YULEE, Fla. – A Nassau County development is growing fast, and leaders say it’s all by design.
Wildlight, a master-planned community spanning 24,000 acres, is expanding across two districts and several residential neighborhoods — bringing new homes, businesses, and services to the area since 2016.
“The best way to manage growth is to do it intentionally,” said Wes Hinton, vice president of real estate at Wildlight.
Built around community basics
Hinton says the foundation of the community comes down to access — to groceries, health care, education, and nature.
“We focus on the things that we know make community great,” Hinton said.
The mixed-use town district serves as the community’s hub, offering a variety of housing products and builders alongside retail and services.
“Where we are here in the town district is really our mixed-use hub, right? There’s a lot of residential, a wide variety of products, and builders,” Hinton said.
Residents say the nature-first approach stands out
Sarah Ammar moved to Wildlight’s Hawthorn Park community from Chicago about a year ago. She was looking for a fresh start and a place to raise her family.
“This is my first home ownership experience. And so when we were looking, we wanted something that would get us out as a family. And we chose this because it was perfect,” Ammar said.
For her family, the trail system and walkability sealed the deal.
“We bike, we walk. It’s lovely. That was really the big factor,” she said.
Ammar says the development feels different from others she considered.
“They’re doing development and community growth differently than I think any developer. They’re really respecting, like, the beauty of the place here. And wherever you go, like if you’re on your porch or you want to go for a walk, you do feel like you’re in nature coexisting,” Ammar said.
YMCA reports membership surge
That walkability connects residents directly to businesses and services — including the local YMCA, which has seen significant growth.
“We had over 700 family units come in as a membership here at this branch alone,” said Eric Hernandez, the YMCA’s operations director.
Healthy Living Director Bailea Peak echoed that growth, crediting local partnerships for making expanded programming possible.
“We are very blessed to have the partnerships we have here between the Wildlight community, Rainier, definitely Parks and Rec. Without the partnerships that we have in the communication that we have with them, we wouldn’t be able to expand and have these programs that we have now,” Hernandez said.
Next phase: jobs, green space, and the Garden District
With thousands of acres still to develop, Wildlight leaders say the next phase shifts focus toward attracting employers and growing jobs alongside residents.
“So we started in this mixed-use commercial area to really help create an environment that attracts the jobs and new businesses. So as we grow, it’s always the balance — that can offer both the commercial opportunities along with the residents,” Hinton said.
The next major development area is the Garden District, which will prioritize preserved green space alongside new commercial development, additional amenities, and more housing.
Leaders say they’re also planning ahead for infrastructure. Land has already been set aside for schools and parks, and a new traffic and roadway network has been designed to accommodate the population growth expected in the years ahead.
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