ETown, the master-planned Southside community designed for up to 2,000 homes off Florida 9B, is launching commercial development.
Baptist Health kicked it off in February when it said it bought 3½ acres in The Exchange at eTown, the commercial element of the project at northeast E-Town Parkway and Florida 9B.
Baptist will start with primary care at the site, which includes digital health and wellness services.
Gate Petroleum Co. comes next. It proposes a 6,500-square-foot gas station and convenience store with 20 fueling positions on 2.16 acres near the Baptist Health site.
When Baptist announced, it said about 100 families had moved into eTown in the previous several months. ETown plans an amenity center and a village center with retail uses.
The Hub, eTown’s welcome center, opened in October.
The St. Johns River Water Management District issued a permit June 25 for the eTown nonresidential parcels’ north section.
It authorized a stormwater management system for a 12.27-acre project for landowner Eastland Timber LLC and developer E-Town Development Inc., part of The PARC Group.
Jed Davis leads Eastland Timber. He is president and CEO of DDI Inc./Davis Family Office
England-Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer.
The nonresidential road system includes Meeting Street, Exchange Street and Assembly Street at northeast Florida 9B and E-Town Parkway.
Plans show at least eight nonresidential parcels for development in the northeast property.
There are plans for southeast E-Town Parkway and Florida 9B, with Exchange Street, Square Street and Bold City Street and development sites. That is not part of the current project.
ETown and the parkway also extend west of Florida 9B, where additional acreage is targeted for nonresidential development.
Roger O’Steen, The PARC Group chairman and founder, said June 25 he had no additional information to share.
ETown’s residential neighborhoods include the Del Webb, Nobel, Kettering, Marconi and Edison single-family home communities; the Newton townhouses; and the Menlo apartments.
ETown markets itself as a smart-living community built around technology connections. Neighborhoods are named after inventors.
Homebuilders include Pulte Homes, Toll Brothers, David Weekley Homes and ICI Homes.
