David Weekley, chairman of David Weekley Homes; Mori Hosseini, chairman and CEO of ICI Homes; and A.C. “Chip” Skinner III, president of Skinner Bros. Realty at the opening of Seven Pines on Oct. 20.
The main entrance of Seven Pines.
While some pine trees were removed for the development, others remain.
An aerial view of the lake at Seven Pines.
Plans call for a 7,900-square-foot Residents Club along a lake and a 34-acre park.
The David Weekey Homes Forrest model at Seven Pines.
The ICI Homes Davenport model at Seven Pines.
Seven Pines is east of St. Johns Town Center.
An outpost building will house kayaks and canoes for use on the lake.
Residents Club construction will begin next spring and is expected to be completed in 2024.
Seven Pines is being developed by ICI Homes and David Weekley Homes. There are model homes open at the development.
The map of the property at Interstate 295 and Butler Boulevard.
Developers and Skinner family members unveiled the Seven Pines master-planned community to real estate agents and VIPs on Oct. 20. The project represents the last developable 1,000 acres of Skinner family land holdings that at one time totaled 50,000 acres in Northeast Florida.
Seven Pines, previously referred to as the Southeast Quadrant, is off the southern extension Kernan Boulevard exit from Butler Boulevard. About 550 acres will be developed.
There will be a grand opening for the public from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 22.
The property, which served as a timber farm as well as a refuge for Skinner family gatherings and hunting excursions, is named after the seven original Skinner brothers. The family built its wealth in the timber and dairy farming industries.
The nearby St. Johns Town Center and the University of North Florida are built on former Skinner property.
Seven Pines will comprise 1,600 single-family homes, apartments and more than 1 million square feet of commercial and retail space.
Seven Pines is being developed by ICI Homes and David Weekley Homes. There are models open and already more than 30 homes have been purchased. The first phase comprises 170 acres with homes built on 40- to 70-foot wide lots.
There are eight design plans from 1,500 to more than 4,000 square feet. Houses start in the upper $600,000s.
Plans call for apartments, offices, restaurants, retail and a movie theater, said Mori Hosseini, chairman and CEO of ICI Homes.
In 2021, Baptist Health paid $10 million for 10 acres for a future medical facility within the development. Spectrum Companies and FCA Partners are building a 300-unit Seven Pines apartment and townhouse project.
It is expected to take 10 to 12 years to build-out the housing.
“We are giving residents the opportunity to live, work and enjoy life without having to leave,” Hosseini said.
Plans call for a 7,900-square-foot Residents Club along a lake and a 34-acre park. It will have a resort-style pool, lap pool and children’s spray ground with water features and slides. The Residents Club will have 3,000-square-foot fitness center.
An outpost building will house kayaks and canoes for use on the lake. There will be two miles of trails around the lake as well as paths and sidewalks throughout the community.
Residents Club construction will begin next spring and is expected to be completed in 2024.
The property is buffered by a ring of forest. David Weekley, chairman of David Weekley Homes, compared it to a doughnut and said it offered a unique building opportunity.
“We usually build in suburbs. But here, you’ll be walking distance from your home to a restaurant,” Weekley said.
Because of the retail and dining plans, he said people from other areas will consider Seven Pines an entertainment destination.
“People usually go east for entertainment. Now they will have it right at their home. There will be no need to go further east. It will help those to the east of us because there will not be that much traffic,” Weekley said.
At the event was family matriarch Mary Virginia Skinner Jones as well as more than 30 other family members. Also in attendance were Realtors, builders and the first residents as well as Mayor Lenny Curry, District 11 Council member Danny Becton and JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis.
A.C. “Chip” Skinner III, president of Skinner Bros. Realty, told the group that developing the property was an important step for the family.
He recalled learning to drive, shoot a gun and hunt on the land. Family gatherings on Thanksgiving would have more than 60 family members in attendance.
Skinner explained that the decision to sell was generational. Before the sale, nine family members owned the land, and soon children would have become stakeholders as well. The numbers would have become unwieldy to make decisions about the property’s future.
“With the next generation, the numbers will exponentially increase. It was the right time for the family to sell.” Skinner said.
The marketing slogan for the community is “Seven Pines: A Legacy of Gathering.”
Developing a community where neighbors know their neighbors was important to the Skinner family. Every home design has a front porch.
“We feel that people will come together more on a front porch than in a backyard,” Skinner said.
Skinner regrets that the developed portion of the property was clear-cut, but his years in the timber business made him face the reality that the native forest had to come down.
“I wish they were able to keep more of the natural trees,” he said. “But that wasn’t practical. If you work around the pine trees, the pine trees die.”
“But they have made a point to plant bigger than normal trees and hopefully in a few years they will fill out.”
The wooded community entrance also will serve as a tribute to the family.
“We wanted people to get a flavor of what the property used to be. When they enter they will see some old oak trees.” Skinner said.
During remarks, Hosseini spoke of the Skinners’ hands-on participation. As ideas were developed and designs were contemplated, the Skinner family was involved in every decision.
“Our goal is to exceed the Skinner family’s expectations,” Hosseini said.
