ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A judge has ruled that World Golf Village must stay as it is.
St. Johns County Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith ruled in favor of master developer IT Land Associates LLC, upholding use restrictions on the property through 2046. That means the former home of the World Golf Hall of Fame cannot be freely sold or redeveloped — yet.
The Hall of Fame closed in 2023, and the property has sat largely dormant since.
“It is literally a ghost town,” said Kerry Naione, who lives in the area.
What the ruling means
The use restrictions limit the property to golf, entertainment and ancillary uses only — meaning no other type of redevelopment is permitted under the current covenant.
The court concluded the covenant continues to provide a substantial legal benefit to IT Land Associates, and that economic underperformance and the closure of the Hall of Fame do not constitute the type of changed circumstances required to invalidate a deed restriction.
World Golf Foundation CEO Greg McLaughlin said the community is paying the price.
“The Hall of Fame’s been closed for three years. PGA Tour Entertainment building’s closed two years,” McLaughlin said. “I think the real loss, sadly, out there is going to be what’s happening to the community.”
The foundation now has 15 days from the ruling to request a rehearing and 30 days to file an appeal. McLaughlin said the foundation is evaluating what makes sense for them.
What the county says
The county says there is still a possible path forward. St. Johns County released a statement outlining what the ruling means and what could come next:
“Now that the legal question appears to be resolved, the outstanding issue is what are the options for World Golf Foundation and the other parties which own property subject to the 50-year use restriction, including the county’s Hall of Fame and IMAX property. Administration has been advised that one of the affected property owners intends to acquire the remaining World Golf Village DRI development rights from IT Land Associates, which would include the right to terminate the deed restriction. If and when that occurs, the next step would be to negotiate with the other affected property owners to reach an agreement that would extinguish the deed restriction. Any proposed agreement including the county is subject to Board approval. Once the deed restriction is terminated, the properties can be sold free and clear of the use restriction. It is anticipated the timeline for this process will move quickly and, if successful, it’s possible the county could receive a redevelopment proposal soon — in the next 45 to 60 days.”
What could come next
McLaughlin isn’t convinced a deal is close.
“I think that’s fanciful. I mean, we’ve been in discussion with all of the parties, as I said, off and on for three or four years, and there’s been absolutely no substantive discussion,” he said.
In the meantime, taxpayers are footing the bill to maintain the property. St. Johns County owns the IMAX theater and Hall of Fame building, while the World Golf Foundation owns the remaining 36.7 acres, including the former PGA Tour Productions building.
Residents, meanwhile, say they’re ready for something new.
“This little path all the circle around, they should be able to do like arts and crafts and different kinds of food trucks and things like that,” said Maria Mullan, who lives in the area.
The county says if a deal comes together, residents could see a redevelopment proposal within the next 45 to 60 days.