The ribbon cutting for the Crystal Lagoon at Epperson — the first waterbody of its type in the United States — received warm applause from the crowd on an untypically chilly Florida morning.
The weather is expected to be warmer on April 28, when Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Michael Phelps is scheduled to kick off festivities at the lagoon and the master-planned community of Epperson.
About 75 people gathered on Jan. 18 at the beachfront at the lagoon to toast champagne to celebrate the final drops of 16 million gallons of water topping off the lagoon.
With temperatures dipping into the 30s, people bundled up and sipped coffee or hot chocolate to stay warm.
The frigid air, however, did not chill the guests’ enthusiasm.
“This is just a great day,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley. “It’s just amazing what you’ve done here. The only word that describes it is ‘awesome’.”
Other dignitaries at the event included Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr.; Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Kathryn Starkey; Greg Singleton, president of Metro Development Group; and Christopher Souza, regional manager for Crystal Lagoon.
“The blues and the different hues of the water really pop out here,” Singleton said, during his opening remarks.
The ceremony was held on a small sandy beach that will be known as “Gasparilla Island,” built around a “tidal basin.”
“We envision it as a family area,” Singleton said.
The lagoon also will have Caribbean-style beaches and cabanas, a waterslide, entertainment plaza and water activities, including swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding.
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the lagoon will put a national spotlight on Pasco.
“Anytime we get national attention, it’s a good thing,” Moore said.
Metro Development is building Epperson, which is expected to have 2,000 homes. There also will be commercial development, and a town center.
“It’s going to bring jobs to the area,” said Singleton. “This is the gateway to Connected City in the area. It’s going to bring positive things to the county.”
Next to Epperson, the master-planned community of Mirada also will be built. It will have its own, larger Crystal Lagoon.
Mirada and Epperson are within, what is designated as, the Connected City corridor. About 7,800 acres is set aside as a state-approved development district meant to foster residential communities and employment centers that are the wave of the future. The borders are Interstate 75, State Road 52, and Curley and Overpass roads.
Cutting-edge technology, including gigabit Internet speeds and self-driving vehicles, will be featured throughout Connected City.
Pasco County is a partner in the development of Connected City.
The project seemed almost too ambitious when Metro Development initially brought the project to Wells, prior to his election to the county commission about four years ago.
“I said, ‘You’re nuts. There’s no way,’” Wells said. But, he added, “This is a perfect example of a public-private partnership.”
Other developers are expected to offer their own projects for Connected City, which has an estimated build-out of 50 years. Metro Development is the beginning phase.
“They were pioneers in bringing it (Crystal Lagoon) to the United States,” said Souza, who described Crystal Lagoon as a water technology company. “It was a good starting point for us.”
The company now has an American headquarters in Miami.
Metro Development is building another Crystal Lagoon in south Hillsborough County for the Southshore Bay community. A lagoon also is planned in Fort Myers.
Published January 24, 2018
