U.S. developers are dipping their toes into an amenity that’s been popular in other countries for years: large-scale, man-made water features.
By Mary Salmonsen | MFE
Earlier this year, Metro Development Group unveiled a long-awaited, landmark amenity at its Epperson community in Wesley Chapel, Fla. The 7-acre artificial lagoon, newly filled with 11 million gallons of fresh water, is the first of its kind in the U.S. Suitable for swimming, boating, and other nonmotorized water activities, the lagoon will be the centerpiece of the community’s amenity village and beachfront area.
While the man-made lagoon from Chile-based Crystal Lagoons is a new concept to American consumers, it won’t be for long. Epperson represents the crest of the tidal wave, so to speak, in the trend toward massive water-based amenities. It is one of 140 such lagoons now in the planning, design, or construction stage in U.S. residential developments, both single- and multifamily.
