Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by heru sukma cahyanto
There are no beaches in Central Florida, but that may soon change after news broke that two major South Florida developers are looking to bring public access lagoons to Central Florida.
According to Iván Manzur, Senior Vice President of Sales of Crystal Lagoon US Corp, Hollywood-based investment firm ADËLON Capital, and Miami-based Crystal Lagoon have partnered to build five “Public Access Lagoons™” throughout Central Florida within the next ten years.
Crystal lagoons are man-made “beach-like” recreation grounds that bring clear, turquoise blue water and bright white sand beaches to inland areas that otherwise wouldn’t have access to such activities.
The construction projects allow “developers to create idyllic beach life just steps away from people’s homes while generating a new business through ticketed entry to the lagoon and year-round entertainment including water sports, concerts, weddings, events, trade shows, day clubs, restaurants, retail, and more,” according to the Crystal Lagoon website.
As of now, the plan is to bring five synthetic beach lagoons to the Central Florida region with the hope of having locations in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties.
Manzur said the companies are hoping to complete and open the first of the five planned Central Florida projects by 2023. However, the ball must get rolling if they expect to accomplish the goal because no location has been secured as of the publishing of this article.
“The first project is not clear yet,” said Manzur. But, Kissimmee, Orlando, and an area near the Villages are being considered for the first location.
“We have always looked at Orlando,” Manzur added. “Orlando has a huge potential. It has more than 75 million visitors per year. So it’s a very attractive location for Crystal Lagoon. Orlando has everything except the beach.”
ADËLON’s role comes into play on the real estate side via hybrid projects.
“Hybrid project means projects with a residential component with a public access lagoon,” said Manzur. “We signed a master agreement with ADËLON Capital. The master agreements are these partnerships that we do with some developers, some investment groups, in which we give the exclusivity to them to develop these public access lagoons concept in certain territories.”
The pair will have exclusive rights to build at least five projects over the next ten years, with retail businesses, restaurants, and single-family housing units rumored to be potential options.
Crystal Lagoons are no stranger to the Florida market. In fact, if you’d like to see a finished project in Florida, click on the video below to see the Epperson Lagoon in Wesley Chapel.
Central Florida residents will soon be able to join in on the beachside fun and gather around a nearby lagoon for an unforgettable experience.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
