“Is this farm-to-table?” “Are the ingredients locally sourced?” “Are these artisan-made accessories?” These days knowing where an item comes from — or how it’s made — is a big part of your purchase decision. And buying a home shouldn’t be any different. Partnerships with the most trusted builders in Northeast Florida, boasting more than a century of combined home-building experience, mean you get a quality home you can feel good about.
D.S. Ware Homes
The team at D.S. Ware Homes has been building homes and making customers for life for more than three decades. With repeated recognition from J.D. Power and Associates for their customer satisfaction and warranties, D.S. Ware’s commitment to a home goes far beyond when the last nail is hammered. Founder Donnie Ware sums it up best: “A home is the single most important purchase people will make in their lifetime and it has to be right, every time.” And that’s a philosophy they build every home with.
Dream Finders Homes
Within three years of opening, Dream Finders Homes was recognized as the “#1 Fastest Growing Private Company in Jacksonville” by The Jacksonville Business Journal, and with good reason. With an eye to the future of homebuilding, Dream Finders Homes is designing eye-catching and inviting homes. Their unique designs and commitment to superior quality materials have earned them more than 20 Parade of Home Awards from the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
Dostie Homes
With six decades and three generations of homebuilders, you might expect Dostie Homes to take it easy. But they’re still exceeding expectations, receiving the “2018 Northeast Florida Builder of the Year” award from the Northeast Florida Builders Association. Brothers Rick and Chris Dostie carry on the family’s legacy of quality homebuilding, leading a team of innovative professionals to deliver timeless luxury homes.
WILDLIGHT, FL – July 26, 2018 – Today, Raydient Places + Properties announced that Jacksonville-based Dostie Homes has been selected as the third residential homebuilder in Wildlight, the new town being developed in Nassau County. Dostie Homes will build the community’s first townhomes near Wildlight Village along with single family homes.
(more…)First Federal Bank of Florida to Build Newest Full-Service Branch in Wildlight
WILDLIGHT, FL – April 16, 2018 – Today, Raydient Places + Properties announced that First Federal Bank of Florida (First Federal) will build a 2,000-sq. ft. full-service branch location in Wildlight, the new town under development located in Nassau County.
“We are proud of this initiative and grateful to be a leader in this new community, which will enhance our prominence in Nassau County,” said Keith Leibfried, president and CEO, First Federal Bank of Florida. “We are excited about the opportunity to expand our services further west and develop a new branch that will offer a more modern banking experience for customers.”
Founded in 1962, First Federal is a community-based mutual bank that serves customers at multiple branch locations across North Florida. First Federal has recently announced plans to merge with Coastal Banking Company, the holding company of CBC National Bank, which currently has one branch in Fernandina Beach, FL. This merger and the opening of its Wildlight branch, will increase First Federal’s presence to four locations throughout Nassau County.
“We are excited to welcome Nassau County’s soon to be largest financial institution as the latest company to establish a location in Wildlight,” said Charles Adams, vice president of Community Development for Raydient Places + Properties. “First Federal Bank of Florida’s commitment to its customers and the communities in which it serves is directly in line with Wildlight’s core values.”
The bank’s stand-alone building in Wildlight will be designed using the community’s Florida Lowcountry architectural guidelines. Projected completion date is early 2019. Terms of the sale have not been disclosed.
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About First Federal Bank of Florida
First Federal Bank of Florida is a community bank founded in the heart of North Florida in 1962. Today, First Federal is a $1.37 billion-asset institution offering a full line of personal and business financial solutions, loans, and services from Florida’s Panhandle to the First Coast. First Federal is a mutual bank and continues to receive a “5-Star, Superior” financial rating from BauerFinancial, Inc., of Coral Gables, FL. For more information, visit www.ffbf.com.
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About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with businesses, shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of connecting trails and pathways intended to promote a walkable community and healthy lifestyle. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes throughout 260 acres, approximately. In addition, the community will have approximately 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight offers comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living located 20 miles north of Jacksonville and just east of Interstate-95 on A1A. There is easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com.
