The Real Estate Journal

The sense of community that has long defined New Smyrna Beach is being captured and celebrated in a new community soon to be created west of town. Venetian Bay, an ambitious project of The Johnson Group, promises to offer the best of New Smyrna Beach  from neighborliness to convenience, from traditional architecture to technology-driven conveniences.

New Smyrna Beach is known as a peaceful and friendly place enjoyed by residents and visitors. It is the gateway to the picturesque Indian River Intercoastal Waterway. It boasts 13 miles of pristine beach and has a rich history in the lore of Florida. Its historic downtown is a postcard for traditional Main Street USA. Planners seek to capture this and more in Venetian Bay.

"A village center will be at the heard of the community," said Mary Ann Murray, Venetian Bay's sales manager. "It will feature a number of stores, shops and offices."

Venetian Bay represents an evolution in the 1250 acres that originally were to be developed as Spruce Creek Ranch - between Pioneer Trail and S.R. 44, just east of Samsula. The Johnson Group, a premier developer and homebuilder in the area, is purchasing the land and modifying the plans. It will become a 1600-home town center community with a Mediterranean theme built around a championship golf course.

The design is pedestrian-friendly, reducing the need for an automobile within the neighborhood. There will be a significant conservation area. In fact, approximately half of the land will be maintained as green space. Plans call for a variety of housing including apartments, condominiums, golf villas, single family homes and estate homes.

Among the conveniences could be a grocery store , hair stylist, bank, day-care center, doctor's office and restaurant, Murray said. There has been discussion of an outdoor theater at the village center. "The entire design emanates from the center of the neighborhood, making it cozy and convenient at the same time," said Murray.

A planned pedestrian mall, brick walkways and outdoor eating areas further diminish the need for automobile traffic, although there will be parking spaces downtown for no-emission vehicles. according to Jerry Johnson. "It is a concept used successfully in award-winning communities such as Disney's Celebration," he said.

There will be porches, mosaics, old fashioned streetlights and Mediterranean vegetation throughout the common area. And if this community is like others created by The Johnson Group, a grand entrance is likely to greet residents and visitors as they enter Venetian Bay

City of New Smyrna Beach Development Services Director Tom Harowski us pleased with the preliminary plans which he said are based on the "traditional neighborhood design" concept. The design calls for new communities to be created with similar character to older sections of the city. "The idea is to capture what people love about New Smyrna Beach and replicate these elements in newer areas of the city. In time it should look like Faulkner Street or Magnolia Street," he said.

Since New Smyrna Beach long has been popular among Orlando residents, it is expected that many of them will be interested in Venetian Bay."There is no question that Orlando residents have an affinity for New Smyrna Beach," said Steve Dennis, the president of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce. "Local prospects for Venetian Bay will have plenty of company from Orlando when the sales begin."

The Johnson Group has an extensive portfolio of successful communities in Central Florida. Among the communities featuring homes by The Johnson Group are Turnbull Bay in New Smyrna Beach, Town Park and Sabal Creek in Port Orange, Pelican Bay in Daytona Beach, Ormond Lakes, Plantation Bay and Tymber Crossings in Ormond Beach.

The organization prides itself on construction that exceeds code, safe room technology and its 15-year warranty.

The land that will become Venetian Bay presently is home to about 200 head of cattle on a working ranch. Soon, the cattle will have a new home and preparations will be underway to create a little slice of Europe just west of downtown New Smyrna Beach.

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