Developer plans ‘Crystal Lagoon’ in Huntersville
Photo courtesy Crystal Lagoons
Oct. 21. By Dave Yochum. Developer Jake Palillo has a total of 270 acres of farmland on Hwy. 73 in Huntersville under contract with tentative plans to build a new-wave resort called Crystal Lagoons.
“This is the newest type of development in the country today,” said Palillo, the developer behind Bailey’s Glen in Cornelius and Symphony Park, which is underway in Huntersville.
The new, as-yet-unnamed project would include commercial, retail and residential components between Hwy. 115 and Mayes Road near Westmoreland Road.
Background
Jake Palillo also owns South Creek Construction
Crystal Lagoons is a Miami-based multinational company that has developed a state-of-the-art technology allowing crystalline lagoons to be built and maintained at very low costs anywhere in the world.
Crystal Lagoons has some 2,000 patents in 190 countries. The environmentally friendly technology uses considerably less chemicals than conventional swimming pool filtration systems. They can use sea, fresh, and even brackish water, which is abundant and has no other use.
“Disney is developing a Crystal Lagoon in Arizona and we want to Huntersville to be the first in North Carolina,” Palillo said.
He did not disclose the expected purchase price for the farm property along Hwy. 73. At 270 acres, it is more than five times larger than Birkdale Village.
New technology
Crystal Lagoons technology can create lagoons of any size in an environmentally sustainable way, while recreating a Caribbean-style environment with clear waters, white sand, and water sports—all open for visitors through an entrance fee. Projects often feature hotels, multifamily residences, retail, restaurants and venues for weddings, conferences and concerts.
Rezoning
Plans for rezoning are in the design phase now, Palillo said. He hopes to start the process with the Town within the next 30 to 60 days.
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This type of development is perfect in places like Kansas or Missouri. Here, in a mild climate with ocean and mountains, let alone Lake Norman, does it make sense? We have water sports. We have clear waters. A Disney-like experience in Huntersville? We know how much a ticket now costs in Orlando. I guess let’s see what happens!
The problem with Lake Norman is that it’s nearly inaccessible unless you live on the lake or have a boat. I wish they would develop more parks and swimming areas on the lake instead, but most of the land is taken up by residence, so probably not an option. This might provide a better option to access water in a different way, so we’ll see!
Lake Norman state park in troutman has camping swimming boating etc.
Hi, my name is Patti Blyler (Patricia), and I worked most of my real estate career at Allen Tate while living at Lake Norman. I retired to Beaufort, NC in 2017. I miss my friends at Allen Tate and friends I have made over the years. The area I live in is called The Crystal Coast and would be delighted to live in The Crystal Lagoon. When plans are approved, I would be interested in making an appt to speak with someone about this project and when it will start. I was one of the first 5 homes in Beau Coast in Beaufort and it was a Great decision! My phone # is 252-342-1237! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to move back to Lake Norman. I don’t always believe everything I hear from other people. I never gave false representation the entire time I was a Broker at Lake Norman and before. Please contact me when it is a convenient time.
Please remove my message from this log. I posted this on a private site and did not want it to be shared with the public. Please remove from the public site!
I’m with you. And when they do open the lake it it’s so limited. I love this idea 💡
When do they close the lake?
Maybe some have the impression the Lake’s Hours are strictly 9-5 barring holidays.
And that is a GOOD thing. There are already too many of those renting boats who have no idea how to operate one safely. Many of those that live on the lake don’t obey, or know, boating rules. Build your park… let people go there and stay off the lake. But for once, prepare the surrounding infrastructure first.
Maybe a park not a theme park – we have a new rec park with. Great swimming pool for kids
Jim Vogel. Where in Lake Norman do you think there are clear waters? Also, there definitely has to be a very good long term traffic plan in place.
The lake looks very pretty to me and until there is a traffic plan, I am not supportive. I only speak for myself, Scotty.
