is going on in the active communities and what is yet to come.
Fleming Island Plantation
Fleming Island Plantation, a 1,680-acre master-planned community, was developed by Centex Homes five years ago.
“It has been the most successful development of regional impact project in the first five years in North Florida’s history,” said Champion.
Centex, D.R. Horton, Admiral Homes, and Beazer Homes are the builders in the community with price ranges starting at the low $100,000’s to over $600,000. There are also several custom homebuilders building in the community.
“We will have a total of 12 subdivisions within Fleming Island Plantation with a total of 3,500 rooftops upon completion,” said Champion. “Five hundred of those are apartments, called Lighthouse Court Apartments, which are completed and up and running.”
Currently, there are 800 homes in Fleming Island Plantation.
There are eight neighborhoods within Fleming Island Plantation. Five of them are still being built in and two are built out. There are four more neighborhoods planned before the expected build out in about four years.
They will have 960 units, which are a combination single and multi family units for sale late this summer.
Amenities in Fleming Island Plantation include tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, acres of parks and playing fields, two pools and an interactive water park. There is also an 18-hole championship golf course with a clubhouse, The Golf Club at Fleming Island, which is a semi-private golf course available to the residents. The clubhouse features a full-service restaurant, snack bar and pro shop, and hosts catered events like wedding receptions.
Commercial development within Fleming Island Plantation helped make this a town in itself. In the Village Square, there are stores and restaurants, schools, an office complex, day care and a police Substation. The Orion Fitness Center is open. Phase one and two including more retail and office space is under construction. The Barco and Newton Family YMCA is also now under construction.
There are two schools within Fleming Island Plantation, Thunderbolt Elementary and Fleming Island High School.
Champion said one reason for the success of the area are two major employers, AmeriCredit and BellSouth which allow residents to work and live in the same neighborhood.
“I think Fleming Island Plantation is a compliment to the area, not only aesthetically, but in the price points that we offer,” said Champion.
Margaret’s Walk
Margaret’s Walk, located across from Fleming Island Plantation is part of Fleming Island Plantation, but was developed by Montgomery Land Company instead of Centex Homes.
“Centex sold that piece of land to me because at the time, I was going to develop a price range that they normally didn’t do in this market place,” said Montgomery. “They sold it to me and I developed it separately.”
There are 180 lots, 21 of which are riverfront in the community. Currently, there are about 165 homes already developed. Price ranges are from $300,000 to over $1 million.
Montgomery said build out should be in the next 12 months.
“We are just about to finish up,” he said.
Since the development is part of Fleming Island Plantation, they share amenities. But, specific to Margaret’s Walk is a riverfront park with a community dock.
“The riverfront park memorializes and protects some of the historical and valuable property that was on this particular piece of property,” said Montgomery. “It was the old landing that was used back in the 1800’s to deliver supplies to Fleming Island Plantation, which is the name sake of the development.”
D.R. Horton and American Home Builders are building homes in Margaret’s Walk.
Margaret’s Walk fronts the St. Johns River and Montgomery said his development fits right in with the existing homes there.
“There are many beautiful homes along the river with price values from one of the scale to the other,” he said. “It is an old residential area. Some of the homes are small and a tremendous amount of new homes along the river that are large and very expensive.”
Eagle Harbor
East West Partners Inc. developed Eagle Harbor in 1993. It includes residential neighborhoods and about 1.37 million square feet of retail space.
There are currently 2,225 homes in Eagle Harbor and there will be about 2,650 at build out.
Bev Dubis, senior vice president of East West Partners, anticipates that the community should be built out by 2006.
Builders in Eagle Harbor include Coppenbarger Homes Inc., Richard R. Dostie New Home Collection, Sid Higginbotham Master Builders, J.A. Long Design Builders, Providence Homes by Bill Cellar, C.R. Rosewood Homes and Morrison Homes.
Amenities include Eagle Harbor’s Superpool, a 10,000 square-foot pool that has a 110-foot winding water slide, one and three meter diving boards, covered sitting areas, a wading pool, competition swim lanes, and a beach with volleyball. There is a waterfront park on Doctor’s Lake featuring four pools with separate adults-only area which are heated year-round. Other amenities include a tennis center with 12 courts, a fully stocked pro shop and U.S. Professional Tennis Association staff.
Single family homes in Eagle Harbor are priced from $140,000 to over $1 million.
“We just opened up a neighborhood called Black Creek at Eagle Harbor,” said Benjie Bowman, vice president of marketing. “There are three neighborhoods within in that. It will have its own gathering spot next to the pool that would be good for family get-togethers and birthday parties. The neighborhood borders Swimming Pen and Black Creek. There will be docks out in the water where people can fish and go boating.”
A new addition to Eagle Harbor is Stone Creek, a town home neighborhood built by Coppenbarger Homes with prices starting at $140,000.
The neighborhoods are connected by bike paths and sidewalks and most neighborhoods are surrounded by either open wooded space, recreational parks, bodies of water or the golf course.
“The community also has an 18-hole championship golf course, fully stocked pro shop, dining facilities and a staff of PGA professionals,” said Dubis. “We also have year-round organized programs, clinics, camps and activities for kids, teens, seniors and families lead by a full-time recreation staff.”
There is a 27-acre soccer complex with 12 fields, two community pontoon boats, boating and fishing opportunities on Doctor’s Lake and a boat storage facility.
Supermarkets, superstores, building supplies, pharmacy, restaurants, family medical facility, banks, and other retailers are located right in the community.
Fleming Island Elementary School is also within Eagle Harbor.
“It is important to note that all of the commercial activity along 220 is all a part of the Crossings at Fleming Island of which Eagle Harbor is a part of,” said Dubis. “East West Partners is the developer of the commercial property as well as the residential community and has maintained architectural control over those buildings.”
Ibis Cove
Ibis Cove is a new community to Fleming Island being developed by KB Homes. This small private community was developed in March 2003 and is situated on I-17 just south Fleming Island Plantation entrance on the opposite side of the street.
Currently, there are 19 homes built in Ibis Cove and 10 lots are still available.
“The lot sizes in Ibis Cove range from 1/3 acre to 1 1/3 acre,” said Tracy Bible, sales counselor with KB Home. “There is just one way in and one way out which provides privacy for the homeowners. Ibis Cove has large lots and open floor plans. It is a small community and close to new schools.”
Bible said the community is fitting in well with the larger communities and that the buyers have been pleased.
Another KB Community on Fleming Island is Hibernia Estates, located on Hibernia Road. Currently, there are three homes built with six lots left.
“We will have a total of nine homes and it has large lots as well,” said Bible.
Price ranges for Ibis Cove range from $161,490 to $210,490 and $144,490 to $166,990 at Hibernia Estates.