A rezoning request for the proposed Jacksonville Surf Park will join the Jacksonville City Council pipeline with conditional support from the city Planning Commission.
The commission voted 5-0 on Feb. 6 to recommend passage of legislation to rezone 237.4 acres in South Jacksonville’s eTown for the development. With the vote, Ordinance 2025-0007 heads to the Council Land Use and Zoning Committee.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Commissioner Charles Garrison told attorney Paul Harden, the applicant for property owner Westland Timber LLC.
“I’m looking forward to watching you surf,” Harden replied.
According to a staff report attached to the ordinance, plans for the mixed-use development call for office, institutional, commercial, multifamily, entertainment and recreational uses.
The staff report states that the applicants sought the rezoning to allow for development of facilities that include “an outdoor surf park and associated support equipment, other recreational facilities, restaurants with on- and off-premises consumption of liquor, beer, and wine, retail outlets, food markets, nightclubs and similar establishments, child and adult daycare, auto service stations, banks and other financial institutions.”
The PARC Group, eTown’s developer, announced Oct. 1 that global surf park creator Aventuur and area partners were planning the park. It is proposed on 55.27 acres at 11374 Etown Parkway, with construction expected to start in 2026 pending approvals. Completion is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2027.
The full 237.4-acre property is southwest of the Florida 9B and Interstate 295 interchange. In the PUD, the development is listed as E Town Village Center West.
The ordinance, which would rezone the property from Commercial Community General-1 to Planning Unit Development, would allow for up to 3,500 residential units and 3.6 million square feet of nonresidential uses.
The staff report states that portions of the property have already been developed, including a town home community with a total of 229 units.
Through E-24-55, the Planning Commission approved a proposed 300 multifamily units, 192 town homes and 45,000 square feet of retail and commercial uses, including the surf park.
According to the developers, the centerpiece of the development is a 56-module lagoon that uses Wavegarden technology that can generate up to 1,000 waves per hour.
A written description of the ordinance says the development will include a beach area, pools, spas, outdoor fitness, wellness, offices for surf park operations and related uses, museums and event venues, hotels and motels, and more.
The Planning Commission’s approval came with three conditions, including a requirement for a traffic study and limits on the size of “project identity pole/pylon signs” on Florida 9B. Those signs can be no taller than 65 feet or 300 square feet in area.
In the application, the project name is listed as E Town Village Center West.
Westland Timber LLC is affiliated with the Davis family.
Prosser | Prime AE is the project architect/planner and engineer.
Planning commissioners who voted on the project were Chair Michael McGowan, Vice Chair Tina Meskel and members Amy Fu, Julius Harden and Garrison. Members Mone Holder, Lamonte Carter and Ali Marar were not present.