West Jacksonville is about to get its own resort-style lagoon. Metro Development Group has scheduled a ceremonial groundbreaking for Wednesday at Diamond Springs, the 2,700-home community built around the water feature. Planned amenities range from kayaking and paddleboarding to a floating obstacle course and a swim-up bar.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reports that the development sits at Normandy Boulevard and Bright Lagoon Boulevard near Winchester Ridge, about 4.5 miles west of Cecil Airport. The plan calls for single-family residences and town homes across 1,195 acres. Metro Development Group describes the groundbreaking as a major step toward bringing inland coastal living to Jacksonville.
The company, which identifies itself as the state's largest privately held residential developer, also named the builders for the project. They are DRB Homes, Dream Finders Homes, D.R. Horton and Lennar, per the same report.
Sand Shores, a Splash Pad and Tiki Shelters
The lagoon is slated to include sand shores and be open for kayaking and paddleboarding, according to the report. Also on the list are a floating obstacle course, a splash pad and a swim-up bar. An events pavilion, food and beverage options, and rentals of watercraft, Tiki shelters and lounges round out the plan.
The evidence available does not say whether lagoon access will be limited to residents or open to guests or the public. It also does not spell out amenity fees, operating rules or a completion date.
Nobody Agrees on How Big the Lagoon Is
Pin down the lagoon's size and the numbers start drifting. The Daily Record describes Diamond Springs as planned around an approximately 4-acre lagoon. A Jacksonville.com story from last October called the centerpiece a three-acre lagoon, while a Metro Development Group fact sheet lists water acreage at 3 to 4 acres.
Home prices are similarly murky. The Daily Record reports, citing links provided by the developer, that town homes start at $199,000 and single-family residences from about $236,000. Yet the Diamond Springs page on the developer's own website advertises homes starting in the $300s.
Homeowners Are Already Moving In
The community isn't starting from scratch. The first model home opened in October 2025, and the neighborhood welcomed its first homeowner the week of Oct. 27, 2026, according to the Florida Times-Union. That report says construction and home sales are expected to continue throughout 2026 as additional phases come online.
Lagoons Are Spreading Across Florida
Metro has done this before. Its Epperson community in Wesley Chapel has a 7-acre artificial lagoon filled with 11 million gallons of fresh water, and homes there were reported to be priced about 25% higher than comparable homes in communities without a lagoon, according to Builder. The same piece counts about 140 large aquatic amenities in planning, design or construction nationwide.
