Providing homes, conserving nature
A simple way to think about the two parts of Wildlight is that DSAP1 is more like the central area of a town, a mix of residential neighborhoods with retail districts and job centers, while DSAP2 is more about providing a wider variety of homes as well as giving people access to more than 7,000 acres of Florida nature — woodlands, wetlands and an area of bluffs along the St. Marys River — that until now have been inaccessible.
The long-term plan for the next phase of Wildlight spans several decades. With a total of 15,000 acres and with some much-needed infrastructure improvements and new civic facilities paid for by impact fees, this larger side of Wildlight will accommodate a multi-generational period of growth In Nassau County and will give residents and visitors a greatly expanded list of choices for outdoor recreation. And the financial structure built into the plan for Wildlight gives Nassau County a sustainable, fiscally responsible path for growth.
Wildlight Greenway
Population growth creates a need for more outdoor recreation choices. The DSAP2 area of Wildlight will include a number of regional-scale destinations, giving residents and visitors new kinds of outdoor experiences to go along Nassau County’s renowned beaches.
The largest of these new destinations will be the Wildlight Greenway Network — over 7,000 acres that will be maintained in perpetuity as a pristine expanse of unique Northeast Florida nature.
The Wildlight Greenway will become one of the largest, most environmentally significant park systems in Northeast Florida. An uninterrupted natural ecosystem with miles of paths and trails connecting natural features, parks, schools, civic areas, village centers and neighborhoods.
The Conservation Network will include 2,100 acres of natural uplands, preserving an area that’s larger than any upland development project in Nassau County.
Another unique outdoor feature in DSAP2, the Green Ribbon linear park will provide public access to the bluffs along the St. Marys River. The Wildlight Greenway will link to the Green Ribbon, creating a wide-ranging hiking/biking connection to the river.
According to Nassau County’s valuation method, this conservation land is worth over $67 million. Nassau County citizens passed a bond referendum to issue $30 million in debt to purchase conservation land in other areas of the county. The Wildlight Greenway will conserve over twice as much land at no cost to the taxpayer.
Nature, parks, schools & infrastructure
The Green Ribbon
The bluffs along the St. Marys River are unlike any landform in Florida, in their own way as strikingly beautiful as the beaches of Nassau County. For many years, these bluffs have been closed off to the public. The plan for DSAP2 will create the Green Ribbon, a 13-mile-long linear park — as long as Amelia Island itself — that will stretch along the bluffs. With 8 miles of river frontage, the park will be anchored by a variety of experiences including a publicly accessible trail that ties the park together. Nassau County residents and visitors can expect to enjoy riverfront hiking and biking as early as 2027.
Public parks
Nassau County currently features approximately 365 acres of regional and community parks. DSAP2 dedicates an additional 533 acres to the County’s regional/community park system over the life of the project. It also provides land for the only public boat ramp on this entire stretch of the St. Marys.
New public schools
Nassau County School District rates as the #3 district in the state. Even so, it has wrestled with overcrowding as the County has grown in population. Opened in 2017, Wildlight Elementary is the County’s first new school built in the last 20 years. Originally designed for 600 K-5 students, the school was expanded in 2021 to make room for another 200. Current enrollment stands at more than 1,000 students.
In DSAP2 we’ve set aside land for five additional school sites: three elementary, one middle school and one high school.
New civic infrastructure
The plan for Wildlight’s DSAP2 includes much-needed improvements to Nassau County infrastructure. An enhanced mobility network of roads and multi-use trails will feature a new major thoroughfare, Riverbluff Parkway, which will create an additional east-west route for Nassau County, improve access to I-95, alleviate traffic on State Road 200 and provide an important new hurricane evacuation route.
DSAP2 also sets aside land for three new fire stations and police substations. A new regional wastewater facility will provide service both to Wildlight and to many Nassau County residents who currently have no access to the municipal wastewater system. And fiber optic infrastructure will give every home and business in Wildlight access to next-generation gigabit internet.
New homes
When it’s finished two or three decades from now, Wildlight will have made room for over 20,000 new homes in Nassau County. Perhaps just as importantly, it will have set a new standard for home and neighborhood design.
Home variety
The DSAP2 area of Wildlight will expand the availability, variety and attainability of new homes, meeting the needs of a broad range of homebuyers.
True to Florida
Like the homes currently offered in Wildlight, the new homes of DSAP2 will be designed to honor the Florida lowcountry heritage and help conserve resources such as energy, water and building materials.
Connected living
In DSAP2, the Wildlight Trailways will expand to over 50 miles, connecting homes to parks, recreational facilities, village centers and other conveniences.
Contact Us
Have a question or comment about this Next Chapter of Wildlight? Please share it in the space below. And be sure to include your email address so we can respond. If you are looking to move to Wildlight and want more information about new homes, please reach out here.
Your contact information will be used only for the purposes of responding to you about Wildlight and will not be shared with anyone else. By submitting your contact info, you are agreeing to Wildlight’s privacy policy.