BIG CYPRESS, FLA.—Developers including Florida Everglades Resort, LLC and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are in discussion with potential investors who would help raise $23 million for a unique eco-resort within the Florida Everglades. The Florida Everglades Resort will be built on a 15-acre site (formerly a citrus grove) and within the 72,000-acre Seminole Reservation near Big Cypress. The site is located adjacent to Billie Swamp Safari, a 2,200-acre nature and wildlife park that already attracts more than 135,000 visitors per year.
Jupiter, Fla.-based Florida Everglades Resort, LLC is the result of a multi-year collaboration between EcoExperience Development, Inc. (EDI) and several hospitality and sustainability experts. EDI will serve as the general partner. Calibre Management Inc. (CMI) will be the operations partner. Targeted travelers will include mid to upscale adventurous, leisure and outdoor travelers with a special emphasis on nature-based tourism. The Florida Everglades Resort is scheduled to open in the spring of 2012. According to Wendall Collins, founder and CEO of EDI, ground could be broken on the project as early as the second quarter of this year.
Florida Everglades Resort, LLC has entered into a 50-year lease with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The company has rights to develop and use additional acreage outside the leased property for educational, learning experience program development and infrastructure. The goal of the developers is to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification and ISO 14001 certification.
Resort to be Constructed in Phases
The full-service resort will be built in phases. Phase I will provide a minimum of 150 guestrooms and suites, a signature restaurant with tree-level observatory lounge, a deli/bistro, a minimum of 4,000 square feet of conference facilities including board rooms, wellness/fitness center, gift areas, poolside bar and grill, water features and observatories throughout the property, educational programs, and recreational facilities. The primary focus is to design the resort to maximize efficiency while providing educational opportunities with minimal environmental impact.
Collins says the developers have been actively planning the resort for five years. The development team includes Calibre Management, Inc., MF[a] Architects, CPZ Architects, Inc., DeRose Consulting, Landscape Architect Collaborative, BelonSayre, LLC, among others. It is EDI’s goal to develop more resorts like the Florida Everglades Resort—each owned and capitalized either by a core group or through separate partnerships.
The location in the Everglades is ideal, Collins says. Given its proximity to Billie Swamp Safari, there are already roads, water and sewer infrastructure in place. Visitors to the Safari attraction currently have no place to stay. Nature-based tourism is already huge in Florida, with millions coming to the state each year to bird watch, hike, canoe and camp. Of course the resort will be for those with less of an inclination to “rough it.”
Aiming for Zero Carbon Impact
From a resource standpoint, the resort will be highly efficient, with solar and wind systems expected to provide most of the property’s power needs. The resort is expected to use 50 percent less water than a comparable facility. Rainwater will be collected and reused. Gray water from sinks, showers and laundry facilities will be purified on site. Natural day lighting, ventilation, and building envelope (walls, roof, and windows) properties will reduce the size and consumption of the mechanical systems.
Menus will feature locally grown items and organic products. An on-site garden will provide some of the herbs and vegetables used in the restaurant. Natural cleaning products and methods will be used. A demonstration area will be on site where many of the educational, monitoring, and habitat management activities will be located. This area will also include educational opportunities in LEED certification and green opportunities in the residential and commercial markets. Programs will be designed to attract researchers and college classes from around the world. Meeting and teaching areas, called EcoExperience Exploration Stations, will be strategically located throughout the property. The main building will include three stories to provide appealing views of the Everglades.
Resort developers expect the cost of construction to be 7 percent higher than a comparable facility. That additional money is expected to be recovered quickly through operational efficiencies. The rate for the resort is expected to be around $150 a night.
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Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
