World Commerce Center
Encyclopedia
World Commerce Center is an approved Development of Regional Impact (DRI) under Section 380.06 of the Florida Statutes. It is intended to be the commercial and office development center for St. Johns County, Florida
, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States during the past decade.
opened on May 19, 1998 inside the World Golf Village
. It was intended as a Golf Mecca for players and fans of the game. A new interchange on Interstate 95 in Florida
was constructed to permit direct access to the site. On December 10, 2002, the St. Johns County Commission approved the World Commerce Center DRI which included a location for Ring Power, the first tenant. The mixed use development consists of 966 acres (390.9 ha), located south of the World Golf Village.
,a heavy equipment company previously located in Jacksonville, Florida
, built a new 414000 sq ft (38,461.9 m²) facility on 95 acres (38.4 ha) in the WCC and moved there in March, 2005. Their center includes a four-floor corporate headquarters building facing I-95 and separate shop units.
The Rulon Company announced in May, 2005 that they would construct a new corporate office and manufacturing facility at WCC, then relocate from their present Brunswick, Georgia
location. The company manufactures high end acoustical ceiling and wall systems using wood and plastic for commercial customers.
The Sevilla residential development is a gated community
of 405 homesites in the center of the WCC. Construction began in 2005 with phase 1, which sold briskly. By the time phase 2 opened, the 2008 economic meltdown had occurred, and sales were slow.
Construction of the $26 million, 120-bed Clyde E. Lassen State Nursing Home for Veterans is scheduled to be completed in June, 2010. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
allocated $10 million for the project, with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
contributing $16 million. The 15.7 acres (6.4 ha) site was donated by the Steinemann Company, developers of the World Commerce Center. The State of Florida operates five other nursing homes for veterans.
Segovia at World Commerce Center was a planned multi-family development on the west side of WCC. The land was cleared, the road and storm retention pond were constructed, but lots were never plated. As of 2010, it was unoccupied.
Prior to the recession of 2008, Flagler Hospital
announced plans to build a 288-bed facility in or near the WCC. An office park to be named, Golf Park Center was also proposed. Those plans are still on hold.
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States during the past decade.
History
The World Golf Hall of FameWorld Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
opened on May 19, 1998 inside the World Golf Village
World Golf Village
The World Golf Village is a golf resort located midway between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida, built to showcase the World Golf Hall of Fame and intended to be the ultimate golf destination for players and fans of the game.-Development:...
. It was intended as a Golf Mecca for players and fans of the game. A new interchange on Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
was constructed to permit direct access to the site. On December 10, 2002, the St. Johns County Commission approved the World Commerce Center DRI which included a location for Ring Power, the first tenant. The mixed use development consists of 966 acres (390.9 ha), located south of the World Golf Village.
Tenants
Ring PowerRing Power
Ring Power is a privately held corporation headquartered at the World Commerce Center in St. Johns County, Florida, midway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville.-History:...
,a heavy equipment company previously located in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, built a new 414000 sq ft (38,461.9 m²) facility on 95 acres (38.4 ha) in the WCC and moved there in March, 2005. Their center includes a four-floor corporate headquarters building facing I-95 and separate shop units.
The Rulon Company announced in May, 2005 that they would construct a new corporate office and manufacturing facility at WCC, then relocate from their present Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
location. The company manufactures high end acoustical ceiling and wall systems using wood and plastic for commercial customers.
The Sevilla residential development is a gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
of 405 homesites in the center of the WCC. Construction began in 2005 with phase 1, which sold briskly. By the time phase 2 opened, the 2008 economic meltdown had occurred, and sales were slow.
Construction of the $26 million, 120-bed Clyde E. Lassen State Nursing Home for Veterans is scheduled to be completed in June, 2010. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
allocated $10 million for the project, with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs is a government agency of the state of Florida under the authority of the Governor of Florida charged with helping veterans and their families to receive all benefits they are legally entitled to....
contributing $16 million. The 15.7 acres (6.4 ha) site was donated by the Steinemann Company, developers of the World Commerce Center. The State of Florida operates five other nursing homes for veterans.
Proposed
The Lion's Gate project was an open air retail shopping complex that was announced in the spring of 2007. When completed, it was expected to encompass 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) of retail space on 100 acres (40.5 ha) in the southwest corner of the WCC. After the initial announcement, market conditions deteriorated, the company never purchased the land and the project died.Segovia at World Commerce Center was a planned multi-family development on the west side of WCC. The land was cleared, the road and storm retention pond were constructed, but lots were never plated. As of 2010, it was unoccupied.
Prior to the recession of 2008, Flagler Hospital
Flagler Hospital
Flagler Hospital, based in St. Augustine, Florida, is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization has received numerous accolades and offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus....
announced plans to build a 288-bed facility in or near the WCC. An office park to be named, Golf Park Center was also proposed. Those plans are still on hold.