NOCATEE 2021
My wife and I moved to Nocatee in 2009. I was a real estate broker who had recently moved to FL and I was looking for an area I could establish myself while also finding our “forever home”. I’ve sold a lot of forever homes…you know how that goes! We decided on moving to the Del Webb Ponte Vedra development despite many of our real estate peers warning us that they weren’t so sure Nocatee was going to make it! The economy was sputtering, it was “out in the boonies” according to many prospective buyers we met. Del Webb had about 117 homes at that time and Nocatee had about 500 homes.
As I recall there was no grocery store, no gas station, no banks, no schools, no Nocatee Splash Park… basically there wasn’t anything. The biggest plus was how close it was to Ponte Vedra Beach shopping and restaurants and of course the ocean! I think there were only 5 neighborhoods at that time; Austin Park, Willowcove, Tidewater, Coastal Oaks and Del Webb Ponte Vedra.
The PARC Group was and is the master developer of Nocatee and they had big plans. To be honest, I was a little skeptical myself. Florida was always the state of broken promises to those of us from other parts of the country. I have learned that when the PARC Group says they are going to do something…they do it…and they do it right!
Despite the challenges going on in the national real estate market, Nocatee seemed to always be immune to what was happening. Year after year Nocatee was recognized as one of the fastest growing communities in the country, consistently in the top 3 nationwide. In the Fall of 2020, Nocatee was named the “Best Place To Live in Florida” by Newsweek Magazine! I am guessing that Nocatee has about 10,000 homes now and a population getting close to 30,000…just guessing. Pretty soon we will be bigger than PVBeach!
We have close to 50 distinctly different neighborhoods, many of which are completely built out. There are apartment complexes, condo projects, small cottage style developments, custom homes, huge gated communities, 3 different 55+ Active Lifestyle communities, a new development that will be selling waterfront lots on the Intracoastal Waterway, Assisted and Independent Living facilities, 3 schools K-8, including the newest k-8, recently named Pine Island Academy.
There is a growing selection of restaurants and new businesses including Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room, Burn Boot Camp, Kumon, Panera Bread, Greenwise Market, Clean Juice, Really Good Beer Stop, Ben & Jerry’s, Sherwin Williams, Tanks Sushi Bistro, and lululemon, just to name a few.
Adding to the community, Baptist Health's complete health campus which includes primary care, specialty care and wellness programs, and our own YMCA with workout facilities for the entire family.
If anything I have written sparks your interest, feel free to contact me. I will do my best to point you in the right direction. Give the great people at the Nocatee Welcome Center a try…they know everything there is to know!
As I recall there was no grocery store, no gas station, no banks, no schools, no Nocatee Splash Park… basically there wasn’t anything. The biggest plus was how close it was to Ponte Vedra Beach shopping and restaurants and of course the ocean! I think there were only 5 neighborhoods at that time; Austin Park, Willowcove, Tidewater, Coastal Oaks and Del Webb Ponte Vedra.
The PARC Group was and is the master developer of Nocatee and they had big plans. To be honest, I was a little skeptical myself. Florida was always the state of broken promises to those of us from other parts of the country. I have learned that when the PARC Group says they are going to do something…they do it…and they do it right!
Despite the challenges going on in the national real estate market, Nocatee seemed to always be immune to what was happening. Year after year Nocatee was recognized as one of the fastest growing communities in the country, consistently in the top 3 nationwide. In the Fall of 2020, Nocatee was named the “Best Place To Live in Florida” by Newsweek Magazine! I am guessing that Nocatee has about 10,000 homes now and a population getting close to 30,000…just guessing. Pretty soon we will be bigger than PVBeach!
We have close to 50 distinctly different neighborhoods, many of which are completely built out. There are apartment complexes, condo projects, small cottage style developments, custom homes, huge gated communities, 3 different 55+ Active Lifestyle communities, a new development that will be selling waterfront lots on the Intracoastal Waterway, Assisted and Independent Living facilities, 3 schools K-8, including the newest k-8, recently named Pine Island Academy.
There is a growing selection of restaurants and new businesses including Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room, Burn Boot Camp, Kumon, Panera Bread, Greenwise Market, Clean Juice, Really Good Beer Stop, Ben & Jerry’s, Sherwin Williams, Tanks Sushi Bistro, and lululemon, just to name a few.
Adding to the community, Baptist Health's complete health campus which includes primary care, specialty care and wellness programs, and our own YMCA with workout facilities for the entire family.
If anything I have written sparks your interest, feel free to contact me. I will do my best to point you in the right direction. Give the great people at the Nocatee Welcome Center a try…they know everything there is to know!
