A St. Johns County-based rum maker’s vision for a 6-acre “experiential” destination project can move forward after receiving regulatory approval for a distilling operation.
Planned at Florida 207 west of Interstate 95 at Deerpark Boulevard, the 43,000-square-foot development includes dining and craft rum manufacturing.
The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency unanimously voted May 7 to approve a special use permit allowing the distillery component within the project’s Commercial General zoning.
The approval marks an important step for the production of Madi Rum, a vanilla-spiced spirit brand founded by brothers Travis and Shane Sheltra of St. Augustine.
The Sheltra brothers, operating as White Orchid Holdings LLC, partnered with Mai Engineering Services Inc. in 2024 to design a site that would function as a production hub and an “agritourism” hospitality draw. According to site plans, the 6-acre tract will feature:
• A two-story, 10,000-square-foot distillery for fermentation, distillation and bottling. The Sheltras said it will be leased and operated by a third party.
• A two-story, 9,198-square-foot restaurant with integrated retail space.
• A 4,400-square-foot maintenance building alongside a 4,000-square-foot greenhouse.
The project’s visual centerpiece is a pond featuring a waterfall and an ornamental airplane designed after the rum maker’s logo.
The Sheltra family is established in the St. Augustine dining scene, with a portfolio including Prohibition Kitchen, Pizzalley’s Chianti Room, Sidecar on St. George and PK’s Roosevelt Room.
Shane Sheltra, who acquired the Deerpark Boulevard property in 2021 for $625,000 and transferred it to White Orchid Development in 2026, founded Madi Rum with Travis Sheltra in 2016.
The brand specializes in rum flavored with vanilla beans sourced from the Mananara-Nord region of Madagascar through a partnership with importer Lafaza Foods.
According to the applicants’ narrative, the distillery will meet “stringent safety and environmental standards,” keeping all core production indoors to ensure compatibility with the surrounding commercial corridor.
Approval of special use permits by the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is not required.
Civil plans for the project are not finalized and will require county approval before a building permit can be issued.