by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Southeast Georgia’s Golden Isles landscape isn’t changing as rapidly as downtown Jacksonville’s, but it will look completely different soon enough.
If you haven’t visited Summer Waves, Brunswick or Jekyll Island lately, the next time you do go, you might not recognize it.
Liberty Harbor, a $1.5 billion, 110-acre waterfront mixed-use development near Jekyll Island has been in the works for nearly three years. Investors, local officials and Realtors gathered last month for the ground breaking of Liberty Harbor, billed as a haven from strong storms because it’s situated on the western-most point of the East Coast — 75 miles west of the Gulfstream, “which significantly reduces its susceptibility to hurricanes,” according to the company.
One media outlet said the history of the beaches will make it very attractive to residents ... “especially transplants from Florida when they grow tired of the Sunshine State’s hurricanes, traffic and congestion.”
Florida investment brokers were at the groundbreaking and saw the project had potential. The plans for Liberty Harbor, however, have changed since its inception where apartments have been redesigned as condos before the first piling is drilled. Many brokers were representing clients in South Florida.
Also at the groundbreaking was the team from Ellis & Associates’ Jacksonville and Brunswick offices. They’ve been working on the project since November 2005.
Liberty Harbor is a one-hour drive from Jacksonville and condos and homesites are lower there than Florida. Condos start at $270,000 up to $1.75 million for a penthouse. In contrast, condos on at the St. Johns on Jacksonville’s Southbank start at $400,000 and go up to $2 million for a penthouse. Homesites at Liberty Harbor start at $170,000 and go up to $700,000.
Besides residences, Liberty Harbor is slated to have a four-star hotel (many were saying a Hilton,) spa, aquatic center with waterpark, a marina with 350 wet slips and 1,050 dry docks, private beach clubs and a promenade that connects to St. Simons and Old Town Brunswick.