Lagoon Community Coming to Hernando

The Lake Hideaway Community Development District is a “lagoon community” that is currently in the planning phases and is being undertaken by the Metro Development Group. The 872-acre master-planned community will be built in the Weeki Wachee area south of Hexam Road, west of Sunshine Grove Road and the Suncoast Parkway, north of Bourassa Boulevard, and east of US 19 in early 2026.

According to B2 Communications PR Director Shannon Burch, the lagoon is set to contain 2,875 single-family and townhomes and will feature additional space for parks and amenities such as “tot lots” and dog parks. The extra real estate will bring the parcel acreage to 896, which was approved in a revision of the Master Development Plan from the Board of County Commissioners on February 8, 2022.

“Lake Hideaway will be a MetroPlaces Lagoon Community with the resort-style amenities that Metro is known for, like a Lagoon, walking trails, and best-in-class ULTRAFi internet service,” said Lisa Gibbings, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Metro Development Group.

While work on various amenities is expected to begin sometime in the opening months of 2026, the final plans for the lagoon community are still in flux. The company predicts they will turn over lots to builders in the first six months of 2025 to allow for sales to begin and for model homes to open later in the year as well. Additional statistics about what may be developed were provided by Hernando County Government Public Information Officer Dominique Holmes:

• 3,700 residential dwelling units (2,400 single-family homes, 644 townhouses, and 656 senior adult attached homes). As specified earlier, Metro opted for a more modest number of homes.
• 5,000 square feet of commercial use on US 19.
• 25,000 square feet of commercial and 150,000 square feet of office use on the portion of the project that is accessed at Hexam Road.
• A Lagoon active recreational water amenity consisting of entertainment, food and beverage, passive and active recreation, health club, spa, and event venue.
• The dedication of one acre for public safety
• The dedication of six acres for a charter school
• The preservation of natural landscaped buffers and the creation of passive recreational uses, including picnic tables, hiking, walking, and pedestrian trails, among other things.

MetroLagoons currently has three such locations in Florida, including Epperson Lagoon in Wesley Chapel, Mirada in San Antonio, and Southshore Bay in Wimauma. Lake Hideaway is not the only lagoon community planned for development either. The others are Brightwater Lagoon in Fort Meyers, Angeline in Land O’ Lakes, and Seaire in Parrish, Florida.

Founded in Tampa in 2003, Metro Development Group’s website boasts that the business is responsible for building the first “inland Lagoon” in the United States. Metro also pushes the idea of offering groundbreaking amenities with “exceptional homes” to help their residents live as pleasantly as possible. The company has received a variety of awards to back up these claims including the Cornerstone Award for Visionary Leadership from the Broadband Communities Summit, as well as the Best Plan Award from the American Planning Association FL. Metro has developed over 40,000 lots across 70-plus communities.