Construction Commences on Crane Island’s Park Collection Homes

Crane Island Real Estate, LLC announced today construction is underway on the 113-home master planned community’s first Park Collection home. The home is one of 21 greenspace-adjacent homesites in the collection and is located on Lot 76, which sits on the corner of Alice Park, Crane Island’s central gathering space and Crane Island Drive, the island’s main street.

The residential design and new urbanist planning firm based in Beaufort, S.C., Moser Design Group and acclaimed local homebuilder, Riverside Homes, have partnered to build the 3,964-square-foot home. Set to deliver in Summer 2020, the show home will be available for purchase through Crane Island Real Estate and its floor plan will also be available via Southern Living’s Inspired Communities collection.

Named to pay homage to the legendary islander, Sarah Alice Broadbent, the greenspace will serve as a place for the community to join together for neighborhood events, to walk their dogs, host picnics and more. Alice Park is anchored by the community’s main amenity the River House, a clubhouse featuring a chef’s catering kitchen, elevated pool overlooking the Intracoastal and a state-of-the-art fitness center, which is slated to open by the end of the year. Crane Island’s new residents moved in earlier this Fall.

“We continue to be inspired by the construction progress around Alice Park and the Crane Island community as a whole,” said Jack Healan, Jr., president and developer of Crane Island. “Moser Design Group and Riverside Homes are respected industry leaders who understand our philosophy for the Park Collection homes. Design matters at Crane Island, and this initial Park home will set the tone for our shared vision of the community at Alice Park.”

When planning the home, Moser Design Group saw a great opportunity to engage with the main street and civic realm of the park. With a nod to nearby Fernandina Beach’s historic design vernacular, the architecture of the home will take its cues from the canopy of Ancient Oaks accented with Spanish moss and palm fronds, and will embody a Lowcountry, coastal luxe aesthetic.

With approximately 20 to 25 percent of each home’s square footage dedicated to porch space, all Crane Island homes maximize exposure to the island by featuring a variety of stunning porches, a signature experience for the community

“Considering first the home’s location surrounded by natural beauty, we felt it was our duty to give a gift to the neighborhood by way of the exterior, so the layout of this home will feature porch space on three sides,” said Eric Moser, founder and president at Moser Design Group, who has overseen many notable homes in new urbanist neighborhoods, including several Idea Homes for Southern Living, Coastal Living and Cottage Living. “This house will serve as a landmark for people driving down Crane Island Drive and will be an extension of the living room-like experience Alice Park will offer residents. We hope to achieve this by bringing the connection to the park and the main street beyond the front door.”

The interior of the home will feature walls of operable windows that allow for ventilation throughout the house and further connect the inside and outside realms so residents can enjoy the island breeze coming off the adjacent intercoastal waterway.

“By building these Park Collection homes, we will create a sense of community around one of Crane Island’s most cohesive amenities, Alice Park,” said Chris Wood, vice president at Riverside Homes. “From our initial discussions about the Park Homes, we thought intentionally about the communities and neighborhoods we live in and how we could build homes at Crane Island that would better connect with each other through shared spaces like the park.”

In addition to the construction progress, Crane Island is also hosting Southern Living’s prestigious annual Idea House through Dec. 15 and was recently hand-selected as Florida’s debut Southern Living Inspired Community and Coastal Living Inspired Community. Custom homes range from the $900’s to $3 million plus. An “island within an island,” the entire project will be completed in 2024.

To learn more, contact Crane Island Real Estate LLC by calling 904-432-8390 or visiting the Sales & Design Cottage at 3163 Bailey Road in Fernandina Beach or craneisland.com.

About Crane Island: Crane Island is a luxury 113-home master planned community on Florida’s Amelia Island, a part of the Sea Islands Chain of barrier islands on the Atlantic Coast. With over 3,500 feet of Intracoastal Waterway frontage and over 4,000 feet abutting salt marshes, the 185-acre site is the last parcel of waterfront land on Amelia Island. The sustainable community will preserve approximately 100 acres, including the majority of the mature maritime forest – a unique feature that creates seasonality within the coastal environment. Upon completion, Crane Island will more than double the home sites available on the Intracoastal Waterway.

With the first phase now open and phase two well underway with an expected completion in early 2019, Crane Island will emerge as a connected island hamlet that celebrates the site’s history and natural surroundings, complete with a bird sanctuary, community park, gardens, walking and biking paths, day dock and beach access. At Crane Island, every home will offer a beautiful gift to the street with approximately 20 to 25 percent of space dedicated to the porch experience. Custom homes range from the $900’s to $3 million plus. In addition to hosting Southern Living’s prestigious annual Idea House, Crane Island has also been hand-selected as Florida’s debut Southern Living Inspired Community and Coastal Living Inspired Community. For more information, visit craneisland.com.

About the Developers: The vision for Crane Island was born from two longtime friends and business executives, Saad Wallan and Jack Healan Jr. It’s the first new development in the area offering deep water access to the Intracoastal Waterway in 15 years. Both Wallan and Healan are committed to honoring and protecting the island’s storied past and natural environment, and building a timeless, connected community where life begins and ends on the front porch.

Wallan, an international businessman, brings experience from his tenure in the automotive, aviation and real estate industries. Healan, former President of the Amelia Island Company, is highly regarded for his 30-plus years of involvement in the development of Amelia Island Plantation, Marsh Lakes and Brady Point Preserve. In 2012, they formed a partnership to pursue real estate opportunities. Recognizing Crane Island as Amelia Island’s final waterfront property, the partners purchased it in 2014. The community is slated for completion in 2024.

About Riverside Homes: Riverside Homes is a locally owned homebuilder that is committed to providing exceptional value, quality and innovative designs that homeowners are looking for. As an award-winning homebuilder, Riverside Homes was recently voted “Best of St. Augustine,” winner of “Best of Houzz” three years running and the recipient of many other awards and accolades. Riverside Homes is currently building in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Atlantic Beach, Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, St. Johns and Fleming Island. For more information about Riverside Homes, contact info@myriversidehome.com or call 904-530-4720.