NAIOP from US: “Crystal Lagoons, A Unique Water Feature for Any Climate, Any City”

3 January, 2020 / News

Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP), one of North America’s largest, most prestigious and valuable commercial real estate organizations, defined Crystal Lagoons® as “a unique water feature for any climate, any city” in the latest issue of its magazine. This is a new recognition of the added value of this technological innovation, which has already been distinguished throughout the world.

According to the article, developers are going to extreme lengths to create unique destinations. In what some have termed an “amenities arms race,” features like indoor gyms, swimming pools, movie theaters and resident lounges are no longer enough to distinguish one development from another.

“Crystal Lagoons’ contribution to this trend is unique: beachfront property anywhere in the world. The company’s artificial lagoons are large, irregularly shaped bodies of water offering acres of water for swimming, water sports, swim-up bars and floating stages”, explains the story.

The article emphasize that artificial lagoons are highly customizable. Designers can calibrate everything from the depth of the water to the features along the shoreline. They can create shallow inlets for playing with children, kayaking or paddle boarding; deeper areas suited for sailing; and sand-filled banks for lounging.

One of the next projects of Crystal Lagoons in Pittsburgh, USA, will be both the first urban and the first all-season crystalline lagoon, with a partial winter transformation into an ice rink and thermal baths for year-round enjoyment by the public. To keep the water warm during cold weather, Pittsburgh’s lagoon will utilize heat recovered from the surrounding buildings.

The Millcraft lagoon is part of an effort by the city of Pittsburgh and local organizations to revitalize the edge of the Ohio River, which for years was dominated by the region’s heavy industries.

“A perfect white sand beach in a Midwestern city is almost unimaginable, but when the lagoon opens in Pittsburgh in 2023, it has the potential to be an important destination for locals and visitors alike”, says NAIOP.

Before deciding on a lagoon for the project, the developers considered other amenities for the mixed-use site in the Chateau neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The lagoon was the one thing that jumped off the page for Millcraft’s team — they were searching for something that could make the 15-acre living and recreation space stand out.

Not only will the lagoon differentiate the project, but access to it can be monetized through implementation of the Public Access Lagoon (PAL) model.

The story highlights that “revenue from the lagoon can further enhance the financial feasibility of the project while providing a scaled-down version of beach life to a larger community. In Wesley Chapel, Florida, for example, the Epperson Lagoon offers day passes for $20 and provides various amenities such as cabanas and chair rentals”.

Crystal Lagoons is an international innovation company, founded by scientist Fernando Fischmann, which has developed a patent-protected technology that allows the construction and maintenance of unlimited-size clear water lagoons at very low costs.

NAIOP