A Whole
WHAT’S NEXT
The natural outcome of what came before
Wildlight began with a single overarching objective: to help Nassau County grow in a smart, healthy, nature-connected way. We had a phrase for our vision: “town in nature.” It’s an idea that has inspired every facet of Wildlight’s community design. From the big front porches to the unique parks to the neighborhood shops and restaurants to the trail network that ties it all together.
And with the next chapter of Wildlight, we’re delivering on the promise of “town in nature” in an even bigger way. Especially when it comes to the nature part.
Laying the groundwork
How we got here
Over a decade ago, Nassau County officials asked Raydient Places + Properties to help lead an effort to plan for the rapid growth coming to Northeast Florida. Raydient was able to work with the County to create a plan that addresses challenges such as traffic, job creation, housing availability and access to nature.
Wildlight responded with a new development pattern in which homes and businesses, trails and nature, parks and schools come together in a sustainable and efficient way, allowing new development to absorb the impact of economic and population growth.
Wildlight today
The Town District
When the actual development of Wildlight began in 2016, we started with what Nassau County most needed. Places to eat and shop, including a new grocery store. A new public elementary school. More parks and gathering places. And a variety of new homes.
We brought all these elements together in a way that makes everything close to everything else. Giving you an easy walk or bike from home to school to park to taco joint. This is how towns used to be planned back before we decided to drive our cars everywhere. So with this energetic mix of homes, offices, shops and eateries, it just seemed to make sense to call the first big part of Wildlight the Town District.
And the Town District is still growing. In fact, we recently opened a brand new neighborhood, Westerly Park, with new single-family and townhome choices, as well as a new park + pool amenity, Suncatch Park, which will open in spring 2026. And the places to eat and shop that have helped define the district since the beginning? We’ll keep adding to those, too.
What’s here
Within a short span of years, the first part of Wildlight has grown into a diverse, walkable mix of elements.
2.1K
Acres preservation/ conservation land
The next big chapter
More of everything … especially nature
With the Town District well underway, the detailed plan for the next major piece of Wildlight has been approved by Nassau County and is now moving forward. With a total of 15,000 acres, including over 7,000 acres of Florida nature, this is a plan that will be completed over decades, giving Nassau County a long-term, sustainable path of growth. The primary objectives for Wildlight’s next chapter:
Make much-needed infrastructure improvements
Provide land for civic facilities such as parks and schools
Offer a wider variety of new homes
In a very dramatic way, create public access to nature
Here’s what’s coming
Mobility
An enhanced mobility network of roads and multi-use trails will feature a new major thoroughfare, Riverbluff Parkway, creating an additional east-west route, improving access to I-95, alleviating traffic on State Road 200 and providing an important new hurricane evacuation route.
The Garden District
The first exciting page of the next chapter
Welcome to the nature-infused counterpart of the Town District, opening late 2026. A place where all-new kinds of homes will be mere steps or a short bike ride from conserved wetlands and uplands. A big regional park. A unique new gathering place called the Oak Hammock. And a network of trails, eventually expanding to upwards of 19 miles, including a path that leads to the Green Ribbon — a linear park along the bluffs of the St. Marys River.
Like the first part of Wildlight, it’s town in nature.
But more like town in big nature.
Planned homes and apartments
Miles of trails
Acres regional, community and neighborhood parks
Acres preservation/ conservation land
The Green Ribbon
The bluffs along the St. Marys River are unlike any landform in Florida. For years, they’ve been closed off to the public. The plan for the Garden District will create the first portion of the Green Ribbon, a 13-mile-long linear park — as long as Amelia Island itself — stretching along the bluffs. And anchored by a variety of experiences including a publicly accessible trail that ties the park together. Just imagine waking up in your beautiful new Garden District home on a Saturday morning and saying to yourself, “I think I’ll take the family on a trail ride over to the river today.”
The Oak Hammock
We’re still hammering out some of the details, but our plan for the Garden District’s first amenity is to create a place where Wildlight residents come together to enjoy pool time, play time, live music under the Florida sky and deep shade beneath huge heritage oak trees. With sports courts, a resort-style swimming pool, an amphitheater, a place to borrow bikes and other recreational equipment called the Gear Shed, and a special community gathering space known as Heirloom House. Stay tuned for updates.
Blossoming soon in the Garden District
We’ve already set to work on the Garden District’s first neighborhoods. If all goes as planned, we’re looking for model homes to open in summer 2026. With a variety of all-new homes close to both the Oak Hammock and the trailhead that leads to the Green Ribbon, the Garden District will bloom into a beautiful place to live.
News & Events
Want to stay up-to-date on all the goings-on here (including events and invites)? You can check out our blog for what’s new … and what’s news.