EDEN Living BTR Community Debuts in Jacksonville

EDEN Living has delivered a Class A build-to-rent community in Jacksonville. Leasing and move-ins at the property, EDEN at Kendall West, are already underway. The community, which offers 265 residences, is located at 9105 Tredinick Parkway and represents EDEN Living’s first community in Jacksonville.

It comprises 193 single-story, cluster apartment homes and 72 two-story townhouses. Each unit has a private backyard, with the townhomes also including private garages.

The one-, two- and three-bedroom units range in size from approximately 700 to 1,300 square feet. Community features include a clubhouse, fitness center, resort-style pool, dog grooming station and dog park, walking trails and club room.

Jacksonville has the largest market by population in the southeastern U.S. and its continued growth creates intense demand for Class A rental options, the company said in a prepared statement.

“Jacksonville has emerged as a major player in the booming build-to-rent market,” Marcia Kaufman, CEO of Bayport Funding, told Multi-Housing News. “The city’s impressive growth in this sector, with nearly 1,840 single-family homes for rent currently under construction, demonstrates its appeal to both residents and investors.”

That trend “aligns perfectly with national figures showing a surge in build-to-rent development, particularly in Sun Belt locations,” said Kaufman. “Bayport Funding is an active player in Jacksonville’s dynamic housing market and believes the build-to-rent sector offers tremendous opportunities for the future.”

Bustling metro

“NexMetro is focused on the Central Florida market and currently has sites in escrow and development in Tampa and Orlando,” Jacque Petroulakis, chief communications officer for NexMetro Communities, told MHN. “We are not a growth for growth’s sake company, but rather strategic in entering markets where we know we can execute with excellence and serve market demand. We see great opportunity and demand in this region.”

EDEN Living is also nearing completion of EDEN at Heritage Lakes in West Melbourne, Fla., and EDEN Magnolia Village in Wildwood, Fla. Leasing is underway at both communities. EDEN has another 1,000-plus units in its Florida development pipeline. The company is actively seeking new development sites between 10 acres and 30 acres throughout its target markets.

The successful execution of this deal is a testament to EDEN’s development experience, JLL Managing Director Max La Cava said.

“The build-to-rent sector in Florida is, generally speaking, performing very well; the product type offers residents a wonderful value-driven alternative to purchasing a home at the current sky-high prices,” said La Cava.

ARK Homes For Rent is another active player in Jacksonville with two communities in the metro, a single-family rental community Settlers Preserve and the neighboring Kaeleigh’s Crossing, a BTR community.

“Since the success of ARK Homes For Rent’s at Settlers Preserve, and later with Kaeleigh’s Crossing, which opened for leasing in the fall of 2023, we’ve seen a significant positive impact on the market, which had a very limited housing supply,” Jordan Kavana, founder and chairman of ARK Homes For Rent, told MHN. “We’ve been able to deliver affordable luxury with a strong sense of community to Jacksonville, and we hope to build on that success and that others will join us in providing much-needed homes to this diverse and vibrant neighborhood.”