ELM CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF THE TIDE CLUB AT JULINGTON CREEK PLANTATION

Grand opening of the Tide Club at Julington Creek Plantation.

ELM | Ervin Lovett Miller celebrated the Grand Opening of a new $34-million aquatics amenity and community park for one of St. Johns County’s largest, most established residential communities.

The Tide Club at Julington Creek, a $34 million transformation of the community’s aquatics complex and park, is now complete. Designed by ELM | Ervin Lovett Miller, a Jacksonville-based architecture, landscape architecture, and planning firm, the project replaces aging amenities with a new dynamic destination for residents of one of St. Johns County’s most established residential communities.

ELM celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting event the evening of May 22, 2026 together with the Julington Creek Plantation Board of Governors, members of the project design and construction team, and several hundred excited residents.

Located in Fruit Cove, Julington Creek has more than 5,700 homes and been part of the St. Johns County residential landscape for more than 30 years. As the region continues to experience significant residential growth, the reinvestment strengthens the community’s long-term value and attractive position within the competitive North Florida housing market.

ELM designed the new aquatics campus with multiple pools to support a wide variety of social, athletic, and recreational uses that were desired by the community’s residents. These include a resort-style family pool with two water slides, multiple social nodes, and a large zero entry with interactive water features; a dedicated adult pool; and a 10-lane competition pool. The project also includes five new buildings, including a two-story, 10,762-square-foot clubhouse with second-floor event space, catering kitchen, gathering areas, meeting rooms, and decks overlooking the entire amenity campus. Tide & Tonic is a 4,100-square-foot bar and grill with covered outdoor seating, adding a new food and beverage destination and central gathering place for the community.

In addition to the aquatics complex and adjacent to the Tide Club is Treehouse Trails. ELM transformed an underutilized and outdated community park into a dynamic, nature-based play destination designed for children, families, and residents of all ages. Now, children from toddlers to teenagers are encouraged to engage with nature and express creativity through thoughtfully integrated play. A multi-level treehouse, toddler play areas, an embankment slide, and accessible pathways are woven into bold landforms and mature landscape, while natural materials, boulders, and native plantings blur the line between park and play. Designed to be inclusive and ADA-accessible, the park reflects a broader commitment to wellness, adventure, and experiential recreation throughout the project.

“We designed these amenities to create a new destination and center of social, civic, and recreational life for Julington Creek residents”, said ELM partner, Steve Lovett. “Working in a community more than 30-years old has challenges and opportunities. Some residents have raised their families at Julington Creek and are now aging. They have different needs and desires, and we need to accommodate them within the new amenity program. At the same time, young families are looking for a place to call home and it’s important that mature, established communities reinvest in themselves to attract the next generation and continue to create enduring value for their residents.”

The Grand Opening culminated a six-year planning process, working closely with Julington Creek Plantation’s Board of Governors, residents, and local constituent groups. ELM provided planning, architecture, and landscape architecture services for the project.

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See more of the completed work at Julington Creek Plantation and learn how ELM helped bring The Tide Club and Treehouse Trails to life.