There is boating and fishing on Lake Norman of course, however I wouldn’t say Lake Norman has clear water, in fact far from it, especially the Northern section where the Steam Plant is located. And when there is runoff from storms. I think a place with clear water and white sandy beaches would be very welcome. Add to that food concessions, hotels, etc.. I know I would visit and bring family and friends. However if its going to be expensive it probably won’t do well. Hopefully they won’t price themselves out of business.
I forgot to add, please, please, have a plan for road widening and easy access. If there is no traffic plan for this, it will become just another traffic nightmare to get to, and will never make it.
I would love to have this come to our Huntersville neighborhood but they have to take the Hwy 73 buildment into consideration for the new incoming traffic plus the clustered traffic as presumes as of today.
Dear God, PLEASE STOP BUILDING in Huntersville until the infrastructure is in place to support traffic.
Aren’t there water supply problems east of the railroad tracks? Not sure how they will fill this thing.
During the Renaissance event, new Publix and new senior living homes, can you imagine the traffic on 73? I certainly trust the developer has a traffic plan
All for more thing to do in and near Charlotte as it is still lacking activities and culture.
A major issue is infrastructure. The roads must be improved prior to development. This will allow for the development construction to move faster along with not frustrating your potential customers.
The traffic plan around here seems to be, “we don’t see a problem.”
AMEN!!! Too much traffic now on Hwy.73.
Traffic plans is the last thing on the mind of any county in the Charlotte area
Mr.Bruce:
What too many locals misunderstand about local “county roads” in North Carolina is that they are all “STATE” roads. There is no county road commission with local county road commissioners. You want roads fixed?
Call Raleigh. Need wider roads? Call Raleigh.
We have no local representation to improve transportation infrastructure. This worked well 80-100 years ago. Now it’s just a cash grab (tax) for those of the NCDOT. Please tell me I’m misguided or wrong? Just sayin’.
Oh yeah those senior living centers cause so much traffic. No one even has a car. Only traffic is delivery and visitation. Go find something else to blame. You would come off so wrong at a hearing
Water supply issues are correct. I think this is a terrible idea and a huge waste of money. The roads are already over crowded and this would only add to more traffic issues. Besides unless it is heated all year round, it’ll Only be unused 7 months out of the year.
Last time I checked we have a huge lake that has parks that have beaches and are free.
I’m excited for this! It’s sad that with all the Lake Norman coastline, we have practically no public beach access. The few public beaches on Lake Norman are typically closed for swimming ☹️.
iredell county perfect place for crystal lagoon
Huntersville isn’t Iredell that would be Mecklenburg.
And AGAIN, not a single word about impact to traffic with no mention of any road widening. We need this like another apartment complex. Can’t wait to move out of this area.
This is outrageous! This type of development does not belong in Huntersville. Huntersville has a suburban/rural feel to it. You can still see farms and open space which provides a more relaxed atmosphere. When there is unrestricted zoning laws such as in the case with the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area,then almost anything can pop up. How much has to be sacrificed for the sake of progress?
Bring it on, people will come attract businesses to use facility I’ve been in Huntersville NC 22 years land gets passed down and sold don’t blame them for saling if people don’t like it move back where you come from
I’d like to hear more about this new technology that can create this project in an “environmentally sustainable way.” Just saying it’s “environmentally friendly” doesn’t make it so.
You can very easily google search this…
I definitely support it the area can certainly use more attractions congratulations and please bring more forward thinking to the area!
The next Planning Board Meeting is Tuesday October 25 at 6:30 pm. Town Hall 101 Huntersville-Concord Road. If you live in the area, you might want to attend.
All that farmland buried for a nothing not needed environmental destructive waste of land.
That was the worst run on sentence, I’ve ever seen in my 42 years of living!
You could offer more to buy it.
I sure hope this does happen. If it will turn out like the image in the article then that would be amazing.
You can’t even begin to compare that to Lake Norman.
