What once had been slated to more than a million square feet of warehouse space will be turned into homes and amenities.

Liberty County commissioners approved Laurel View Properties’ rezoning request, turning 209 acres on the north side of Tradeport East from industrial to a planned unit development for residential development. The 209 acres are adjacent to an existing planned unit development, or PUD, and no changes to the existing PUD are forthcoming, said Marian Elaine Smith, representing Laurel View Properties.

The vision for the PUD, Smith told commissioners is to “create a cohesive, mixed-use community which highlights and preserves the existing community’s natural resources and history and provides services, retail and recreation to local and regional residents and interstate travelers.”

As part of the development, there will be public access to bike and walking trails, recreational lakes and ponds, a deep water marina, a dog park and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant playgrounds.

“Very rarely have we found a developer who has planned for bike and walking trails and lakes and ponds that are open to the public,” Chairman Donald Lovette said.

“We want this to be a part of the community and be a community unto itself,” Smith added.

The original plans called for 1.25 million square feet of warehouse on the tract. With the rezoning, the warehouse space will be replaced by approximately 670 homes, of varying types and prices.

Smith said instead of building more warehouses, the PUD’s rezoning will help meet a current housing shortage.

“There is one now,” she said, “and an even larger one projected.”

The developers are working on plans for water and sewer and will do construction in phases. Smith said the homebuilders will put up homes based on the market and the first homes likely will be built in 2026. Builders will do about 150 homes a year and buildout of the tract could take 10 years.

“We want to make sure we are meeting expectations correctly and make sure we are not out in front too much,” she said.

The entire development, between Sunbury Road and Jones Creek, with the Dorchester Shooting Preserve to its east, is more than 1,200 acres and will be home to commercial development too.

The majority, more than 58.6%, is set aside for residential, and 120 acres will become commercial. The total number of developable acres is 838. About 30%, or 386 acres, will be wetlands, and developers will preserve large wetlands areas, Smith noted.

The commercial frontage will include retail stores, restaurants, medical services, grocery and other services.

“It’s just over 1,200 acres and there is room for everybody,” Smith said. “We’re just getting started on commercial. Having rooftops will help and the interstate will bring some in.”

A traffic study by a professional traffic operations engineer will be needed. Two traffic lights, one at the Tradeport East entrance and another at the newly-aligned Dorchester Village Road, are planned for Islands Highway.

The entire value of the PUD at buildout is estimated to be $1.1 billion, with annual property tax revenues of $18.7 million and sales tax proceeds of $11.3 million for the county.

Lovette asked developers to be keep in mind the environment of that area.

“We have to be careful where we build homes in the coastal area and all that comes with that,” he said.