Nocatee A Smart Growth Community of the Future
by Debbie Gaylord (St. Johns magazine print edition April 2013)
Turning off the Dixie Highway onto CR 210 East one enters Nocatee. With its sleek palm-lined roadways, miles of southern pine forests, the new Town Center and its impressive neighborhoods, Nocatee is the quintessential planned community of the future. Last year 508 new homes sold here, making it the 10th fastest growing community in the United States.
The concept for Nocatee was dreamed up by the PARC Group, well known local developers who are behind many of Northeast Florida’s premier communities including Marsh Creek Country Club and Pablo Bay along the Intracoastal. According to Managing Partner Rick Ray, The PARC Group had a clear, long-term vision for the 13,323 acres of land which originates from the Davis family of Winn-Dixie fame. “The Davis family wanted to help create a planned community they would be proud of in the future,” he said.
After spending ten years researching other planned communities across the country, they determined smart growth was the future of developing and seized the moment with Nocatee. At the center of this plan was a respect for the native environment. By designating 2/3 of the land for preservation, they sought to preserve the beauty of the landscape and enhances the lives of the people who live and work within the community. They also decided to combine nature with zoned areas for economic growth. This included a Town Center for retail space and areas designated for office space so residents could do everything in their daily life without having to travel long distances.
The early stages of development began in 2005. By 2007, the Florida real estate market began to show signs of stress, and by 2008 our national economy was hit hard by a recession that crippled the building industry. The PARC Group and its hand-picked, award-winning builders persevered. They believed so strongly in the project they moved forward building Nocatee’s infrastructure without hesitation. “We understood and believed the recession would end and wanted to position ourselves in the market for when that time came. We gave the public confidence when they needed it,” said Mr. Ray. That kind of courage paid off.
Today, there are 1,500 homes in Nocatee but when the community is complete, it will have thirteen to fourteen thousand homes on its 13,000 acres. Marketing Director Kelly Ray says this will be ten to fifteen years in the future.
The completed master plan is laid out clearly on a beautiful rendered map available at the welcome center. It details each community, the location of current and future schools, parks, trails, office complexes and retail space.
Economically, Nocatee will continue to draw new businesses to the area in the coming years. The Town Center was completed in 2010 and later came Splash Water Park. The PARC Group was able to convince key retailers such as Publix to locate in the Nocatee Town Center (It is home to the largest Publix in northeast Florida). Baptist Health has also purchased a five acre parcel and plans to build a primary care facility.
The concept for Nocatee was dreamed up by the PARC Group, well known local developers who are behind many of Northeast Florida’s premier communities including Marsh Creek Country Club and Pablo Bay along the Intracoastal. According to Managing Partner Rick Ray, The PARC Group had a clear, long-term vision for the 13,323 acres of land which originates from the Davis family of Winn-Dixie fame. “The Davis family wanted to help create a planned community they would be proud of in the future,” he said.
After spending ten years researching other planned communities across the country, they determined smart growth was the future of developing and seized the moment with Nocatee. At the center of this plan was a respect for the native environment. By designating 2/3 of the land for preservation, they sought to preserve the beauty of the landscape and enhances the lives of the people who live and work within the community. They also decided to combine nature with zoned areas for economic growth. This included a Town Center for retail space and areas designated for office space so residents could do everything in their daily life without having to travel long distances.
The early stages of development began in 2005. By 2007, the Florida real estate market began to show signs of stress, and by 2008 our national economy was hit hard by a recession that crippled the building industry. The PARC Group and its hand-picked, award-winning builders persevered. They believed so strongly in the project they moved forward building Nocatee’s infrastructure without hesitation. “We understood and believed the recession would end and wanted to position ourselves in the market for when that time came. We gave the public confidence when they needed it,” said Mr. Ray. That kind of courage paid off.
Today, there are 1,500 homes in Nocatee but when the community is complete, it will have thirteen to fourteen thousand homes on its 13,000 acres. Marketing Director Kelly Ray says this will be ten to fifteen years in the future.
The completed master plan is laid out clearly on a beautiful rendered map available at the welcome center. It details each community, the location of current and future schools, parks, trails, office complexes and retail space.
Economically, Nocatee will continue to draw new businesses to the area in the coming years. The Town Center was completed in 2010 and later came Splash Water Park. The PARC Group was able to convince key retailers such as Publix to locate in the Nocatee Town Center (It is home to the largest Publix in northeast Florida). Baptist Health has also purchased a five acre parcel and plans to build a primary care facility.
