PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL (June 22, 2021) – Latitude Margaritaville Watersound on Northwest Florida’s gorgeous Emerald Coast has officially opened for sales. It is the third location of the incredibly popular, award-winning Latitude Margaritaville communities for those 55 and better who are growing older…but not up. Planned to be the largest to date of the laid-back lifestyle communities, the initial phase of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is anticipated to include approximately 3,500 homes.
In May, more than 1,000 people, and special guest Jimmy Buffett, participated in a streamed virtual drawing event for the first release of homesites. Those who didn’t get a chance to purchase a home in the first phase will be notified of the next homesite release, tentatively slated for this summer.
Latitude Margaritaville’s all-new approach to active adult living has captured the imagination of today’s vibrant and active adult home buyers. More than 360,000 are registered as Latitude Margaritaville Paradise Club members to receive ongoing information on the communities.
The Latitude Margaritaville sales center and 13 colorful island-styled model homes are open daily. Four distinct home collections, the Conch Cottage Collection, Caribbean Villas Collection, and Beach and Island Collections of single-family homes, capture the “no worries” tropical vibe that defines Latitude Margaritaville. Floor plans range from 1,204 to 2,568 square feet under air with pricing from the mid $200s.
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is being developed in a dynamic partnership that includes master developer Minto Communities USA (“Minto”), global lifestyle brand Margaritaville Holdings, and The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) (“St. Joe”). Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is the first of the popular communities to be developed in partnership with St. Joe. The first two Latitude Margaritaville communities by partners Minto and Margaritaville are located in Daytona Beach, Florida and near Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is located between Pensacola and Panama City, near Panama City Beach, and situated in the heart of St. Joe’s vast Bay-Walton Sector Plan that encompasses approximately 110,500 acres with approximately 15 miles of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway. Just a short drive from the famed Scenic Highway 30-A corridor with its beautiful white-sand beaches, this region is the embodiment of the relaxed, beachy vibe that is at the heart of the Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle.
“We believe this amazing property presents a stunning setting in which to deploy the four pillars of the Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle —fun, food, music and escapism — in one of the country’s most beautiful and desirable locations,” notes Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville Division President William Bullock. “The area’s natural terrain is breathtaking and the location of the planned Latitude Town Center amenities offers spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway.”
Plans call for Latitude Margaritaville Watersound’s impressive resort-style amenities to include a Latitude Town Center with a Town Square featuring a thatched-roof bandshell over a full-size concert stage and jumbo screen for live concerts and movies as well as a specially floored open air dance area. A Fins Up! Fitness Center will include indoor pool and spa, and the lagoon-style Paradise Pool with beach-like entry will have its own swim-up Tiki Island. A two-story Latitude Bar & Chill restaurant will overlook the Intracoastal Waterway and the adjoining Changes in Attitude Bar will provide poolside service. And, of course, there will be great Margaritaville-inspired menu selections and an array of refreshing beverage concoctions. There also are plans for tennis and pickleball courts, nature trails and a Barkaritaville Dog Park for canine residents. Future planned amenities include a Workin’ N’ Playin’ Center with a Last Mango Theater, Hangar Workshop for golf cart tune ups and Barkaritaville Pet Spa.
“The excitement and enthusiasm among prospective buyers is a reflection of the community that exists at Latitude Margaritaville,” said Jim Wiseman, President of Margaritaville Development. “Through our relationship with Minto and St. Joe, fun and relaxation will meet at home in this community, and we are pleased to see such a positive early response.”
In addition to the many Latitude Margaritaville amenities, St. Joe has plans for a future full-service public marina and commercial village adjacent to the community. St. Joe also recently announced plans to develop a health care campus just minutes from Latitude Margaritaville Watersound with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Inc. and Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU). The proposed healthcare campus is planned for an 87-acre parcel near the intersection of State Highway 79 and Phillip Griffitts Sr. Parkway. In addition to a 100-bed inpatient facility, FSU intends to utilize the campus for research focused on successful aging and senior living technology.
“We believe this location in Northwest Florida is ideally situated for the future residents of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound,” said Jorge Gonzalez, President and CEO of St. Joe. “The area’s natural beauty and accessible waterways along with convenient access to current and planned shopping centers and healthcare facilities make this region a great place for those 55 and better.”
