Local Expert
What's Coming to St. Johns County's Master-Planned Communities in 2026 and Beyond
Ben Cote • July 11, 2026
From The Hub at Nocatee to SilverLeaf's rapid expansion and $48 million in new county parks — St. Johns County's master-planned communities keep investing in their future. Here's what's actually coming.
What's Coming to St. Johns County's Master-Planned Communities in 2026 and Beyond
By Ben Cote | NE Florida Realtor | eXp Realty
What You'll Learn From This Post
- The new shopping, dining, and entertainment destination coming to Nocatee
- How SilverLeaf is rapidly expanding its amenities, retail, and schools
- The $48 million in new county park investment coming to the area
- A brand new 1,000-acre community taking shape in the corridor
- Why ongoing community investment matters when you're choosing where to buy
One of the most overlooked questions when choosing a master-planned community is a simple one: is it still growing?
A community that's finished building is a community that's done investing in itself. The best master-planned communities keep adding — retail, amenities, schools, infrastructure — long after the first residents move in. That ongoing investment is what protects your home value and keeps your lifestyle improving year over year.
Right now, the master-planned communities across St. Johns County are doing exactly that. Here's what's actually coming.
Nocatee: The Hub Is Coming
Nocatee — already one of Northeast Florida's most established master-planned communities — has a major new destination on the way.
The Hub at Nocatee is a planned 63,225-square-foot urban marketplace from Tampa-based Center Connect Development. It will be located adjacent to the Publix in the Marketplace at Nocatee, west of Valley Ridge Boulevard South.
The concept is built around an open-air courtyard designed as a walkable gathering place — not a traditional strip plaza. Plans call for outdoor seating, weekend live music and events, dedicated golf cart parking, and a curated mix of restaurant, retail, and entertainment concepts. The developer has built similar Hub-branded projects in the Tampa area, which include businesses like escape rooms, golf simulators, barbershops, nail salons, and a candle bar.
The Hub at Nocatee is anticipated to open in 2028. No specific tenants have been announced yet.
That's not the only thing happening in Nocatee. Shores Fine Wine & Spirits purchased a 2.35-acre parcel near the upcoming Marketplace at Nocatee with plans to build the company's largest store to date. And a brand new K-8 school is set to open for the 2026-2027 school year, joining the community's existing lineup of highly rated schools.
SilverLeaf: Expanding Fast on Nearly Every Front
If any community in St. Johns County is growing aggressively right now, it's SilverLeaf — an 11,000-acre master-planned community that has become one of the fastest-growing in the country.
Here's what's happening in SilverLeaf right now:
A second amenity center at John's Island opened on April 1, 2026 — expanding resort-style amenity access so residents across the growing community aren't funneled into a single hub.
A new Publix is opening, built with expanded amenities and part of the community's growing retail footprint.
A Baptist Health 24/7 Emergency Center is coming — bringing critical healthcare access directly into the community.
A new K-8 school, referred to as School QQ, is scheduled to open in August 2026 and will serve approximately 1,500 students within the top-ranked St. Johns County School District.
One more detail worth knowing about SilverLeaf: it has no CDD fees. Amenities are funded through the HOA rather than a Community Development District, which is a meaningful financial difference compared to most large master-planned communities in the region. SilverLeaf was also ranked among the top-selling master-planned communities in the United States by RCLCO in 2025.
$48 Million in New County Parks Coming to the Area
Beyond what the communities themselves are building, St. Johns County is investing heavily in regional parks that will directly serve these communities.
Two major park projects broke ground in June 2025 and are expected to open in early 2027, representing a combined investment of approximately $48.3 million.
The Silverleaf Sportsplex, located at Timberwolf Trail and County Road 16A, is a regional athletic facility set to include multiple multipurpose fields with a mix of synthetic turf and natural grass, a stadium with a track, playground, and areas designated for tailgating, ticketing, and food trucks.
The Shearwater Community Park and Library, located on Timberwolf Trail, will feature a community center with a library hub and multipurpose rooms, pickleball courts, an additional basketball court under a covered open-air structure, a splash pad, playground, skatepark, and open green space.
Both projects are part of St. Johns County's broader $123 million regional park plan — a significant public investment in recreation and quality of life for a rapidly growing population.
EverRange: A Brand New 1,000-Acre Community Taking Shape
For buyers who want something brand new, there's a fresh option entering the corridor.
EverRange is a new 1,000-acre master-planned community from The PARC Group — the same developer behind Nocatee and eTown. It sits between eTown and Nocatee, with its main entrance off Philips Highway north of Nocatee Parkway.
The master plan is built around a walkable town center called The Station and a recreation hub called The Grove, building toward roughly 1,500 homes total. The debut neighborhood, Mariposa, includes about 175 single-family home sites with model homes ranging from starter to move-up designs. Planned amenities include a resort-style pool, pickleball courts, a splash pad, playground, fishing pond, and a food-truck area.
Worth noting for buyers who want to understand the full cost picture: EverRange will be served by a Community Development District — the Coastal Ridge CDD — which finances public improvements through long-term special-assessment bonds that appear as a line item on the property tax bill. Toll Brothers has also announced that its Regency at EverRange 55+ enclave is open, with homes marketed starting from the mid-$500,000s.
Why This Matters When You're Choosing Where to Buy
Here's the takeaway for anyone researching a move to St. Johns County.
Every one of these communities is actively investing in its own future. New retail. New amenities. New schools. New parks. That ongoing investment is one of the most important — and most overlooked — factors in choosing where to buy.
A community that keeps improving is a community where your home value is supported by more than just the housing market. It's supported by lifestyle, convenience, and demand that keeps growing as the community matures.
Whether you're drawn to the established scale of Nocatee, the rapid growth and no-CDD structure of SilverLeaf, or the brand new opportunity of a community like EverRange — the common thread is that St. Johns County continues to invest in all of them.
That's what makes this such a strong place to plant roots.
Trying to figure out which community actually fits your family, your budget, and your long-term goals? That's exactly the kind of conversation worth having before you start touring.
👉 thecotecollective.com/relocate
Ben Cote | NE Florida Realtor | eXp Realty | 802.734.2397