WILDLIGHT, FL – March 20, 2018 – Wildlight, the mixed-use, new town under development in Nassau County, is proud to announce Comcast as its newest technology provider. Comcast plans to deliver a high-speed fiber network solution throughout the entire community. In addition, Comcast plans to deploy outdoor community Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots for residents, businesses and community members to enjoy.
“At Comcast, we strive to create the best entertainment and online experience for all communities and their residents,” said Rafael Visbal, Vice President of Xfinity Communities for Comcast’s Florida Region. “We are extremely pleased to work with Wildlight to provide a comprehensive network with gigabit-speed capability to every aspect of this unique community – from the residential neighborhoods to the commercial and retail sectors, in addition to Wildlight Elementary School.”
From the beginning, Wildlight’s developer understood the importance of establishing a strong technology foundation for the community. Residents and businesses will have access to high-speed internet, home entertainment services and community Wi-Fi from day one.
“During the initial planning phase, we made a conscious decision to invest in technology as a necessary amenity for the entire community,” said Charles Adams, vice president of community development for Wildlight. “We are excited to work with Comcast to help build Wildlight’s technology infrastructure and ensure all entities within our community have universal access to the most advanced communications network.”
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About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes
and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com.
WILDLIGHT, FL. – Feb. 22, 2018 – Today, Raydient Places + Properties announced that Skinner Bros. Realty will build the first retail complex on the northeast corner of Wildlight’s front entrance. Skinner Bros. Realty is in the final stages of purchasing the first two acres of an overall three-acre development which will begin with a 9,100-sq. ft. multi-tenant building plus a courtyard and a 4,000-sq. ft. building on the corner of Wildlight Blvd. and A1A.
“There is so much momentum in Nassau County right now, and we see the new town of Wildlight as a major factor in that growth,” said Chet Skinner, vice president of Skinner Brothers Realty. “We were excited by Wildlight’s Florida Lowcountry architectural character and design and look forward to delivering a quality product for future residents, businesses, and the local community to enjoy for years to come.”
Focusing on the multi-tenant building first, the Jacksonville-based real estate developer submitted a preliminary site plan to Nassau County’s Development Review Committee (DRC) in November 2017. This building will include an outside courtyard and covered dining area. Following the DRC’s review, Skinner Bros. Realty is working with engineering consultant Connelly and Wicker and design firm Ervin Lovett Miller to build-out the site’s full horizontal construction plan. Skinner Bros. Realty plans to submit civil drawings to Nassau County in February 2018.
“We are very pleased to work with Skinner Bros. Realty to develop the first retail space in Wildlight,” said Charles Adams, vice president of Community Development for Wildlight. “Skinner Bros. Realty’s vast experience and success in developing and managing retail projects for this type of community make them a natural fit for Wildlight.”
Construction is expected to begin this summer. Terms of the sale have not been disclosed.
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About Skinner Bros. Realty
Skinner Bros. Realty Company, established in January 1999, is a developer, investor, owner and manager of retail, office and mixed-use properties. The firm specializes in acquisition, planning, permitting, development and marketing of real estate as well as the representation of individual and corporate clients in the search for premier business locations.
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes
and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com.
WILDLIGHT, FL – January 24, 2018 – Today, Raydient Places + Properties announced that Florida Public Utilities (FPU) will relocate its Florida headquarters to Wildlight, the new town under development in Nassau County. The Florida energy provider is building a new, 18,000-square-foot office in Wildlight’s commercial district next door to Rayonier Inc.’s headquarters.
“Wildlight’s strategic location within our Florida service territory, and commitment to sustainable growth and infrastructure, make relocating to this community a natural fit,” said Jeff Householder, President of Florida Public Utilities. “We believe this move is a smart decision for our Company, our employees and our customers.”
