The $42 million project brings sports, recreation, green space and a full-service library together as the final site in a countywide park initiative.
St. Johns County has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $42 million Ponte Vedra Nocatee Regional Park and Nocatee Library, a project designed to combine outdoor recreation with a full-service public library. The ceremonial event took place on May 1, 2026, for the future facility at 670 Diego Plains Road in Nocatee. The project matters within the county’s broader effort to expand public spaces while linking sports, leisure and educational services in one community setting.
The development was formally named after beginning as Northeast Community Park and Library. District 3 Commissioner and Board of County Commissioners Chair Clay Murphy, District 4 Commissioner Krista Joseph, District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst and District 5 Commissioner and Vice Chair Ann Taylor attended the ceremony with county administrators, staff and area residents. Murphy said the project was made possible through a partnership with the Davis family and the PARC Group, which donated the land.
Once completed, the site is set to include two multipurpose fields, four softball fields, six pickleball courts, a playground and the full-service library. County Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Kane described the intended setting as a place where residents could play ball, participate in or watch activities, use the library, or walk through and enjoy green space. The St. Johns County Public Library System said the project would balance traditional educational and leisure services with the county’s continuing modernisation.
Ponte Vedra Nocatee Regional Park and Nocatee Library is the fourth and final site in a countywide regional park initiative. The first two locations, Silverleaf Sportsplex and Shearwater Community Park and Library, broke ground simultaneously in June 2025, while Greenbriar Park and Library broke ground on March 10, 2026. The release said the initiative is intended to expand St. Johns County’s public spaces as its population grows.
The project places a library alongside fields, courts and playground space rather than treating those uses as separate civic investments. County Administrator Joy Andrews said parks and libraries are central to strong communities and that the investments support residents’ well-being while helping families connect, learn and thrive. For St. Johns County, the Nocatee project therefore represents the completion of a four-site plan and a combined model for future community facilities.
