Developer will not pursue Julington-Durbin Preserve

A real estate developer has decided not to pursue 400 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the Julington-Durbin Preserve.

In 2001, Bartram Park developer Tom Dodson sold 2,000 acres of the preserve to the state, water management district and city of Jacksonville for nearly $17 million. The city’s share was about $4 million.

In June, he proposed an even swap of 403 acres of the preserve for 403 acres of Black Hammock Island. The goal was to build 1,400 homes.

The land is located next to State Road 9B, which is extending into St. Johns County. In the last 10 years, the area has exploded with growth, and residents have used the Preserve as a contrast to the concrete sidewalks and miles of asphalt nearby.

Eastland, the developer, said in a release Thursday that it decided not to pursue the land after the proposed exchange agreement generated a lot of discussion in the community.

The company is now exploring the sale of the Black Hammock land to the state of Florida.

Cox Media Group