Developer's Pasco water world is largest man-made lagoon in US

Metro Development Group has gone from first to largest — at least when it comes to lagoons. 

On the latter, the Tampa-based firm, which specializes in master-planned communities, officially opened a lagoon in Mirada, in Pasco County, in June. At 15 acres, the company says it’s the largest man-made lagoon in the country. The Mirada Lagoon follows two others the company has built, including the first one ever in the country, which opened in 2018 in Epperson, also in Pasco. 

The lagoons, company officials say in a statement, give residents “the opportunity to live a coastal lifestyle in the suburbs of Pasco County,” with “shoreline areas that provide ample space for lounging, events and entertainment.”

The lagoon amenity has also proven to be a good lure for homebuyers. The majority of new residents named the lagoon as a leading reason they picked Mirada for their new home, the release states, coming from markets such as New York, Chicago and Atlanta. (Other amenities at Mirada, a 2,000-acre master-planned community, include trails, dog parks, playgrounds and ULTRAFi internet connectivity.) 

Mirada has sold more than 1,200 homes since launching sales in 2020. When built out, the community will have approximately 4,500 homes, with prices ranging from the high $200s to nearly $1 million. Builders include Lennar, D.R. Horton, Biscayne, LGI Homes, Maronda Homes and Homes by WestBay.

“We continue to see significant interest and demand in our Lagoon communities,” Metro Development Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications Vaike O’Grady says in the statement. “They offer a unique Florida lifestyle to residents, an incredible waterside experience for visitors, and contribute to the county’s vitality and economic growth.”

An entity named MetroLagoons runs the lagoons’ day-to-day operations. In doing so, the company says it’s sustainable and environmentally friendly, limiting the use of water and energy. Lagoons use up to 100 times fewer chemical products and 50 times less energy than traditional swimming pools, the company says. Lagoons also “consume only 2% of the energy needed by conventional filtration systems, fully comply with the most stringent water quality standards and consume up to 30 times less water than a typical 18-hole golf course,” the release states. 

Metro is introducing other amenities in its communities. A big one is a farm, being developed in Agneline, a wellness and sustainability-themed community Metro is developing with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer & Research Institute, among other partners, in Land O’ Lakes. And the company has other lagoon communities in various phases of planning and development, including Angeline; Seaire in Manatee County; and new communities being planned in Duval County and Osceola County.