Minto Communities USA, global lifestyle brand Margaritaville Holdings and The St. Joe Company recently announced the commencement of land development activities for Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. The site for the newest active adult community is located in Florida’s Panhandle region in Bay County near Panama City Beach and the Scenic Highway 30-A corridor. An official groundbreaking celebration is planned for Spring 2020.
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is the third Latitude Margaritaville community to be developed by Minto and Margaritaville, and the first to be developed in partnership with St. Joe. The first two Latitude Margaritaville communities are located in Daytona Beach, Florida and in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is in the heart of St. Joe’s Bay-Walton Sector Plan that is entitled for approximately 170,000 homes.
Site of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound
St. Joe owns approximately 15 miles of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway connecting West Bay with Choctawhatchee Bay, providing access to the Gulf of Mexico.
Located nearby are existing shopping and entertainment centers like the Pier Park lifestyle center. St. Joe has also started planning for new marina and commercial villages adjacent to the community. The nearby Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers convenient non-stop service from Delta, Southwest, American and United airlines.
The initial phase of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is anticipated to include approximately 3,500 homes with a sales center, model homes and resort-style amenities for those 55-and-better. Plans call for the sales center and model homes for the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound community to be located at the northwest intersection of Highway 79 and the new alignment of Highway 388 in Bay County. The sales center and models are projected to open early 2021.
Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO of St. Joe said, “After a period of planning and preparation, we are excited to begin development at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. We believe that Northwest Florida is the perfect location for this Latitude Margaritaville community. This region is uniquely suited to offer the type of lifestyle residents of these communities have come to enjoy.”
“We are excited about the spectacular waterfront and stunning natural elements located at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, and intend to fully embrace and design for connectivity with the ecosystem,” said Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville Division President William Bullock.
Jim Wiseman, vice president of development for Margaritaville, said, “This amazing property presents a unique opportunity to deploy the four pillars of the Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle: food, fun, music and escapism in one of the country’s most beautiful and desirable locations.”
