Wellington resident and entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo has announced a partnership with NEXUS Luxury Collection, founded by Joe Lewis and his Tavistock Group, Tiger Woods, Justin Timberlake, and Ernie Els, to create The Wellington, a luxury residential club community in the heart of Wellington that celebrates the best of South Florida and equestrian sport. Through their new partnership, Wellington Lifestyle Partners (WLP), the principals will reimagine over 600 owned acres and work with the Village of Wellington (VOW) and the local community to craft a residential experience that is focused on wellness, resort living and sport while honoring and enhancing Wellington’s equestrian roots.
The proposed development includes doubling the size of the Wellington International equestrian showgrounds, which is currently at capacity. The expansion will facilitate a nine-figure investment to expand and enhance the significant equestrian facilities.
Credit: Wellington Lifestyle Partners.
WLP’s proposed new project, The Wellington, will include a walkable commercial center featuring shops, hotels, offices, a park, and restaurants featuring some of the world’s top luxury retail brands conveniently abutting the residential club community. The development plan will also include a public riding facility with trail riding and a basic introduction to horse sports that will be accessible to the community.
“We are highly selective in where we choose to go to curate a complementary suite of experiences for our customers. Partnering and co-investing with Mark to create The Wellington is a perfect fit for NEXUS as we expand into the important South Florida marketplace,” stated Christopher Anand, chief executive officer and managing partner of NEXUS. “We are excited to build something special on the land Mark has painstakingly pulled together over the last 18 years. This new club community will take inspiration from what we have created at Albany in The Bahamas and will be customized to celebrate the best of Wellington’s sports lifestyle.”
“WLP is eager to launch this next chapter to ensure that Wellington continues as the world’s premier equestrian lifestyle destination,” shared Bellissimo. “With NEXUS, we have selected an experienced, top-tier development partner to help us create The Wellington, a world-class residential experience that underscores all we have come to love about this village – sport, recreation, and community.”
In addition to Bellissimo and NEXUS, WLP is supported by several other prominent investors, including entrepreneur Jeff Skoll. Skoll, the founding president of eBay, is an entrepreneur devoted to creating a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all. As the founder of the Jeff Skoll Group, he has created an innovative portfolio of philanthropic and commercial enterprises, which includes the Skoll Foundation, Capricorn Investment Group, and Participant Media. Each is a distinctive lever for achieving transformational social change. Skoll is also cofounder of The Rise Fund, a global impact fund investing in entrepreneurial companies driving measurable, positive social and environmental change in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
“NEXUS’ experience in creating the 600-acre Albany residential community in The Bahamas is invaluable, and we look forward to infusing a style that is modern but respectful to Wellington’s inherent beauty and tradition,” added Paige Bellissimo, who is managing the development process.
Douglas McMahon, a senior managing director at NEXUS and Tavistock Group, is becoming the managing partner of WLP. McMahon noted, “We will be working closely with the Village of Wellington on all aspects of this important addition to the community.” McMahon brings 20 years of experience working in various capacities across Tavistock Group, including the acclaimed Florida communities of Isleworth Golf & Country Club and Lake Nona.
“Doug has been instrumental in building and developing every aspect of Albany and NEXUS since its inception and will be the perfect “hands-on” senior partner to ensure we deliver a first-class community,” added Anand.
“We are going to bring our best experiences, collective ideas and thinking to The Wellington as we create an extraordinary multi-generational community that adds to the greater Village of Wellington,” commented McMahon.
The proposed club community will also feature the newly acquired Cypress Golf Course, a Pete Dye-designed, 18-hole championship course that will go through an extensive renovation, impacting the entire course. It will be supported by a new clubhouse, short game facility, and performance center with training and analytics demanded by the best golfers.
Other amenities and components of the development will include:
- World-class racquet center with a pro shop, a stadium tennis court, 12 additional tennis courts, ten padel courts, and 12 pickleball courts
- Four swimming pools ranging from a 25-meter, six-lane lap pool, family pool, and kid’s splash area to an adult-only resort-style pool with cabanas
- Expansive 120,000-square-foot, two-story Field House including an indoor full basketball court, two tennis courts, two padel courts, four pickleball courts, four squash courts, five sports simulators, a purveyors market and smoothie bar, and a 40,000-square-foot fitness center with cardio training rooms, circuit and free weight training, stretching areas, studio classrooms, saunas, cold water plunge, saltwater float pods, hydrotherapy pools, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a full spa offering massages, recovery and an array of specialized wellness treatments
- Children’s indoor and outdoor facilities, including sports, gaming rooms, a rock-climbing wall, regulation bowling lanes, arts and crafts, and two outdoor sports fields
- 16-acre Central Park and lake with exercise and relaxation trails, yoga gardens, and outdoor event spaces
- Access to hundreds of acres of walking, jogging, and biking trails and nature preserves
- A 17-acre commercial center with shops, offices, a park, retail, and restaurants
- Single-family custom homes and condominium residences
Subject to VOW approval, the initial residential offerings within the community will focus on home sites ranging from a quarter acre up to 5 acres. Upon completion, the residents can participate in an exclusive rental program managed by NEXUS.
“Interest in this project is already high amongst our many NEXUS families, shareholders, and friends,” added McMahon. “We intend to launch a Founder’s program, stagger the release of real estate offerings, and bring a wonderful collection of new architects and residences to Palm Beach County.”
Homeowners in this new project will enjoy membership to this club community and the NEXUS Luxury Collection and enjoy access, services, and benefits to NEXUS’ experiences in cities worldwide.
“It has been a pleasure working with the team at NEXUS,” said Lisa Lourie, an investor in WLP. “I truly believe that they will design and build a community worthy of Wellington’s residents, and I look forward to being a part of it.”
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Please send home pricing info, Club membership fees, Etc
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