Douglas Davis has 30+ years of experience in the residential and commercial real estate and construction industry. During this time, he has developed a unique skill set, which enables him a deep understanding of all aspects of real-estate development, having been intimately involved in each part of the project life cycle: debt/equity procurement, land acquisition, development concept planning and visioning, construction, development, home building and disposition.
Over the last decade, Davis has led efforts to successfully raise over a quarter of a Billion Dollars to purchase over 20,000 acres of land in FL and GA and, over this same time, he would permit nearly ten thousand residential single and multi-family lots and millions of square feet of commercial, light industrial and retail. Most has now been sold as: unimproved, entitled land; fully constructed and developed finished residential lots and commercial pads; and/or currently being held as investment.
Davis’ corporate experience has included evaluation of new business ventures, strategic visioning, debt and equity capital raise efforts, industry PR, leadership of hundreds of employees, consultants, and contractors – also including food and beverage, resort and hospitality operations.
Within individual partnerships and projects, Davis has created and implemented planning and development concepts from ground up, to maximize land values, while: considering political, market and regulatory forces; negotiating complex development/concurrency agreements, such as transportation, utilities, schools, etc.; formation and management of community associations and architectural review boards; and working with local, regional and national Builders to negotiate intricate terms and conditions for both bulk land and lot disposition. And, for the latter, where it was not appropriate to utilize outside builders, Davis created his own home building and brokerage ventures.
Davis maintains excellent relationships with all his Capital/Venture Partners, and they remain loyal, such that many continue to invest in additional projects after many years of success.
Consequently, Davis’ expertise and experience has grown to be recognized by peers, governing authorities, and trade groups as one of the top developers in the conservation real estate development industry. Doug has been invited to sit on many Development, Industry and College Boards; and he is often solicited as a speaker or panelist for events surrounding Low Impact Development, Sustainable Industry Practices and Coastal Resiliency. In 2018, Davis was invited to Washington DC to testify before the Congress of the United States Subcommittee on Interior, Energy and Environment and, then again, in 2020, Doug was invited back to testify before the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, all related to his work to conservation and environmental development.
Douglas and his wife, Angela, have four children and live in St. Augustine, Florida. Davis serves on many civic and community organizations.
Representative Projects:
The Farm at Okefenokee
“The Farm” is a 705-acre working, Regenerative farm, which is currently becoming home to a revolutionary eco-village planned and comprised of 250 Sustainably built Cabins, Community Spaces, Spa, Lodge, Retail and Hospitality. With all the natural beauty, the activities and programming will focus on health, wellness, and education. Additionally, there will be trails, lakes, animals, and endless gardens, greenhouses, fruits and vegetables, which owners and visitors can participate in the harvesting and utilization of ingredients through cooking classes, prepared meals, and community gatherings.
Even more, The Farm is located near the entrance to the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, which is one of the world’s largest freshwater peat-marshes. Because of its beauty and size, the Refuge has recently become a pending Unesco World Heritage Site. There, members of the Farm will have access to trails, boat cruises, canoeing, kayaking, and education.
Palencia
A 1,400-acre golf course and upscale residential and commercial community on the Intracoastal Waterway in Northeast Florida. The development, completed in partnership with Gerald Hines, one of the largest private real estate firms in the world, consists of more than $42 million in amenity features alone, including a golf course and clubhouse, two state-of-the-art swim and fitness centers, tennis club and courts, Intracoastal boardwalk, and Village Green. Palencia has been recognized as one of the finest residential communities in the Southeastern United States.
Doug began working on the planning and permitting for this project back in the late 1990s and by early 2000, he led the project design, construction, development and permitting process for nearly a decade. Davis was responsible for the construction and development of the infrastructure for nearly 1,000 lots, parks, amenities, and the golf course. He also was intimately involved in raising of approximately $50mm in CDD Bonds.
Although this project is now fully built out, his family and he remain not only current residents but, quite possibly, one of the longest residing residents, having been there for nearly 20 years.
