A Place to Live, a Place to Stay
St. Joe Company breaks ground on new Community and announces hotel opening
The St. Joe Company, Watermark Retirement Communities and BRW Origins announced on Friday a joint venture to develop Watersound Fountains, a luxury independent living community to be located near the Watersound Origins community along Highway 30A.
Planned is a four-story building featuring 148 independent living apartments and amenities including a spa, a wellness center, a pool and multiple dining venues. The community is being designed for seniors who generally require little assistance with activities of daily living. Residents will have access to on-property dining and a variety of planned social, educational and recreational programs. The project is currently underway adjacent to the Watersound Town Center and a future Publix Super Market.
Watermark Retirement Communities will operate Watersound Fountains.
“We are dedicated to enhancing the lives of our residents through fine services, engaging programming, leading integrative wellness and a lifestyle of choice,” said Bryan Schachter, chief information officer, Watermark Retirement Communities. “This extraordinary location will offer our residents easy access to natural coastal beauty, cultural activities and amenities that make Northwest Florida such a great place to call home. We look forward to welcoming the first residents to this exceptional community.”
St. Joe, with partner Watercrest Senior Living, opened Watercrest Santa Rosa Beach, an assisted living facility, earlier this year.
“This is our second venture in senior living in Walton County,” said Dan Velazquez, senior vice president of commercial real estate for St. Joe. “At Watersound Fountains, we intend to build a community that will appeal to seniors by creating an environment that supports our residents’ overall well-being and quality of life.”
The development partners expect to welcome the first residents at Watersound Fountains in 2023.
New hotel receiving guests
Separately, the St. Joe Company announced the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, located near the corner of Venture Crossings Boulevard and West Bay Parkway at the entrance to the VentureCrossings Enterprise Centre.
The new hotel offers 143 guest rooms, as well as meeting space, a pool and fitness center. A full-service restaurant, the Garden Grille & Bar, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and is open to the public. Outdoor patio and fireside seating is available in addition to the inside dining areas.
The Hilton Garden Inn’s site at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) makes it a convenient option for travelers.
“We’re very pleased to partner with Hilton in opening this new property,” said St. Joe Company vice president of resort operations Andrew Czarnecki. “The ease of access to the airport, along with the quality of the Hilton Garden Inn and the amenities it brings to the area make it a wonderful asset for visitors and the community.”