Established in 1924, FPU provides natural gas, electricity and propane gas services to growing residential, commercial and industrial markets throughout Florida. FPU’s 315 employees provide energy services to customers in 39 Florida counties. The new FPU headquarters at Wildlight offers a central office location that is easily accessible to its company employees.
“This new location will enable us to serve our customers and pursue growth more economically, efficiently and effectively. It also demonstrates the Company’s on-going commitment to Florida, which has welcomed us as a business partner and neighbor for more than 90 years,” said Michael P. McMasters, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, FPU’s parent company.
FPU’s new headquarters building will incorporate Wildlight’s Florida Lowcountry architectural style, while complementing the area’s natural landscape. “We are pleased to welcome Florida Public Utilities as the newest company to put down roots in Wildlight,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “One of Wildlight’s key goals is to attract and retain quality corporations such as FPU and talented employees which will continue to strengthen and diversify Nassau County’s economy.”
Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2018.
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About Florida Public Utilities
Florida Public Utilities Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation. Headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida, FPU distributes natural gas and propane and provides electric services to approximately 120,000 customers in markets throughout Florida. For more information, visit fpuc.com.
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com
WILDLIGHT, FL – Dec. 20, 2017 – Today, Wildlight, the new town under development in Nassau County, announced the opening of its StoryCenter, the construction of D.S. Ware’s first model home and the selection of CCMC as its community management company.
The StoryCenter serves as the community’s welcome center and central location for information about Wildlight. Featuring Wildlight’s signature Florida Lowcountry architecture, the StoryCenter provides a glimpse into the town’s unique character. “As the first stop for future homeowners and business investors considering a purchase in Wildlight, the StoryCenter is vital to telling the community’s story,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight.
D.S. Ware Homes will soon complete construction of its first model home near Wildlight’s Village Center. The cottage home is 2,001-sq. ft. and features the River Birch floor plan with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Prices start in the mid $200,000. “We’re excited to debut our first model home in Wildlight,” said Tony Raso, President, D.S. Ware Homes. “The River Birch offers Florida Lowcountry living at its best with a sweeping front porch and open floorplan. We’ve already seen strong interest, including lot reservations and sales during the pre-construction sales period and we expect this success to continue when we open the model home in 2018.”
In addition to the StoryCenter opening and construction of the first model home, Raydient Places + Properties, Wildlight’s developer, has selected CCMC, a nationally-recognized community management company, to develop community programs and services for Wildlight. With over 30 years of experience, CCMC brings people and neighborhoods together by focusing on human connectivity.
“We are extremely pleased to work with CCMC on developing lifestyle-oriented programs and community services to meet the needs of Wildlight’s future residents,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “In every community they serve, CCMC seeks to create a culture of connectivity between residents and their neighborhood, which is also one of Wildlight’s core values.”
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com.
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Setup for Economic Success
How do you kick off a thriving business community?
Economic development is both an art and a science. It’s not as simple as checking off a list of ingredients, but without some key elements, achieving success can be near-impossible. To build strong, vibrant communities, economic development boards are tasked with finding the right balance of work and play, business and pleasure. That way, communities can encourage businesses to build, expand or relocate, as well as homeowners to put down roots and support those businesses as customers and employees.
One factor communities must consider is transportation. Good transportation is not only dependent on a community’s infrastructure, but also on the location of the community itself. Access to Class I rail lines, major interstates and international airports all support business travel and consumer traffic. Seaports for importing and exporting can also impact how a business operates, manufactures its goods and distributes worldwide.
But transportation is just the beginning. For healthy economic development, you also need a quality workforce for local businesses to employ and a robust residential community to surround and support those businesses. That relies on residential perks such as smart urban design, first-rate schools and libraries and infrastructure for safety and security.
Economic development boards should make their community a place to play as well as work. Places for relaxation and recreation – lakes, oceans, greenspaces, parks, dining, entertainment and more – are essential to attracting and retaining residents. It’s not just about great offices, it’s about having a great time and loving where you live.
