In 1980, J.J. Sehlke played junior golf at the Coral Ridge Country Club. Today, he’s the managing partner of it.
After hurricanes Katrina and Wilma destroyed properties at the country club a decade ago, Sehlke and his team have spent a long time working with the entire community on the redevelopment of the new single-family homes in Coral Ridge.
“It’s been a long project for good reason,” Sehlke says. “We’ve worked with residents and stakeholders to build consensus on what would add value, increase property value and increase the visibility of CRCC for years to come.”
The Enclave at Coral Ridge Country Club is now home sites behind the project’s retail side – shops that include the new Fresh Market at 3820 N. Federal Hwy. A new city park also graces in the area. It all lies on the site of the old American Golfers Club, a public golf course that closed after Wilma damage in 2005, not long after the country club acquired the property.
“We’re almost 30 percent sold out,” Sehlke says of the home sites. “Coral Ridge is a desirable area.”
And specifically the CRCC. The course was designed and founded in 1954 by Robert Trent Jones, a world-renowned golf course architect. In 2015, the country club opened a new Par-3 course, the Rees 9, designed by Jones’ son Rees, also a famed golf course architect. The home sites are just part of the new developments.
Adrienne Zalkind, vice president of marketing for Stiles — the real estate firm spearheading The Enclave Shops at Coral Ridge — says the area was the last piece of land that was available in Coral Ridge and east of Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. The Enclave Shops just opened up with their first tenant, The Fresh Market.
“We have a lot of very good relationships with national-quality tenants,” Zalkind says. “Because of those relationships, we were able to get a tenant like The Fresh Market.”
And The Fresh Market is excited about its recent opening at The Enclave Shops. Stephanie Lowder, public relations manager for The Fresh Market, says it’s the community that brought them back to the area. “We are always on the lookout for markets where shoppers have a passion for great food like we do, and Fort Lauderdale is just such a place,” Lowder says. “We’ve seen great success in this community with our other location on Federal Highway, and we look forward to continuing to provide residents here with The Fresh Market’s unique shopping experience.”
Stiles’ vice president of realty, Mike Carpenter, says only two shopping bays remain available. Posh Nails is slated to open later this year while SunTrust Bank plans for an opening early next year.
“The center benefits from a high-quality lead anchor as well as an excellent location in the affluent neighborhood of Coral Ridge, not to mention its direct frontage on US 1,” Carpenter said in a press release from Stiles about the completion of the shops in June. “In addition to the leases we have already secured, we are in active discussions for the last two bays with multiple users, including high-end hair salons, eco-friendly dry clean drop stores and jewelry stores.”
Stiles developed the project in partnership with longtime local businessman Phil Smith. Smith is the majority owner of the country club while J.J. Sehlke and his team are also part of the partnership.
Right behind the shops sits Mangurian Park, the new park that was built in conjunction with the home sites and shops. The public park had its ribbon-cutting in early June.
“One of the things we look at during these projects is what kind of amenities are lacking in the area. We thought it would be nice to have some park space,” Fort Lauderdale city manager Lee Feldman says. “It has playground equipment and a walking path — just a place for people to enjoy some green space, get some exercise.”
Aside from the playground and walking path, the park has a bike rack and fitness equipment. Sehlke says the park adds value to the community.
“Residents wanted a passive park that they could walk through and enjoy,” he says.
But the benefits of living so close to Federal Highway don’t stop at the park. “If you’re living there, you could drive your golf cart right up to The Fresh Market to get your groceries,” Sehlke laughs. “Having beautiful high-end, gourmet retail up front adds value not only to Coral Ridge but also The Enclave.”
While only home sites for now, The Enclave at CRCC will be gated with round-the-clock security. Since home sites are being sold, buyers have the freedom of building whatever they’d like.
“The home sites are very large. Even small ones are large,” Sehlke says. “We give you the luxury of building exactly what you want. It’s been almost 30 years since there has been a new gated community in east Lauderdale.”
Sites range from just over 18,000 square feet to nearly 50,000 square feet – more than an acre of land. Sehlke and his team began releasing sites in April through a “friends and family” program. In June, it was opened up to the public at large. Since April, three home sites have closed while nine are currently under contract. There are only 36 total, starting from $785,000.
Sehlke says there are a lot of appealing amenities about Fort Lauderdale that keep people coming back.
“We have great schools and transportation and the waterway, but we got to have some recreational items,” he says. “We have a great golf course and to have an amenity like that is important. It makes Fort Lauderdale more attractive. We want people to fall in love with swimming, tennis and golf in the community.”
