A massive “beachside” community is proposed for … Huntersville

That’s how the speaker in a promotional video describes the vision for Lagoona Bay, a nearly 270-acre “beachside” country club proposed for Huntersville.

• In the video, the speaker attempts to sway the viewer to support developer Jake Palillo’s ambitious proposal for the site, despite reports it would crowd schools, further congest roads and use up water capacity.

Why it matters: Lagoona Bay is an $800-million mixed-use project on a ginormous assemblage of vacant land in the northern Mecklenburg County town. Bi-Part Development, which is behind Bailey’s Glenn in Cornelius and Symphony Park in Huntersville, is pitching it as an alternative attraction to Birkdale.

• The proposal comes at a time when Huntersville grapples with trying to maintain its small-town feel while accommodating rapid growth.

Driving the news: The town must give the project the thumbs up before it can move forward. Huntersville leaders face pressure from an uproar of residents to reject the proposal.

• In the past, commissioners haven’t shied away from denying developers.
• The board recently turned down plans to expand Birkdale with a new office tower and parking deck.

The intrigue: Lagoona Bay is envisioned as a country club, but instead of golf, the central focus is a 10-acre manmade lagoon in the middle of the development.

• The complex would be home to 6,000 residents who want year-round living next to a major water attraction in the piedmont.
• The property would have 210,000 square feet of commercial space, plus co-working spaces and even a babysitting center.

Details: The site is located off Sam Furr Road between Westmoreland Road and Black Farms Road, close to the Cornelius border. Currently it’s a few scattered homes and farmland.

Of note: Palillo was unavailable for an interview. He recently initiated a lawsuit against two women for comments they made online, including the organizer of a petition with more than 4,600 signatures, WSOC reported.

• At one point Palillo offered one of the women a free membership if she promoted the project, according to Charlotte Business Journal. 

Lagoona Bay is divided into three segments.

1. The Lagoona Bay Beach Club is a members-only area spanning 40 acres, with “white-sand beaches, and stunning turquoise-blue water,” the website states. Members would have access to a food hall, swim-up bars, a coffee bistro and “fine dining.”

• Plans also call for sun lounges, watersports, beach volleyball, a sports field, pools and a 30,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor fitness center, with pickleball and tennis courts on the second floor.
• There could be up to 1,500 members.

2. Lagoona Village, a 60-plus acre public part of the development, has been compared to Birkdale, given its proposed car-free plaza and outdoor seating. It would comprise four-story condo buildings with restaurants and retail on the first floor. The 300 condos would be around $600,000 and up each.

• This part of the property would also incorporate a six-story, 200-room, tropical-themed hotel with a spa, pool and rooftop bar and 35,000-square-foot convention center.

3. For the residential component there would be:

• 180 two-story beachy-feeling townhouses, going for around $550,000 to $650,000

• 250 single-family homes starting around $900,000
• 432 high-end apartments

By the numbers: The project would create hundreds of jobs and generate more than $16 million per year in property and hotel taxes, according to the developer.

Zoom out: Huntersville is facing major growing pains. Most people move to the area for the feel of the suburbs, but residents often complain about traffic and insufficient infrastructure.

• In 2022, Huntersville’s zip code topped the list of places in the Charlotte area with the most homes under contract within 90 days of listing.
• The town population has jumped from 46,773 to more than 61,000 people since 2010. It’s expected to surpass 100,000 residents over the next two decades, according to town planning documents.

What’s next: Residents will have a chance to voice their thoughts on Lagoona Bay during a hearing Monday night at the Huntersville Recreation Center. The town board is scheduled to vote on the rezoning July 17, although its planning staff has already recommended denial.

• Bi-Part Development wants to break ground on the west side of the site in 2024 and the east side in 2026. That way, the village construction would coincide with the work to widen Sam Furr Road.