It would be nice to have such an oasis / beach like area near Charlotte. Upside less travel time.
Wonderful article and very welcome news. This area sorely needs an attraction with something more to do besides boring Birkdale Village and disappointing “Langtree at the Lake”. Everyone knows LKN is a private lake, all things considered. Traffic will get worked out. Westmoreland will get its own Exit. Bring it on!
Man, if I thought I couldn’t afford rent here as it is! :)
Can’t wait!!!!!! I’m from Miami just moved to this area!!! This is identical to the one in Tampa Florida and it is a great time !!!!!
Same here, this would be great for those who are not near the lake or have access to a pool.
Sounds neat but what about the traffic. People complained heavily about renn fest…. It lasts for not even 2 months on the weekends only. This will be open daily year round.
Birkdale traffic is horrible and while hwy 73 has a 55mph speed limit I am regularly caught behind people doing 30-35mph.
And just what does the town plan to do about the existing bumper to bumper traffic?
This is an absurd project. There are plenty of water sports on the lake and the Whitewater center is not that far from here.
Town officials have no consideration or forethought about its citizens and their day to day life. SAD
Exactly this!! This would be more fitting in Concord, where similar attractions exist, and where they are used to handling large crowds (like at NASCAR races). Huntersville traffic is already unmanageable (and becoming worse with every high-density project that is approved). Our infrastructure is stretched to the limit. The quality of life in Huntersville has gone down drastically in the 17 years we have lived here because of poor approvals by the town planning board, and this would just continue that trend.
Hope this does happen! Looks amazing!
This is a terrible idea.. This area already has significant traffic issues. Mayes Rd has dangerous access to art 115 due to the railway track elevation. The only reasonable access from the north is Bailey Rd past two schools where traffic already gridlocks twice daily. I can’t imagine the residents of what is an expensive 55+ community tolerating the noise and congestion such an attraction would create (think Renaissance Fair). Would be even worse for residents of the new assisted living facility.
Ridiculous,town governance in this town has never paid attention to planning look at the mess they created with I77,
Birkdale,Centertown the list goes on, plan for traffic first then plan your growth, every single person on that board has blinders on, and indifferent to their tax pairs.
MedinaDaSilva
I’ll help ya all out first of all west north Carolina is never about change always stuck in the past that’s why jobs only come in factories that barely pay and traffic yes you all should be worried about traffic because y’all can’t drive anyways so what’s it gonna hurt to have something new in an area of nothing
Money pits and environmental catastrophes. Yes of course we need more. Why must all land be developed these days? And right besides one of the biggest bodies of water that is lake Norman… what a joke. Be prepared for broken water lines and sewage issues and all other problems that come with quick modern construction.
Build. Then build 5 more things. Then build 2
More things. Rinse and repeat.
Give me as much attraction to the area as possible. People grasping for farm-life when this area hasn’t been that in decades are ridiculous. You want a farm, go to the mountains and find one there.
Stop trying to keep people’s surrounding stagnant.
As a builder, Huntersville is the wrong location. A suburb community like Huntersville, or Cornelius, Davidson ,Denver and the like is supposed to be our oasis away from “Main Stream” destination facilities. If I wat to go to a ballgame, I go to Charlotte, if I want to go to a race, I go to Concord, if I want quiet living where my kids can laugh and play, I’m home in Cornelius. We lived in Florida when Disney was developed… now 50 years later the quiet bedroom communities surrounding are strip malls, parking lots and fast food joints.
Jake this is the wrong location for this!
I agree. A suburban community is not the spot for this. Hopefully the towns will look at what is best for the community and not just look at dollar signs as this would require rezoning. Our community must stand up and attend the meetings and show our disapproval and let the zoning board know. Write a letter to your local town zoning/planning board found on your towns website.
Looks like a cool project. Thing is, all these “projects” cost $. It’s all this pay-play business. It’s just going to be another attraction that is tough to get to, costs too much and tough to get out of.
