WESLEY CHAPEL — Mother Nature seems to have a way of putting a chill on one of the hottest amenities in residential real estate development.
Members of the business community, elected officials and executives with Metro Development Group and Crystal Lagoons gathered Thursday morning for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the nation's first Crystal Lagoon in the Epperson development in Wesley Chapel.
In case you're wondering, the Crystal Lagoon, a 7.5-acre artificial lake surrounded by sand, palm trees and other beach-like accoutrements, is not heated. Other amenities will include a water slide, private cabanas, in-water obstacle platform, swim-up bar, tidal pool and restaurant
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was invitation only, but a public grand opening is planned for a later date and 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps is scheduled to appear.
PRIOR COVERAGE: Crystal Lagoon to open in spring.
Though the lagoon area is still an active construction site, the event was held to mark the finish to filling the lake with 16 million gallons of water. That task began in mid-November and was completed in late December.
The Crystal Lagoon at Epperson, a planned 2,000-home community at Overpass and Curley Roads in Wesley Chapel, is the first of four lagoons Metro Development Group plans to develop in Florida. Others are planned for the Mirada development, just south of State Road 52 in Pasco County, the Southshore Bay development in southern Hillsborough and in Fort Myers.