Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is permitted to start construction of a new surf club, part of its 30-year renovation plan.
St. Johns County issued the permit Feb. 13. It covers only the club’s foundation at 261 Ponte Vedra Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach. It is a $500,000 project.
The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is owned by Jacksonville-based Gate Petroleum Co. through Ponte Vedra Corp.
Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is the contractor. England-Thims & Miller Inc. of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
As of Dec. 1, its former Surf Club closed. An interim alternative is open at the Atlantic House, the building directly south of the facility. It offers beach access, beach rentals, food and beverages.
“Our recreational pools will be unavailable throughout the project. Guests of Ponte Vedra Inn and Club will continue to have access to the pools and all other amenities at The Lodge and Club, our sister property located 1.5 miles south. Our colleagues are able to provide transportation to and from The Lodge & Club for our resort guests,” according to the club’s website.
“While oceanfront restaurants will be unavailable, to ensure you have an array of dining options, we are extending hours and enhancing menus across the resort. The Inn Dining Room will continue to offer breakfast as well as a nightly elevated dining experience. The Golf Club Dining Room will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The Tavern will also have expanded hours and a more extensive menu. Grab-and-go food and beverage options will be available at the interim surf club,” it says.
In November, the club was permitted to build a new sports club and associated parking garage at a project cost of $65 million directly across the street from the Surf Club at 240 Ponte Vedra Blvd.
According to site plans, its 105,314-square-foot club will be two stories and will include a four-level parking garage. It will feature a gym with cardiovascular and free-weight equipment, daily lockers, showers, and group fitness classes.
Spokesperson Misty Skipper said other amenities included in the plans are a second-floor lap pool, a cafe, and retail space that will not be leased to outside parties.
As part of its Planned Urban Development zoning, the oceanfront Ponte Vedra Inn & Club can expand to up to 349 rooms and 595,000 square feet of restaurant, bar, and indoor recreation space.
The resorts currently have 328 rooms, according to its PUD application.
The surf club and sports club projects are part of a St. Johns County-approved planned unit development for the renovation and expansion of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and The Lodge & Club. It is expected to be completed in six phases over a 30-year period.