Cross Regions Group, the developer of The Fountains at St. Johns mixed-use development, broke ground Dec. 6 on an eastern expansion.
At completion, The Fountains at St. Johns East will include a 137-room Home2 Suites by Hilton marking the first hospitality development at The Fountains. Cross Regions will also develop a 35,000-square-foot town center with retail and restaurant space.
The Fountains development is at northeast County Road 210 West and Interstate 95 in northern St. Johns County.
Fountains East is the second of three phases.
Daytona Beach-based Davenport Consulting Group LLC is the architect. GAI Consultants Inc. of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
Cross Regions President and CEO David Ergisi said the town center is about 80% leased.
Signed tenants include restaurants Island Wing Company, DaVinci’s Pizza, Toasted Yolk, Wicked Cookies and St. Johns Aesthetics and Wellness Center. Ergisi said work on the project is expected to begin immediately.
Site clearing is anticipated to take up to 10 days with construction starting soon after. Separate permits for the town center and the Home2 Suites are under review by St. Johns County.
Ergisi estimated the Home2 Suites will take 18 months to complete while the town center will take about 14 months.
“Our vision is to always do better,” he said. “It’s going to be a very nice, unique project.”
He said the town center is “all walkable” with no vehicle traffic between the buildings.
“It’s the first of its kind in the area,” Ergisi said. “It’s best in class.”
He said most of the development’s first phase, west of Fountains East, is “spoken for.”
Tenants in phase one include Culver’s, Grumpy’s, Endeavor Health Center and Lil Voyagers Academy day care. The area is anchored by Ascension St. Vincent’s Health Center - St. Johns County.
Ergisi said his goal for The Fountains at St. Johns is to create an all-in-one community when it is fully developed.