When Jacksonville professional Josh Garrison began looking for a new home in Jacksonville, he knew he wanted to live at The John Gorrie a condominium.

“I spend a lot of time in Riverside and The John Gorrie is hard to miss,” said Garrison, who is the chief executive officer at Miranda Contracting. “I knew about the development and its renovation.”

Garrison’s company has been part of several construction projects near The John Gorrie including 220 Riverside, Unity Plaza and Brooklyn Station. Like many, he is enthusiastic about the revitalization and renewal underway that is helping to transform the urban core.

“I loved Delores Barr Weaver’s vision for the historic preservation of The John Gorrie,” said Garrison, who moved into his new home last September. “I was eager to be a part of the community.”

In 2009, Weaver and her husband purchased an abandoned school that had once been one of Jacksonville’s architectural gems. Designed by noted Jacksonville architects Roy A. Benjamin and Mellen C. Greeley, the school’s ornate design reflects Mediterranean Revival architecture popular in the early 1920s. The former John Gorrie Junior High School was built in 1923, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and closed in 1997. After a dozen years of neglect and disrepair, Weaver began the meticulous restoration and renovation of the two buildings that housed the school, investing a substantial amount of her own time and money into the project.

“Mrs. Weaver is a well-known philanthropist and has done so much for the community,” Garrison said. “What she has accomplished at The John Gorrie is great.”

Weaver completed the extensive renovation and restoration in 2011, transforming the historic landmark school into 68 residences with luxurious contemporary amenities including 12-foot ceilings, expansive windows, stainless steel GE appliances, CaesarStone countertops and hardwood floors. Many of the residences include elements from its former use as a school.

“I love the aesthetics of the building, such as the cool brick walls and the great beauty surrounding the community,” Garrison said. “The streets have mature trees and a beautiful tree canopy.”

Garrison also appreciates the community’s convenient location and its low maintenance condominium lifestyle.

“I love being a part of the Riverside community and being so close to everything, such as restaurants, theaters and nice parks,” Garrison said. “I can ride my bike to the stadium and when I come home, I just relax and enjoy my place.”

The John Gorrie offers studios, one- and two-bedroom residences and two-story townhomes priced from the mid-$100,000s. Amenities include a custom fitness center, a private courtyard, elevators, private gated parking and a resident reading room with Wi-Fi Internet access. Owners at The John Gorrie a condominium receive an ad valorem tax abatement toward their homeowner’s tax bill through 2021.

For more information about The John Gorrie community, call (904) 383-3688 or visit www.TheJohnGorrie.com.

Roadway and utility construction has begun on the final phase of estate-sized homesites in the master-planned community of Palencia. With sites ranging from 90 to 140 feet wide and 180 to 350 feet deep, the Costa del Sol neighborhood contains some of the most beautiful and expansive residential lots in the St. Johns County area.

Many of Costa del Sol’s 62 estate homesites are nestled within a majestic oak hammock with stunning, mature trees and have beautiful views of the Intracoastal Waterway and the community’s award-winning golf course, including numerous water-to-golf view lots that are always the first to sell. The sites will be released for sale later in 2015; however, the Palencia sales team is presently registering interested buyers for an upcoming lot selection event. Preliminary lot prices range from $125,000 to $750,000.

“Costa del Sol is the last neighborhood of its kind in St. Johns County, and we have purposely saved some of our best homesites for buyers in this community,” said Naomi Lumley, sales manager for Palencia. “With the unique beauty of this neighborhood and the size of the sites, we expect Costa del Sol to sell quickly.”

Costa del Sol buyers will be able to select from Palencia’s finest and most trusted builders – CornerStone Homes, The Cottage Home Company, Dostie Homes and Arthur Rutenburg Homes. Visitors to Palencia can tour three of the builders’ model homes in a model home park inside The Reserve II neighborhood. The park showcases the Palencia lifestyle and demonstrates the latest trends in new home design. Select lots will also be available for purchase with no time limit requirement to build for those who would like to secure the lot of their dreams but are not quite ready to follow with their dream home.

All Palencia residents are within walking distance of the thriving Village Center, a European-style main street located in the heart of the community. It is one of the notable features of the community’s master plan that has established Palencia as the model for a truly integrated community development. The Village Center continues to add new retail establishments with offerings that range from a medical spa to a sports store to a yoga studio.

