Waterfront Florida Luxury Starting at $665,000
WindMark Beach, Northwest Florida’s newest, largest luxury beach community stretching some four miles along the Gulf of Mexico, is gearing up to draw second-home buyers, thanks to new, competitively priced luxury model homes designed by the nation’s top architects, a new casual, gourmet restaurant serving modern Southern cuisine, eclectic boutique shopping, and luxury loft homes available for rent.
Developed by The St. Joe Company, the sprawling 2,020-acre property is set on a stunning white-sand beach in the historic Gulf Coast town of Port St. Joe, 22 miles west of Apalachicola and 39 miles east of Panama City. The community is now selling homesites priced from $99,500 and four new model three- and four-bedroom homes priced from $665,000 to $735,000, located just steps from the beach on Founders Row, a short walk from the Village Center with up to 2,838 square feet of living space.
The homes embody the essence of coastal living, reflect the region’s local Southern style, and were designed by some of the nation’s top architects, including San Antonio, TX-based Lake/Flato Architects; Chicago-based Tigerman McCurry Architects; Vero Beach, FL-based Merrill Pastor & Cougan Architects; and New York-based Anderson Architects. Homes were designed to capture the essence of vernacular Southern architectural style, with such trademarks as tin roofs, open breezeways, large wood screened front and back porches offering a secluded comfortable space for outdoor living, and open floor plans inviting social interaction from the kitchen, dining and living spaces.
To sample life at WindMark Beach before buying there, the new Village Center offers 19 furnished, one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury loft homes for weekly and nightly rentals, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, many with balconies offering striking Gulf Coast views. All residences are fully furnished and feature stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a Bose® stereo system, high-speed Internet access and washer and dryer. 12 additional lofts will be available to rent in the near future. www.southernresorts.com.
New openings at the Village Center include:
Great Southern School of Fish Restaurant (www.joe.com/WMB_Great_Southern_School_of_Fish-Article) , from chef and restauranteur Jim Shirley, who has been featured on the Travel Channel and in Southern Living magazine. Bringing his passion for modern Southern cuisine to this casual Gulf-front restaurant, his new menu features his signature dish Grits a Ya Ya, along with perfectly prepared local seafood, steaks, and much more. Tel: 850-229-1122.
The Fuss Boutique (www.thefussboutique.com) — Every dress, purse and piece of jewelry in this stylish boutique has been carefully chosen by owner Lauren Spring, who is regularly on hand to help shoppers pick out the perfect outfit from hot fashion lines such as Ella Moss and Free People. Tel: 850-227-7555.
Joseph’s Cottage (www.josephscottage.com) — This charming shop features an eclectic mix of chic and comfortable home furnishing lines and unique decorative accents. Owner and interior stylist Melissa Farrell offers her expertise to help customers turn their homes into tranquil and sophisticated seaside abodes. Tel: 850-227-7877.
Fit as a Fiddle (www.joe.com/WMB_Fit_As_A_Fiddle-article) — WindMark Beach’s new fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment by TechnoGym and Precor, with many machines featuring personal televisions with earphone jacks. For members’ convenience, men’s and women’s changing rooms are available with lockers and showers.
Walking just past the Village Center and toward the beach:
The WindMark Beach Club features a large free-form community swimming pool with a beach-style sloping entry for wading. The pool offers a fish-shaped bar surrounded by beautiful green lawn space.
Community amphitheater includes a sheltered, open-air stage and a sloping green lawn leading down to it; residents and visitors can enjoy concerts, movies and other outdoor venues and local community events. A 1,500 square foot children’s playground area is nearby.
One of WindMark Beach’s stand-out features is its beautifully landscaped BeachWalk, a one-and-a-half mile public three-mile walkway connecting the community to the stunning beach. A stretch of uninterrupted pathway offers pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers and runners stunning views, while making their way along the walkway and miles of meandering footpaths. At full build-out, WindMark Beach is planned to include 1,552 units, and much of the property is set aside for conservation and open space.
Thinking of purchasing in WindMark Beach? Why not experience the area first hand. The WindMark Idea House on Founder’s Row is available for short-term rentals. Visit the website: http://summerdreamcottage.com to tour the home and learn more about this gorgeous coastal community.