eTown: Vision for local exit on 9B revealed; new Jacksonville community to have smart homes

The vision for the E-town Parkway exit on State Road 9B on Jacksonville's Southside has been revealed and the "smart-living community" is expected to debut during the summer.

Known as eTown, the PARC Group has revealed the area will consist of "new single-family homes, apartments, retail and world-class amenities."

eTown will be located near I-295, three miles from the St. Johns Town Center.

PHOTOS: eTown to debut this summer in Jacksonville

PREVIOUS STORY: Empty exit off 9B could get high-end housing, restaurants

There will be a Village Center, in the middle of eTown that will be within walking distance to local restaurants and retail stores.

eTown will also have an amenity center exclusive to its residents, -- that will include a resort-style pool with "an adjoining three-lane lap pool," a fitness center, yoga lawn, fire pit with lounge seating, a playground, an "event lawn" and a dog park with a lake view.

"In addition, parks, ponds and paths will span the entire community, with 50 percent of eTown’s acreage remaining undeveloped to preserve much of the area’s signature longleaf pine habitat. The vision for the community is to strike a balance between convenient development and natural outdoor spaces," officials said.

The following neighborhoods with "smart-home technology" will open soon in eTown:

• Marconi will be the first neighborhood to open in eTown in May 2019. It will be a gated community with homes starting in the mid $300,000s.

• Edison will have new homes priced in the high $300,000s. It is expected to open during the summer. 

• Del Webb, a gated community will cater to those ages 55 and up only and will offer homes in the mid $200,000s. It is expected to open during the summer.
• Kettering will have "zero energy ready homes,"  "which are deemed to be so energy efficient that all or most annual energy consumption can be offset with renewable energy." The neighborhood is scheduled to open in spring 2020.

“eTown is a one-of-a-kind community and a complete rethink of Jacksonville living,” said Roger O’Steen, Chairman and Founder of The PARC Group, the master developers of eTown and award-winning Nocatee. “With state-of-the-art homes, canopied walking trails, resort-style amenities, and cafes and shops just a golf cart ride away, eTown offers a fresh approach to the modern lifestyle.”

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Cox Media Group