Palencia residents also enjoy an array of resort-quality amenities, in addition to the Arthur-Hills designed championship golf course. The community offers three swimming pools including a heated competition pool, a full service fitness facility with a wide variety of classes and 10 Har-Tru lit tennis courts that are home to a complete flight of teams and numerous playgrounds. In addition to these active amenities, Palencia has gone to great lengths to allow residents to engage with and enjoy the surrounding natural beauty with an extensive network of neighborhood parks and walkways and a boardwalk and fishing pier extending almost one mile over the marshes and open water to the Tolomato River.

Palencia is also zoned for some of the area’s finest schools, including Palencia Elementary, Pacetti Bay Middle School and Nease High School. All three schools have received an ‘A’ rating, and the highly competitive IB program is part of the curriculum at Pacetti Bay and Nease.

“I recommend that interested buyers call our office so we can add their names to our registration list for Costa del Sol,” said Lumley. “This is one of the last opportunities to hand select your lot and then add a custom-designed home in this remarkable community.”

Are you working on your entries for the 20th Laurel Awards?

The event, presented by the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) and its Sales and Marketing Council (SMC), honors builders, developers, architects, planners, interior designers, Realtors, sales and marketing professionals and others who have displayed sales, building and design excellence in the Northeast Florida home building industry.

All current SMC members are eligible to enter. The last day to enter is Friday, Feb. 13. To enter, go to www.nefbasmc.com.

Winners will be honored at the Laurel Awards celebration on Friday, March 13, at the Anastasia Club at Del Webb Ponte Vedra in Nocatee. Tickets are $75 per person.

Contact SMC Director Palmer Kuder for entry forms, sponsorship opportunities, event tickets and more information at [email protected] or call (904) 725-4355.

Sisler Johnston Interior Design has been awarded the contract to select furnishings and décor for the Palms at Ponte Vedra, a new assisted living and memory care community in Ponte Vedra Beach.

The furnishing and décor selections for the community meet the highest commercial standards while offering the colors, patterns and textures that reflect residential design and warmth. The firm also provided the interior design documentation for the community’s interior specifications and finishes.

“The Palms at Ponte Vedra will be a wonderful addition to the community and serve a vital need,” said Judith Sisler Johnston, president of Sisler Johnston Interior Design and allied member, ASID. “The community’s developer, Health Care Managers, Inc., has a passion for quality and a vision to create a warm, comfortable environment for residents and their families to enjoy.”

Located at 405 Solana Road in Ponte Vedra Beach, The Palms at Ponte Vedra will feature a two-story, 84,000-square-foot building housing 94 assisted living beds and 24 memory care beds. The memory care rooms are designed with LED lighting and all patient doors have a key fob entry.

The community will offer residents numerous amenities including a therapy pool with a treadmill. The Palms at Ponte Vedra is projected to open in April 2015. Health Care Managers, Inc. is the owner/developer.

Sisler Johnston Interior Design specializes in senior lifestyle design. The company understands the special design considerations unique to residential environments for older adults and delivers marketable designs that offer maximum aesthetic appeal while meeting functional necessities and regulatory requirements.

Mark your calendars now to attend a 2015 Real Estate Trends Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 3,  at the Hyatt from 5 to 8 p.m. The Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers will present an outlook on real estate investment and development trends, finance and capital markets, property sectors and other real estate issues.

The forum’s keynote speaker will be Andy Warren, PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Registration fees for the forum are $55 for ULI members, $25 for ULI students and $75 for non-members. For further information on the event and to purchase a table, contact Carolyn Clark at [email protected].

To register for the event and for more information on the Urban Land Institute, visit its website.

Don Wilford, president, ICI Homes North Florida Division

The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) has named ICI Homes its 2014 Builder of the Year. Don Wilford, president of the company’s North Florida Division, accepted the award at the annual NEFBA, Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) and Remodelers Board of Directors Installation.

“To be recognized as Builder of the Year by our industry peers at NEFBA is a true honor for everyone at ICI Homes,” said Wilford. “Our company enjoyed an exceptional year in 2014 and we look forward to an outstanding year ahead as we continue to design and build unique, custom homes throughout all of Florida.”

