from Staff
SilverLeaf Plantation is back on the radar and developer David W. Hutson has added two high-powered Northeast Florida executives to his team.
The 7,500-acre planned development, adjacent to and about the size of the World Golf Village, has been on hold. Now, with attorney John Metcalf and developer Jim Davidson in the fold, you'll start hearing about it.
Metcalf joins the Hutson Companies after his retirement from the Jacksonville law firm of Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart.
Davidson comes on board from his World Golf Village development company.
The move also affects Davidson Realty, which is led by Davidson's wife Sherry. They'll become the agency of record for Hutson's development and other properties.
In addition to serving as general counsel, Metcalf will oversee the company's real estate operations while Davidson will focus on sales and marketing efforts.
According to a press release, Metcalf and Davidson will work to preserve and enhance the value of Hutson's extensive land holdings through the development and implementation of a long-term strategy for the company's nearly 20,000-acres of real estate.
"We've built a large portfolio of land in prime locations," said Hutson. "We want to make sure we get the most value out of that land, and we also want the land to be used in a way that will make us proud. John Metcalf and Jim Davidson are highly respected, experienced professionals with proven real estate business success, and I trust them to take the lead as we move forward and continue to build value for our real estate related assets."
Metcalf practiced land use and real estate law in Northeast Florida for nearly 30 years with the firm of Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller, P.A. and has been with Gunster since the firms merged in 2011.
He has worked on many of the area's largest master-planned communities, including The Players Club at Sawgrass, Marsh Landing, World Golf Village, Palencia, Aberdeen, Durbin Crossing, RiverTown and SilverLeaf Plantation.
Jim Davidson will work with Metcalf to strategically position the Hutson properties. Davidson directed Arvida's Sawgrass projects in the early 1980's and was the original master developer of World Golf Village. Davidson and Metcalf have successfully collaborated on large diversified communities since 1981.
Davidson Realty will provide real estate consulting and brokerage services for the Hutson holdings, and has entered into an exclusive brokerage agreement with the Hutson Companies' affiliate, AFI Associates, Inc., for the marketing and sale of the remaining Hutson holdings in OakLeaf Plantation.
Davidson Realty is also the exclusive broker for the sale of St. Johns County timber and farmland owned by Elkton Green, Inc. another of Hutson's affiliates.
The SilverLeaf property basically is between the World Golf Village and SR 210. It is approved for the development of 10,700 residential units and 1.8 million square feet of commercial retail, office and industrial space. Major transportation improvements are also planned for SilverLeaf, including the outer beltway/I-95 interchange and a 7.5 mile portion of future CR 2209 connecting County Road 210 and International Golf Parkway.