Brightwater Lagoon has been operating for the past six months with a soft launch but made its big splash May 30 with the official ribbon cutting at the new North Fort Myers community’s centerpiece amenity.
Brightwater Lagoon, 8630 Sunny Page Lane, features a 6-acre, chlorinated swimming pool filled with 10 million gallons of water. The depth of the pool fluctuates down to 16 feet deep underneath the water obstacle course.
Day passes to the lagoon are available to the general public, with prices varying by season. This week, admission was $25 per person. Once inside, guests can purchase additional amenities from MetroLagoons, the operator of the facility. Options include shaded and floating cabanas, kayak rentals and other recreational features, along with access to on-site bars and food trucks.
“This whole place can really be a restaurant,” said Jimmy Cruz, general manager for MetroLagoons. “You can get your food at the food truck and then you can enjoy it anywhere you want in the facility.
“It takes a lot to make it look that beautiful, but that’s what we strive for every day.”
Fire jugglers performed, coconut water was served out of coconuts and island-style live music played after Jim Bavouset, president of the Tampa-based Metro Development Group, cut the ribbon. He said preexisting business partnerships with homebuilders D.R. Horton and Lennar made for an easy decision in choosing them.
There are about 1,400 home sites. Prices are in the $400,000 to $700,000 range, and the community is about 30% built out so far.
“The difficulty here was not necessarily choosing those builders and finding people,” Bavouset said. “It was having to let the other builders down. Because it’s so desirable to have this kind of amenity.”
MetroLagoons operates three other lagoons across the state in Wamauma, Wesley Chapel and San Antonio. Two more are planned for Land O’Lakes and Parrish.
“It’s beyond our expectations,” Bavouset said of the early response in North Fort Myers. “There’s lots of room for a lot of people, and we welcome everybody in the community to come and check it out.”
