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A Whole New Side of Wildlight

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 Rayonier to help lead an effort to plan for the rapid growth coming to Northeast Florida. As the County’s largest landowner, Rayonier 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.

Conserving nature and protecting rural Nassau County

Early on in the planning process, it was determined that most of the growth coming to Nassau County should be channeled to the east. This approach puts density in the right place, minimizing traffic impacts by bringing new homes, offices, retail areas and so forth closer to other key destinations in the region. It also helps maintain more of the rural character of the County’s west side. It’s interesting to note that even with all the additional homes coming to Wildlight, the plan includes so much conservation and recreational space, the overall density of Wildlight is only about one home per acre.

A foundation for the future

It’s not enough to merely set aside land for nature and community-wide infrastructure. Along with the land, there has to be a mechanism or framework that allows these shared assets to be maintained in perpetuity. The East Nassau Stewardship District is an independent, quasi-governmental entity, approved by the Florida State Legislature and Governor, that is planned to be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of Wildlight’s conservation land and may be responsible for its various facilities and infrastructure improvements.

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’ve started work on a brand new neighborhood, Westerly Park, which will introduce new single-family and townhome choices in 2025 as well as a new park + pool amenity in 2026.

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

wellness

UF Health medical center and YMCA

700+

Jobs created and 300+ jobs in the pipeline

1k+

Completed homes and apartments

137

Acres regional, community and neighborhood parks

2.4k

Homes under development

10

Eateries and counting

12+

Miles of trails

1

Elementary school and two early learning centers

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.

Here’s what’s coming

Public Safety & Connectivity

The plan sets aside land for three new fire stations and police substations. A new regional wastewater facility will provide service both to Wildlight and to many Nassau County residents who currently have no access to the municipal wastewater system. And fiber optic infrastructure will give every home and business in Wildlight access to next-generation gigabit internet.

Here’s what’s coming

Public Parks

The next part of Wildlight dedicates 1,100 acres to Nassau County’s regional/community park system over the life of the project, almost tripling the County’s current total park acreage. It also provides land for the only public boat ramp on this entire stretch of the St. Marys.

Here’s what’s coming

new public schools

Opened in 2017, Wildlight Elementary is the County’s first new school built in the last 20 years. In the next major part of Wildlight, we’ve set aside land for five additional school sites: three elementary, one middle school and one high school.

Here’s what’s coming

new homes

When it’s finished two or three decades from now, Wildlight will have made room for over 20,000 new homes in Nassau County. Perhaps just as importantly, it will have provided a wider variety of homes for a greater range of homebuyers and set a new standard for home and neighborhood design.

Here’s what’s coming

big nature

Wildlight will create new regional destinations to go along Nassau County’s renowned beaches. The largest will be the Wildlight Greenway network — over 10,500 acres maintained in perpetuity as a pristine expanse of Florida Lowcountry nature. With 50+ miles of paths and trails, which we call the Wildlight Trailways, connecting throughout the community.

The Garden District

The first exciting page of the next chapter

Welcome to the nature-infused counterpart of the Town District, opening in 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.

4.1K

Planned homes and apartments

19

Miles of trails

484

Acres regional, community and neighborhood parks

2k

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, a band shell and event lawn, 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.

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