‘You feel like you’re on vacation’: Jacksonville’s first lagoon community breaks ground on Westside

A beach getaway without leaving the neighborhood — that’s the vision behind a new lagoon community breaking ground in Jacksonville. And for residents of the Westside, it could mean a resort-style experience right in their own backyard.“You really do feel like you’re in a resort. Like you’ve taken a vacation when you’re really in the backyard of your own neighborhood,” said Lisa Gibbings of Metro Development Group.What’s being builtMetro Development Group broke ground on the 17-acre Diamond Springs Lagoon, a new centerpiece for a master planned community off Normandy Boulevard near Cecil Airport. It will be the first lagoon community in Duval County.At the heart of the development is a 4-acre lagoon designed to bring the beach experience closer to home, with swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and even a swim-up bar.Plans also include a floating obstacle course, a children’s splash pad, volleyball, bumper carts, food trucks and spaces for community events.How much water does it take?With