Santa Cruz, Encinitas, eTown?
Barring an unforeseen wipeout, local Spicolis will soon be able to ride customized waves miles away from the beach.
The Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved the Jacksonville Surf Park in eTown, voting 18-0 in favor of rezoning the 55.27-acre site to make way for the mechanized wave lagoon and 45,000 square feet of retail development — including a boutique hotel.
The project’s centerpiece will be its Wavegarden Cove lagoon, capable of producing up to 1,000 waves per hour and tailoring waves to individual skill levels.
The novel development is a collaboration between global surf park creator Aventuur and local partners, including The PARC Group, which is developing eTown.
The surf park will be part of a larger development known as eTown Village Center West, located southwest of the Florida 9B and Interstate 295 interchange.
The project is estimated to cost between $50 million and $100 million, and is expected to create a significant number of local jobs.
The rezoning allows for up to 3,500 residential units and 3.6 million square feet of nonresidential space. Plans indicate the development of a boutique hotel at the site with 120 rooms.
Pending final permits, construction is set to begin in 2026, with the park expected to open its doors to the public in late 2027.
The expanse will also include restaurants, retail space, a surf academy, wellness studio, and conference rooms.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Wavegarden to the Jacksonville community,” Aventuur CEO Nicholas Edelman said in a release last year. “We met our local partners in March 2022 and admire the passion they have for both surf and the city of Jacksonville. We have built an incredible amount of trust between our partners and the PARC Group, and we are extremely proud of the site we have secured for the development.”
Edelman cited North Florida’s storied surfing tradition and coastal heritage as reasons for the selection.
