World Golf Village celebrates the recent opening of the 1,000th store for Publix grocers, a 54,000 square foot, beautifully crafted, state-of-the-art grocery store at the Shoppes of Murabella. Publix also continues to operate its first WGV store at West Town Center, making for the ultimate in shopping convenience. The full-service CVS Pharmacy and the Walgreens Pharmacy recently opened and offer care centers and drive-through prescription pick-up. Convenience foods and sundries are provided at the Shell Gas Station and BP Gas Station, both of which have drive-through car washes. Not to be overlooked is the brand-new, Publix-branded Wine and Liquor Store.

Make no mistake about it, World Golf Village has been designed and built with its green side up. We sit on our neighbor’s border, relative to how most folks think about Florida , yet we still enjoy a year-round green appeal. That appeal is a result of our design and development ability to overcome the limitations of our climate swings, our soil conditions and our restricted landscape palette.

The United States National Arboretum, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture, provides the industry standard for plant adaptability to cold zones via the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. St. Augustine, Florida shares the same skinny, thin band of plant suitability and adaptability with Houston, Texas . The corresponding zone is a combination of Zone 8b (hardy between 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit) and Zone 9a (hardy between only 20 to 25F). Although most folks think that here in Florida, all you have to do is put a plant in the ground for it to grow, our hardiness zones are actually quite confining. In fact, a high performing plant palette is minimized and the plant availability in the commercial marketplace has been restricted. The “restriction” is due in part to the fact that any given winter season could potentially result in major plant loss due to extended freeze / frost conditions.

Yesterday, most folks, when contemplating a visit or a move to Florida, only thought about the theme parks of Central Florida or the sun and surf of South Florida in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Key West or Naples. Throughout the history of settlement in Florida, these areas and coasts got all the attention as people flocked from around the world over into these rapidly-developing communities, at times creating the fastest growth markets in the United States.

As a result, life became as hectic as it was promising. The bloom came off the rose as roads were constantly being widened, schools were being taught in portable classrooms, lines for everything became untenable and “lifestyle” only blossomed in one’s imagination.

Today, visitors and move-ins understand that Florida offers much more diversity and opportunities throughout the state. In fact, Northeast Florida has emerged as one of the most attractive and favored areas, not only in Florida, but on the entire eastern seaboard. The seasonal climate here is punctuated by four seasonal changes, all of which are discernable yet mild and outdoor life is beautiful. Northeast Florida, known as Florida’s First Coast, offers the very best attributes of the Florida lifestyle, in a real and tangible way, not just imaginary. All of the elements of the natural, outdoor Florida environment combine with a healthy and robust business climate and a proud military presence to attract friendly, family-oriented, entrepreneurial-minded people who make a confident and smart choice to make the region their home.

The first shovels of construction activity at World Golf Village were turned in 1994. First came the privately funded $9,500,000 I-95 Interchange, followed by the initial 4 lane widening of International Golf Parkway. In 1996, the site infrastructure for the Northwest Quadrant and Southeast Quadrant was commenced. Shortly thereafter, World Golf Village in its initial dress, opened to the public on May 18, 1998.

In the past 10 years of activity, World Golf Village has evolved into an award-winning, highly desirable and comfortable collection of distinct neighborhoods which are complimented by many services, amenities, shops, dining and entertainment opportunities. Nevertheless, the full promise of the World Golf Village development is yet to come.

In the past 18 months there have been numerous new additions to World Golf Village and its greater surrounds. These additions together with the newest projects currently poised to launch will create a unique diversity which will shape and mature life, work and leisure at the Village.

World Golf Village is a Community and collection of Neighborhoods recognized by its preserved, naturally forested, Conservation Lands and knit together with a shady canopy of planted trees. In fact, it is the treescape design, both existing and planted, that characterizes the environment of World Golf Village. Questionnaires and surveys have been conducted throughout the years to help define the qualities of World Golf Village that most appeal to potential buyers and residents. The aspect that is revealed at the top of everyone’s’ list usually references the natural and built environment of the place. World Golf Village is truly a Place for Trees.

In that regard, trees are really trees at World Golf Village. The tree palette for the WGV Communities is one that showcases the naturally occurring Southern Live Oak and favors “real” trees over exotic and introduced palm trees. The perimeter framework for the Neighborhoods is the background of preserved forests. The internal environment of the Neighborhoods is defined by the extensive use of treescaping. Ornamental variety in the landscape comes through the design groupings of the planted trees, the seasonal and flowering characteristics of the trees and the lower level groundscaping. A limited and judicious use of palms adds punctuation. Unlike many other Florida developments, here at World Golf Village, trees rule – palms don’t.

World Golf Village is a community with a variety of rich, interesting and entertaining stories that tell a tale of building a great place. One of the more unusual aspects of the community is that even the street names tell a story.

There is a neighborhood in the King & Bear Community called WildWood. Almost the entire perimeter boundary of WildWood is framed by a massive, forested Conservation Area. During the site preparation for the WildWood neighborhood, the edge of the Conservation Area was revealed to have a collar of beautiful Loblolly Bay trees interspersed with native Oak, Pine and Maple. The forested edge had a wild, undisturbed and seemingly “undiscovered” appeal. The forested boundary’s character influenced the design, layout, construction and theme of the neighborhood, hence, WildWood.