The Tide Club at Julington Creek, a $34 million aquatics complex and park, is complete.
Jacksonville-based ELM | Erving Lovett Miller, the designer of the project, announced its completion in a June 16 news release. ELM is an architecture, landscape architecture and planning firm.
A grand opening was held with a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 22, with attendees who included the Julington Creek Plantation Board of Governors, members of the project design and construction teams, and residents.
ELM said it designed the aquatics campus with multiple pools to “support a wide variety of social, athletic and recreational uses that were desired by the community’s residents.” It said the project was the result of a six-year planning process.
Features include a resort-style family pool with two water slides, areas for socializing and a beach-style swimming area that slopes from dry deck into shallow water with built-in play elements. There is also a dedicated adult pool and a 10-lane competition pool.
In addition to pools, there are five new buildings, including a two-story, 10,762-square-foot clubhouse with second-floor event space, catering kitchen, gathering areas, meeting rooms and decks overlooking the aquatics campus. There is also Tide & Tonic, a 4,100-square-foot bar and grill with covered outdoor seating.
For children, there is Treehouse Trails, which includes a multilevel treehouse, toddler play areas, an embankment slide and ADA-compliant pathways.
“Working in a community more than 30 years old has challenges and opportunities. Some residents have raised their families at Julington Creek and are now aging,” said ELM partner Steve Lovett in the release. “They have different needs and desires, and we need to accommodate them within the new amenity program.”
Lovett said ELM also considered the importance of attracting younger families to Julington Creek, as part of the design process.
Julington Creek is a Fruit Cove community in St. Johns County with more than 5,700 homes.