Heron Bay Parkland

Residential Offering:

The Heron Bay Parkland development site is currently owned by the City of Parkland (City) which is seeking a residential single-family home developer for approximately 21 acres that comprise the so-called "dog leg" portion of the overall property. The City and the residential developer will work closely through the approvals for the project, which the City envisions as a high-end complement to the surrounding area that integrates seamlessly with the Heron Bay Homeowners Association (HOA).

Therefore, the City is seeking a residential developer of custom luxury homes that possesses the acumen to ensure a result that is in concert with Heron Bay, a community abundant in amenities. Ideally, the selected developer will have staff experience with in-fill development that easily integrates with existing, upscale HOAs and has a track record of developing communities that withstand the test of time. View the Heron Bay Parkland Offering Memorandum here.

History of the Property:

In the late Summer of 2022 the City of Parkland (City) began exploring the possibility of purchasing a portion of the property that had formerly been a golf course in the Heron Bay Homeowners’ Association (HOA) in west Parkland along Nob Hill Road. Ultimately, on September 21, 2022, the City Commission approved the purchase of 65 acres for $25.4 million.

With a storied past of having hosted the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic for six years (1997-2002), the property was no longer an operating golf course. In fact, the golf course and the accompanying clubhouse closed in 2019.

The North Springs Improvement District (NSID), which, among other things, provides water treatment, wastewater collection, and stormwater management to nearly 40,000 residents in the cities of Parkland and Coral Springs, bought the entire golf course (approximately 223 acres) for $32 million in 2019. At that time, it was reported that it appraised for $33.5 million. Nine years earlier a Canadian-based golf course management company named ClubLink bought the golf course for $4.75 million.

After its purchase in 2019, NSID indicated that approximately 150 acres of the property would be used for stormwater management. That open green space will also allow for recreational walking trails. A portion of the property will be the site of a memorial for the 17 victims of the February 14, 2018, tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

That left approximately 70 acres of available land from the original NSID purchase—land NSID intended to develop in an effort to recoup the cost of its purchase. Land that can be developed is valuable and developing a portion of the golf course could defray much, if not all, of the original purchase price. NSID initiated a Request For Proposals (RFP), then released another RFP, and eventually accepted the offer from the City of Parkland to buy 65 acres.

The City’s desire to buy the property was born out of a lack of exciting proposals that would be a complement to Parkland. The prevailing logic was, the City has greater control over the fate of the property if it drives the process and generally directs prospective developers. Once a developer is selected by the City, the developer’s knowledge, experience, and resources will serve to ensure the completed project has sufficient appeal to be successful and last long-term.

Next Steps:

The City will select a developer for the residential portion of the property, approximately 21 acres. The selection will be based upon developers' track records of success, creativity of their ideas, the quality of their previous developments, and their ability to work with the City to ensure a finished product that is a complement to Parkland.

Sometime after the residential site development has taken shape, the City will begin the search and selection process for a developer for the commercial / retail portion of the property. The selected developer will ultimately facilitate a public charrette--a planning session that would likely include residents, planners, City officials, architects, a landscape architect, a transportation expert, public safety officials, and others. This charrette would seek to elicit input from stakeholders to ensure all perspectives have been considered. This collaborative planning mechanism would enable the most desirable outcome for all of Parkland.

In addition to a formal charrette, there will also be robust community input sought through other means such as City events. This input will enable the developer to move forward with comprehensive design plans.