The Serenata Beach Club
A full service, $15+ million oceanfront private beach club with restaurant, banquet facilities, children and adult pools, workout facilities, locker rooms and full-time social programming. With over 1,000 members, it is the centerpiece of a 290-unit, 50-acre upscale condominium community that faces both the beachfront and the Intracoastal marshes, much of which Davis has managed and operated over the last decade.
St. Marks Pond Mitigation Bank
A 1,600-acre tract, which Davis began back in the mid-2000s. The project thesis included placing most of the land into conservation to create one of the most valuable Mitigation Banks in the State (this is defined by its ecological value and monetary value). It’s located in the heart of St. Johns County – a heavy growth corridor, located between Palencia, World Golf Village, and Ponte Vedra. Through conservation efforts and partnering with the SJRWMD (via their Six-Mile Swamp project), Davis provided significant protection to the local watershed and diverse wildlife habitat. He was also able to integrate commercial development into the plan in a way that enhanced the value, while ensuring perpetual protection for the surrounding environment.
Waterways
Located just outside of Savannah, Georgia, this 2,300-acre conservation-based community is nestled into the natural landform. Davis designed and permitted it for 3,300 residential units (over 2,300 acres) but you would never know it due to the careful attention to conservation corridors, buffers, and thoughtful site planning. Planned outdoor pursuits include the Bill Dance fishing experience, bird watching, extensive hiking and kayaking trails, several miles of interconnected lakes, and over six miles of spectacular Oak Hammock waterfront along the Ogeechee River. Additionally, Davis negotiated access to the Atlantic Ocean through the 200-slip marina and pier, which took about five years to coordinate with the River Keeper, DEP, and Army Corp of Engineers.
Much of the original capital was placed by existing Capital Partners; however, just a few years ago, Davis was able to raise an additional $40mm in debt, which enabled the Marina and many other major amenities to be developed.
Wilson Green Holdings
Wilson Green was an acquisition that Doug lead during the mid-2000s. Together with Greenfield, the partnership deployed over $120mm to purchase the land, complete the surveys and plan/design the full development. The holdings were comprised of nearly 20,000-acres existing largely in St. Johns, with portions extending into northern Flagler County. Through partnerships he developed with public and private conservation-based planning and regulatory organizations, he was able to have the critical land designated as a “keystone” connector, which created vast corridors that perpetuate the movement of wildlife and biological resources from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ocala and Osceola National Forests. Much of his work included the restoration to native Florida landscapes of longleaf pine and less dense forests as well as the reintroduction of pre-silviculture hydrologic conditions.
And, on the holdings that were not placed under conservation, Davis planned and partially permitted over 10,000 residential units and millions of square feet of commercial, retail and industrial real estate by creating two Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs): Old Brick Township and Old Kings Township. Each of the projects were designed as mixed-use, conservation-based development with significant preservation and restoration.
Prior to construction and development of the residential and commercial development, Davis marketed and sold the land to other developers and kept the Mitigation Bank, which he still an Owner in today.
Restoration
This project is located along Interstate 95 and is designed to create a mixed-use, transit oriented, sustainable new town on lands that were previously neglected and significantly altered from their original ecological state. The goal of Restoration is to promote the preservation, restoration and enhancement of open space and environmental systems while at the same time creating a viable, functional, transit-oriented new community that employs quality architecture and New Urbanist principles, ensuring that the built environment integrates into, and works seamlessly with, the natural environment.
This was a unique project. Typically, Davis has been involved with projects from “ground up” planning, permitting, construction, development, and sales. For Restoration, however, the Owners needed someone to help them complete the planning and permitting because of the many design, permitting and developing complexities. Davis’ work began in 2014 and by 2018, Davis had “turned the project around” to the point that he was able to help the Partnership market and sell the community.
Many other Representative Projects Davis has been or currently is instrumentally involved:
- Current Master Developer for World Golf Village (SJ and IT Land Co’s), St. Augustine, Florida
- Vicars Landing at Oak Bridge, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Redevelopment of Golf Course into Multi-family)
- Parkland Preserve, St. Augustine, Florida
- Southeast Regional Medical Facility, Brunswick, Georgia
- Fishtail Swamp Mitigation Bank, Northeast Florida
- Brick Road Mitigation Bank, Northeast Florida