ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The ongoing growth in the Durbin Pavilion area is evident as new stores and apartments continue to emerge.
“Durbin’s got a lot of entitlement. They can build a lot of things,” said Dick D’Souza, assistant director of growth management for St. Johns County’s Transportation Development Division.
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There are a host of places to go in The Pavilion at Durbin Park, like Petco, various restaurants, a movie theater, and even Walmart. This is just the beginning, as UF Health Durbin Park is also under construction.
The development seems to be driven by an influx of residents.
“Similar to what you saw with the Buc-ee’s coming in once enough rooftops were there, and then now you’re seeing that whole kind of area with World Commerce Center, really booming in terms of development,” D’Souza said.
Outside of the shopping area, more apartments are being constructed, with orange cones dotting the landscape.
The area is poised for further growth, and D’Souza said long-term plans for Durbin are following the new approach to development in the county.
New development projects now require upfront investment from the developer to improve traffic conditions, a change from past practices.
“People are building these improvements up front, so we’ve got more ability to have traffic on those roadways. So we’re not seeing roads that are projected to be way over capacity, because we’re building that capacity up front,” D’Souza said.
Even though you see some areas that still have empty space, D’Souza said, the area is on the developers’ timeline.
D’Souza said it’s sometimes about the developer waiting for the right client.
“Because, as a master developer, they’ve probably got a vision of what they want to come in,” he explained.
D’Souza emphasized that there is also a balance between development and conservation in the area.
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“In Durbin, specifically, it’s actually got some conservation land, I think Durbin might have put on there. And so what we actually have is a large creek system that runs through there as well as a floodway,” D’Souza said.
As Durbin Pavilion continues to grow, the community can expect a blend of new developments and preserved natural spaces.