With these pieces in place, in a community that is well-planned for its residents and well-marketed to potential businesses, that community can grow and flourish.
WILDLIGHT, FL – October 26, 2017 – Wildlight, the new town under development in Nassau County, is proud to announce AT&T as its first technology provider. One of Wildlight’s key goals is to provide a robust technological infrastructure and culture of connectivity for residents, businesses and the Nassau County community. AT&T will provide an ultra-fast fiber network service throughout the community designed to have the capability to easily migrate to future services.
“AT&T is excited to be the first technology provider for one of Northeast Florida’s largest mixed use developments,” said Joe York, area president, AT&T. “Our fiber network is going to provide Wildlight with the ability to stay connected at top speeds where people live, work, and play. This development includes single family homes, businesses, multifamily units, educational facilities, and retail stores, all of which require different things from their network provider. AT&T is able to provide connectivity for all of these varying needs.”
As a gigabit community, Wildlight wanted to ensure its technology would be up and running for residents and businesses to enjoy from day one. Residents, business owners and those accessing Wildlight’s leading edge network will be able to stream HD movies, play games, download work files or backup data-rich files at ultra-fast speeds.
AT&T Fibersm and Business Fiber services offers residents and businesses in the Wildlight community all fiber connection, with AT&T’s fastest internet connection speeds. It can improve the experience when connecting to the cloud, videoconferencing and more.
“Wildlight is committed to providing the most advanced technology for its future residents and businesses,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “We are excited to work with AT&T to offer AT&T Fiber to the Home, which can deliver the ultra-fast speeds to our homes, businesses, and Wildlight Elementary School.”
Residents will also have access to the latest Wi-Fi technology. With internet powered by AT&T Fiber, they can experience the best in-home Wi-Fi experience with faster speeds, expanded coverage and support for all of their devices.
Wildlight’s technology alliance comes after Raydient Places + Properties, Wildlight’s developer, announced a strategic alliance with the University of Florida to create a national model for healthier communities in Nassau County. More information about the community can be found at Wildlight.com.
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*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We offer the nation’s best data network* and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We’re one of the world’s largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.
© 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
*Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score. Score includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen Mobile Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q1 + Q2 2017 across 121 markets.
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, parks, gardens and playgrounds, a new elementary school, and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier, a Real Estate Investment Trust. For more information please visit wildlight.com.
Beating the Heat FLOCO-Style
What should we thank for the charm and beauty of our Florida Lowcountry (FLOCO) architecture? Days are mostly sunny and hot, therefore some architectural elements make FLOCO homes distinctive because they were designed to beat the heat. Large high windows allow the breeze to refresh hot rooms. High ceilings create space for air to rise. Raised first floors allow air to circulate under houses for a cooling effect.
We Saved the Best for Last
The Front Porch
It blocks the hot sunlight from overheating interiors. It’s a shady place to cool off. Most importantly, it’s an outdoor living area where we connect with our community, friends, family, neighbors and the outdoors. Looking to turn your front porch into an outdoor oasis? Here’s how:
Ten Front Porch Must-Haves
1. A rocking chair. More than one, of course. They’re the best seats in the house for melting stress, catching up and napping.
2. A glider or porch swing—when you need to get close for cozier conversations.
3. Sweet tea for cooling off, and tables to set your glasses within reach.
4. A friendly, tail-wagging porch-sitting pooch. Don’t have one? Borrow the neighbor’s or adopt!
5. Plants in pots, big and small. Try geraniums for color that pops.
6. Fans to keep the warm air moving. Hand fans or electric will do.
7. Bug spray to stop pesky pests from ruining your evening.
8. Background, toe-tapping music.
9. Light. String lights and lanterns add charming ambiance to porch-sitting evenings.
10. Finally, good company. Your neighbor, kids, mother…whoever you need to catch up with, love to talk to, or just want to sit quietly with. And sometimes, no company at all.
