A new city near Orlando promises to be a model for sustainability
Just south of The Magic Kingdom, developers are planning Destiny—the country’s first eco-sustainable
city and the first city planned from the ground up in Florida.
“We see Destiny as an opportunity to stop talking about protecting the environment and start taking action,” says Randy Johnson, COO of the city’s developer, Delray Beach, Fla.-based The Pugliese Co.
Destiny is designed to appeal to families and businesses that value both the economic and environmental benefits of green living. The target resident is focused on living smarter in a green-built home and an eco-friendly community. “They want to live in a place that doesn’t use up our natural resources but is a solution to save those assets for our kids,” Johnson says.
The city also is intended to be a haven for business owners who want to cater to green-living residents or those who simply desire the cachet of an address in an eco-sustainable city. The developer is actively recruiting clean technology companies to help build the new city— and relocate there.
The project is now in the entitlement phase. At 41,300 acres, it’s the largest land deal since Walt Disney purchased 27,000 acres in the early 1960s to create Walt Disney World and Epcot Center. The Pugliese Co. paid $137 million for the land. The company hopes to break ground in 2011, with total build-out achieved over a 50-year horizon.
With such a lengthy timeframe for development, The Pugliese Co. isn’t worried about current economic woes. “The market will recover, as it always does,” Johnson says. “We think the potential rewards far outweigh the risks. Others have chosen to retreat in this market. We read the tea leaves and see real opportunity.”