ICI Homes communities in Northeast Florida include Amelia National, Julington Creek, North Hampton, Palermo, Tamaya and Nocatee.

Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. (HabiJax) is pleased to announce Roger Cortie, Chief Operating Officer (COO), has been honored with the Bill Soforenko Affordable Housing Award this morning by the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA). The announcement was made at the annual NEFBA, Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) and Remodelers Board of Directors Installation.

Cortie joined HabiJax in 2003 as a senior builder and was later promoted to Director of Construction. In 2014 Cortie was named COO and oversees HabiJax’s day-to-day operations and ensures that HabiJax is well positioned to be an agent for ongoing organizational change in a rapidly evolving and competitive environment. Prior to joining HabiJax, Cortie held supervisory positions with national homebuilding companies after serving in the United States Navy.

“Roger is a valued employee and we are grateful for his dedication and the knowledge he brings to the HabiJax organization,” said HabiJax President and CEO Mary Kay O’Rourke. “Roger is committed to the bettering of our community and sincerely has the best interest of those HabiJax serves at heart as he promotes our mission.”

It’s time to join the best of the builder community at the 2015 Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) Installation Meeting! The event is this Friday, Jan. 16, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the UNF University Center.

Hundreds of homebuilders, developers, remodelers and other industry professionals will gather to induct 2015 NEFBA President Rick Morales along with the NEFBA, SMC and Remodelers Board of Directors.

The cost is $15 to attend. To make a reservation, contact Corey Hacker at [email protected].

Be among the first to see ICI Homes’ three new, beautiful, fully furnished model homes at Siena at Town Center during the Grand Opening celebration on Thursday, Jan. 15.

The event will be held at Nocatee at ICI Homes’ Capri model from 3 to 7 p.m. The model is located at 69 Rinaldo Way in Ponte Vedra.

Guests will be among the first to see ICI’s new Capri, Seville and Lucca model homes, which range in size from 1,743 square feet to 2,877 square feet. They may also select their preferred homesite and enjoy refreshments and entertainment while touring each of the new model homes.

Want to learn more about the models? Follow ICI Homes at Nocatee on Facebook for the latest community news.

The Ponte Vedra Beach branch office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty is on the move. The Northeast Florida real estate firm has announced it will relocate its Ponte Vedra Beach office, currently located at 1000 Sawgrass Village Drive, Suite 101, to a more prominent storefront in the shopping center’s new Main Street shops. The new Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices office will be located at 333 Village Main St., Suite 670, in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Christy Budnick and Linda Sherrer

“Our Ponte Vedra Beach office continues to grow, and we are excited about our upcoming move to a vibrant new space,” said Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty Broker/Executive Vice President Christy Budnick. “We are the market leaders in Ponte Vedra Beach, and our new office will provide an exceptional client experience and a more open, collaborative space for our outstanding team of Realtors.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty has operated a full service real estate office in Ponte Vedra Beach for the past 24 years. The Ponte Vedra Beach branch office is under the direction of Managing Broker Kevin Waugaman and is home to some of the area’s most experienced, productive and results-oriented agents.

Sawgrass Village is located in the heart of Ponte Vedra Beach and adjacent to the entrance of the renowned TPC Sawgrass Stadium golf course. The first phase of the Sawgrass Village redevelopment is complete and includes a new Publix and CVS.

Construction of the new Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices location in Ponte Vedra Beach is underway. The company expects to move into the new branch office in Spring 2015.

Kevin Waugaman

“The move to this highly visible location in Sawgrass Village is a win for our clients and our Realtors,” Waugaman said. “For sellers, it will provide access to an even larger pool of buyers that walk through our front door looking to purchase real estate. For buyers, it will be a comfortable meeting space for real estate consultation with our top-tier Realtors who access the latest technology. And for our Realtors, it is a win mainly because it makes for such a superb client experience, which translates to more repeat and referral business. This is an exciting time as we expand upon our serious momentum across the First Coast and beyond.”

For more information about Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Ponte Vedra Beach branch office, call (904) 285-1800 or visit www.FloridaNetworkRealty.com.