Duval County’s first lagoon community welcomed its first homeowner this week, marking a milestone for a 2,700-home master-planned development taking shape on Jacksonville’s Westside.
The move-in officially launched life inside Diamond Springs, a residential community developed by Metro Development Group at the intersection of Normandy Boulevard and Bright Lagoon Boulevard.
MetroLagoons “serve as an ideal gathering place in our communities” and are “like a town center,” according to the development’s website.
At the center of Diamond Springs will be Metro’s signature lagoon amenity, designed to give residents a resort-style experience typically associated with vacation destinations. Plans for the lagoon include kayaking, swimming, a floating obstacle course, a splash pad and a swim-up bar.
Ultimately, Diamond Springs will include a mix of single-family homes and townhomes built by DRB Homes, D.R. Horton, Dream Finders Homes and Lennar.
Beyond housing, the community is designed with connectivity and sustainability in mind with plans for miles of multi-modal paths, solar streetlights and high-speed internet.
Metro estimates that up to 80% of homes will back up to preserves or water features, integrating natural habitat into the neighborhood’s layout.
Community representatives gathered Feb. 11 to welcome the neighborhood’s first homeowner, Travis Ferrell, formally marking the project’s transition from a construction site into an active neighborhood.
“This milestone represents both a first for our company in Jacksonville and for Duval County,” said Lisa Gibbings, Metro Development Group’s vice president of corporate affairs. “Welcoming our first homeowner is incredibly meaningful. It marks the start of a thoughtfully designed community centered around lifestyle, recreation and long-term growth.”
As Jacksonville continues to grow, Metro officials said Diamond Springs is expected to help expand housing options while bringing new infrastructure investment to West Jacksonville.
Construction and home sales are expected to continue throughout 2026 as additional phases of the development come online.
Metro Development Group, founded in 2003 and based in Tampa, is Florida’s largest privately held residential developer. The company has become known for its large-scale, amenity-driven communities and its MetroLagoon concept, which has been implemented across the state.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville’s first lagoon community welcomes its first homeowner
Reporting by Alexandria Mansfield, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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