The greater Charlotte area is growing way too fast!!! Start building the roads out. Get the widening roads projects done. Then bring in the projects.
Infrastructure first.
I think it’s a cool idea and would like it if I lived there as a community amenity but not as a paid attraction.
I hope this happen, cause it would be nice for kids in summertime….i hope this project happen in my area!!!😍📏🖊✏📚📐
I think this is a great idea for Huntersville. If environmentally sustainable and the right balance of commercial vs. residential, it could be a huge win for the area. If the area is currently farmland it will be sold to a developer eventually to build a new subdivision with higher density so you’re going to get traffic anyway. The right balance of commercial can bring higher rateables, less demand on schools, police and fire which should mean lower local taxes.
Here’s the secret. There is no secret anymore. People are coming here from the south, north, east and west for the same reasons we all came. Traffic sucks and infrastructure projects will be going on for the next 30 years. The Charlotte Region is desirable and north Mecklenburg will lead the way. Count your blessings or move to Idaho.
Wow…..let’s keep developing along Hwy 73 and not widen the road first. Dumb planners. Ya’all need to be drug tested.
Complaining about town planning board not planning the widening of NC-73(a state hwy) shows your ignorance on the subject. That has to be done by NCDOT in Raleigh.
I don’t go in that area now because of the traffic. Sure won’t go once it is built.
We own a farm approx 100 acres. My daughter is the 5th generation farming. We do not intend to sell, but with beef calves the same price they were 10 years ago we maybe forced to sell one day too.
While it sounds like a great water park, we desperately need road improvements! I live on Mayes Road and it is nearly impossible to turn onto 115 or onto 73 already. Traffic is a nightmare. They are already over developing Mayes Road with houses. We need better, wider roads!
Great idea awesome. We need better things to entertain ourselves around North Carolina
I’ve lived here 21 years and it that time neither highway 21/115/73 have been widened as the traffic gets worse by the day. I’m all for growth but widened the roads traffic is so bad I don’t even go near birkdale anymore it takes 15 minutes to get from highway 21 to the entrance to birkdale.
This sounds and looks amazing!!! This area is so quiet and needs more to do. Something like this without having to travel far is ideal. I’m from upstate NY so the traffic here is nothing like we had back home. Not sure why ppl are complaining about the traffic. I barely notice any even in Uptown Charlotte!
Excited to see this underway.. I think it will benefit the economy too and provide more jobs.
Love this idea. Lake Norman it’s just too dirty and never open.
So sad, if you want to live in a big city, move to a big city. Congestion, traffic, over crowded schools,no quality of life,increased taxes and highly impacted environmental issues not even addressed for the surrounded area. Where is good common sense ?
At least he’s not building 2000 apartments or houses.
This looks beautiful. I wonder how the sand will be white, the water blue, and what will be done to circulate the water and keep it from stagnation? Perhaps a shuttle bus service can be arranged for visitors. It looks fantastic.
Very ridiculous. If I want clear water and white sandy beaches I’m going to the Bahamas or Florida, not Huntersville! Lol
Would be an epic fail in this type of area (something you might try once and that is it). This developer/investor is very inexperienced and not smart
does anyone know where this plot of land is in Huntersville? close to I-85??
It’s on both sides of Hwy. 73 between Hwy 115 and Mayes.
Sounds like a wonderful idea! But would love to keep a natural scene instead of a bunch of hotels and a commercial buildings. Maybe do camping / RV options to 🤷♀️. Keep things as natural as possible while having a nice park.
To all the people complaining about the Traffic on NC73, it’s a state highway controlled by NCDOT in Raleigh. Your complaints should be directed to them. For those who want it to remain farmland, please go offer the Westmoreland’s more than the 20 something million that Mr Palillo is offering and you can keep it as farmland. This has been happening in Huntersville for more than 20 years. The house you live in was probably part of a family farm at some point, purchased by a developer and sold to you.