A virtual tour of Latitude Margaritaville Watersound is available at LatitudeMargaritaville.com/watersound where floor plans, site plans, amenity renderings and more details about the community can be viewed.
For more information on Latitude Margaritaville and to sign up to receive regular development updates, visit www.LatitudeMargaritaville.com. Follow Latitude Margaritaville on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LatitudeMargaritaville and on Twitter at @LatitudeMville.
About Latitude Margaritaville
Latitude Margaritaville is a new portfolio of active adult communities developed by master developer Minto Communities and global lifestyle brand Margaritaville Holdings. Offering resort-style amenities, Latitude Margaritaville is the ideal destination for those looking to live the Margaritaville lifestyle as they grow older, but not up. The communities feature a resort-style pool, fitness center, live entertainment, signature Margaritaville food and beverage concepts, arts and learning programs and more. Ranked the nation’s most popular active adult community of 2018 by 55Places.com and 2019’s Best 55+ Community of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, Latitude Margaritaville communities are now open in Daytona Beach, Florida, near Hilton Head, South Carolina and in Watersound, Florida located on the Emerald Coast in Florida’s Panhandle. Additional Latitude Margaritaville communities are planned for some of the nation’s most popular destinations.
About Minto Communities
Minto Communities USA, based in Florida since 1978, has represented integrity, financial strength and enduring value for over 40 years. Minto builds exceptional new homes and communities to meet every lifestyle, with more than 28,000 new homes built in 48 communities. Minto is dedicated to continuous improvement in design, quality and customer experience. These are just some of the elements that set Minto apart as an exceptional homebuilder and community developer and have earned the company national recognition that includes consistently high rankings from Eliant Customer Service Surveys. Minto has been recognized with multiple national awards from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for community and home design, including Best Single-Family Community Over 100 Homes for Westlake in the City of Westlake; Best Mixed-Use Community and Best Clubhouse for The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples, Florida; and Best Clubhouse for the Harbour Isle Beach Club in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida. Minto is also recognized throughout the homebuilding industry as an expert in developing active-adult communities. The NAHB named Minto Communities as 2019’s 55+ Builder of the Year. Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach was awarded 55+ Community of the Year for 2019, and Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head was awarded 55+ Community of the Year for 2020.About Margaritaville
Margaritaville, a state of mind since 1977, is a global lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffett, whose songs evoke a passion for tropical escape and relaxation. Margaritaville features over 20 lodging locations and over 20 additional projects in the pipeline, with nearly half under construction, two gaming properties and over 60 food and beverage venues including signature concepts such as Margaritaville Restaurant, award-winning JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill and LandShark Bar & Grill. More than 20 million travelers every year change their latitude and attitude with a visit to a Margaritaville resort, residential real estate destination, vacation club, vacation home rental or restaurant. Consumers can also escape everyday through a collection of Margaritaville lifestyle products including apparel, footwear, frozen concoction makers, home décor, a satellite radio station and more. For more information on Margaritaville, visit margaritaville.com. Follow Margaritaville on Facebook at www.facebook/margaritaville, and on Twitter and Instagram at @Margaritaville.Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville | Official Site Official site for Jimmy Buffett Tour Dates and Margaritaville Restaurants, Hotels, Casinos, Resorts, Vacation Club and Products margaritaville.com.
About St. Joe
The St. Joe Company is a real estate development, asset management and operating company with real estate assets and operations in Northwest Florida. The Company intends to use existing assets for residential, hospitality and commercial ventures. St. Joe has significant residential and commercial land-use entitlements. The Company actively seeks higher and better uses for its real estate assets through a range of development activities. More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.joe.com. On a regular basis, the Company releases a video showing progress on projects in development or under construction. See https://www.joe.com/video-gallery for more information.
St Joe Company 2021. “Watersound”, “St. Joe®”, “JOE®”, the “Taking Flight” Design®, “St. Joe (and Taking Flight Design) ®” are registered service marks of The St. Joe Company or its affiliates.
Minto is authorized to use the Latitude Margaritaville name by virtue of a license agreement with Margaritaville.
