Yet another commercial project is slated for the NW St. Johns County area: Fountains at St. Johns is the brainchild of developer David Ergisi of Cross Regions Real Estate. The 23-acre mixed use development will include 70,000 square feet of retail space as well as 40,000 square feet of medical/office space in its first phase on a site that is uniquely situated with frontage on Interstate 95 and County Road 210.

“There is a lot of traditional retail development in the area, but I didn’t want to create just another one,” Ergisi said. “I wanted to create a synergetic development as a medical and retail destination.”

Ergisi said his vision is to create a hub where people can park their car, eat or have coffee or drop off dry cleaning, and then walk to their doctor’s office for their appointment. He said he named the development after the fountains that will be constructed to provide a warm and inviting atmosphere. He chose to design multiple buildings, rather than one or two large ones, with walkthroughs and a patio/covered area for people to sit outside and people watch or relax.

The buildings at the back of the property, which will be visible from Interstate 95, will be the medical buildings, with mostly retail in the buildings towards the front of the property. Ergisi said that he is concentrating on key needed retail services for the area and leasing is moving along rapidly with some leases to restaurants already executed. He expects to announce tenants in the first quarter of 2019, with groundbreaking in March 2019. Multiple phases are planned and two building are expected to to operational by the end of 2019 with construction continuing through 2020.

Ergisi said he has also developed Diane’s Marketplace in St. Augustine as well as other similar retail and medical offices in the Jacksonville area.

“This is our latest and greatest  — and largest — project,” Ergisi said. “I want to bring unique ideas I’ve collected from around the world and across the country to Fountains at St. Johns. This project is personal to me. I’m excited about this one.”

Renderings courtesy Cross Regions Real Estate