‘You feel like you’re on vacation’: Jacksonville’s first lagoon community breaks ground on Westside – News4JAX

‘You feel like you’re on vacation’: Jacksonville’s first lagoon community breaks ground on Westside  News4JAX

A beach getaway without leaving the neighborhood — that’s the vision behind a new lagoon community breaking ground in Jacksonville. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A beach getaway without leaving the neighborhood — that’s the vision behind a new lagoon community breaking ground in Jacksonville. And for residents of the Westside, it could mean a resort-style experience right in their own backyard. “You really do feel like you’re in a resort. Like you’ve taken a vacation when you’re really in the backyard of your own neighborhood,” said Lisa Gibbings of Metro Development Group. Metro Development Group broke ground on the 17-acre Diamond Springs Lagoon, a new centerpiece for a master planned community off Normandy Boulevard near Cecil Airport.

It will be the first lagoon community in Duval County. At the heart of the development is a 4-acre lagoon designed to bring the beach experience closer to home, with swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and even a swim-up bar. Plans also include a floating obstacle course, a children’s splash pad, volleyball, bumper carts, food trucks and spaces for community events. With 4 acres designated strictly for the lagoon, News4JAX asked just how much water a project like this requires. “Every lagoon is different. Some of our lagoons in the Tampa Bay area are upwards of 33 million gallons of water. But every lagoon is different