Nocatee resident & entreprenuer, Marcia Danzeisen, along with her partner, Michael Simpson, leased the final two retail spaces in Nocatee Town Center last September. Yobe is open now and Dick’s Wings and Grill is set to open in late April. “Nocatee in particular needed a gathering place and the combination of these two family-friendly establishments complement the healthy, active lifestyle Nocatee families enjoy. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support Nocatee and surrounding communities have shown since we opened Yobe on March 2,” said Yobe and Dick’s Wings and Grill owner Marcia Danzeisen.
A key feature of the Nocatee lifestyle is green living. The PARC Group is well known for being environmentally concious and in 2008 they won the Best Green Community Award for Nocatee.
When building the infrastructure the PARC Group included an electric vehicle pass within a series of winding trails known as The Greenway, a preservation area of more than 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land. Residents today enjoy use of the preserved lands, connecting 330 acres of parks, common areas, the Nocatee Splash Water Park and Nocatee Town Center without having to use their vehicles. It is one reason why people decide to buy in Nocatee, as residents Lorena Granja and Leonor Mendez said, “We fell in love with it. It is so peaceful, quiet and great for family living”.
The Greenway includes trail map kiosks and environmental education signs. According to the St. Johns County website, “The interconnecting Greenway Trail System, which is easily within reach of all of the community’s neighborhoods, includes miles of multiuse 16-foot-wide pathways and 1,200 feet of bridges that wander throughout wetlands. Designed for tranquil recreational pursuits”.
Nocatee residents enjoy hiking trails, horseback riding, mountain bike riding, bird watching, a state-of-the art fitness center and the huge Splash Water Park with its swimming pools, 50 foot tall water slide, and a lazy river. They recently even added a zip line directly over the swimming pool complex.
Nocatee is located within the St. Johns County Public School system, the number one rated school district in Florida. Nocatee developers reserved space for nine schools. Ponte Vedra High School, located near Davis Park opened in 2008. Funding for development of the first elementary school inside Nocatee was recently approved by the St. Johns County school district and is slated to be completed by summer 2014.
It seems The PARC Group has not forgotten any detail when it comes to enhancing life at Nocatee. Even events like its weekly farmer’s market have the extra benefit of on-staff event planners to create an incredible experience for attendees. Farmers Markets have featured a pirate theme and even a frisbee-throwing dog show that was a big hit. Many events are actually open to all residents of St. Johns County.
Rick Ray is quick to remind that it is the residents of Nocatee that help create the energy and lifestyle of the community as a whole and which is making this community a popular destination both nationally and among local families.
A key feature of the Nocatee lifestyle is green living. The PARC Group is well known for being environmentally concious and in 2008 they won the Best Green Community Award for Nocatee.
When building the infrastructure the PARC Group included an electric vehicle pass within a series of winding trails known as The Greenway, a preservation area of more than 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land. Residents today enjoy use of the preserved lands, connecting 330 acres of parks, common areas, the Nocatee Splash Water Park and Nocatee Town Center without having to use their vehicles. It is one reason why people decide to buy in Nocatee, as residents Lorena Granja and Leonor Mendez said, “We fell in love with it. It is so peaceful, quiet and great for family living”.
The Greenway includes trail map kiosks and environmental education signs. According to the St. Johns County website, “The interconnecting Greenway Trail System, which is easily within reach of all of the community’s neighborhoods, includes miles of multiuse 16-foot-wide pathways and 1,200 feet of bridges that wander throughout wetlands. Designed for tranquil recreational pursuits”.
Nocatee residents enjoy hiking trails, horseback riding, mountain bike riding, bird watching, a state-of-the art fitness center and the huge Splash Water Park with its swimming pools, 50 foot tall water slide, and a lazy river. They recently even added a zip line directly over the swimming pool complex.
Nocatee is located within the St. Johns County Public School system, the number one rated school district in Florida. Nocatee developers reserved space for nine schools. Ponte Vedra High School, located near Davis Park opened in 2008. Funding for development of the first elementary school inside Nocatee was recently approved by the St. Johns County school district and is slated to be completed by summer 2014.
It seems The PARC Group has not forgotten any detail when it comes to enhancing life at Nocatee. Even events like its weekly farmer’s market have the extra benefit of on-staff event planners to create an incredible experience for attendees. Farmers Markets have featured a pirate theme and even a frisbee-throwing dog show that was a big hit. Many events are actually open to all residents of St. Johns County.
Rick Ray is quick to remind that it is the residents of Nocatee that help create the energy and lifestyle of the community as a whole and which is making this community a popular destination both nationally and among local families.
