Urban Partners, Engel & Völkers and the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce broke ground on a new boating community in St. Augustine last Thursday, Nov. 15.
Known as Villa Calissa, the enclave of 11 harbor residences will be located on the San Sebastian River at the intersection of Cherokee Street and Iroquois Avenue, which is east of U.S. Route 1. The Caribbean-inspired residences will range from a little over 2,000 square feet to about 2,200 square feet, with all featuring three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a two-car garage. The residences come with private deep-water slips. Other amenities include a community pool and firepit and luxurious finishes inside.
Urban Partners is the developer of the property, with Urban Partners Construction serving as the general contractor. Engel & Völkers is the exclusive listing broker. In addition to representatives from these three groups, prospective buyers and real estate agents attended the groundbreaking event, which featured catering by Palm Valley Fish Camp and music by Cool Vibes.
According to Edmundo Gonzalez, co-founder of Urban Partners and a Ponte Vedra Beach resident, the project will go vertical the first of January, with about a 14- to 16-month timeline for completion, depending on sales.
Gonzalez said his team found the property for Villa Calissa after developing the shopping center just west on U.S. Route 1, which includes Diane’s Natural Market, Green Papaya, Jersey Mikes and Tijuana Flats, among other businesses. The Ponte Vedra Beach resident said he’s excited to be part of the transformation of that part of St. Augustine.
“Aside from Diane’s, you have the Shipyards,” Gonzalez said. “That’s going to be retail, restaurants, resort hotels, the TAG! Children’s Museum (of St. Augustine). All of it is within walking distance. It is really a special little piece of property.
“We’re transforming a little piece that was an industrial site, and that’s what it was zoned for, that had a dilapidated, deteriorating house on it,” Gonzalez added, “and was scheduled to be an industrial warehouse, and we took it, rezoned it, and we’re making something really beautiful.”
