The PAL® Project Phenomenon That Redefines Urban Entertainment

• The Epperson project redefined the concept of master-planned communities in the United States. The combination of Crystal Lagoons® technology and the PAL® model transformed a residential development into an entertainment destination capable of driving real estate demand and generating new revenue streams.

Imagine building a residential development on an inland site, far from the coast, and getting people to pay an entrance fee to visit the very place where you are selling homes.

It sounds almost too good to be true. Yet that is exactly what Crystal Lagoons achieved in partnership with Metro Development Group in Wesley Chapel, Florida, through its Epperson project.

Opened in 2018 with an impressive 7.5-acre crystalline lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology, the initial plan was traditional: an exclusive space for residents. But the visual impact and demand were so massive that the team made a bold decision.

They decided to transform part of the operation toward the Public Access Lagoons® model, also known as the PAL® model. They opened the lagoon to the general public for an entrance fee, and the result exceeded all expectations.

The strategic shift: More value per square foot and accelerated sales

Opening a residential space to the general public might sound contradictory to some developers. Think about it for a second: would it affect the neighborhood’s exclusivity? At Epperson, the exact opposite happened.

Opening the project under the PAL® format worked as a living commercial showcase. Thousands of visitors paid for a ticket to spend the day at a Caribbean-style beach just 35 minutes from Tampa, and while they enjoyed the water, they discovered the real estate project organically.

The data confirms it:

• Price increase: Homes sold at a 21% higher price compared to direct competitors in the area.
• Sales velocity: The pace of home sales rose 57% above market averages.
• Customer acquisition: The daily flow of visitors dramatically reduced the cost of acquiring potential buyers.

Numbers that speak for themselves: US$3.4 million in a single season

The success in home sales and recognition in real estate rankings was only half the story. The other half lies in the profitability generated by the water infrastructure itself.

Through a ticketing model that varies by season, age, and time of day, the lagoon became a coastal lifestyle park. Even during a challenging year like 2020, operating at 40% capacity due to health restrictions (800 people allowed at the same time), the project recorded impressive figures:

• Massive attendance: Nearly 91,695 visitors during the season.
• Direct revenue: Revenue was estimated at around US$3.4 million from ticket sales, water activities, and rentals alone.

The public was not only paying for admission. The recreational offering expanded to include kayak and paddleboard rentals, inflatable obstacle courses, and premium spaces such as private cabanas, VIP areas (known as Aquabanas), and Tiki-style areas that can rent for more than US$300 per day during peak season.

Today, the destination includes a swim-up bar, merchandise shops, food trucks, and expanding restaurant offerings. A complete commercial ecosystem that generates continuous cash flow.

The “lagoon effect” in sales and rankings

Epperson’s commercial strength is also reflected in industry rankings.

Over the years, the community has been recognized among the top-selling residential developments in Florida and the United States. In 2023, it ranked No. 36 among the country’s top-selling master-planned communities, according to RCLCO, while in previous years it also ranked among the state’s highest-performing communities.

This positioning confirms a trend that developers are watching with increasing attention: buyers value experiences and lifestyles that cannot be easily replicated through traditional amenities.

Why are real estate developers looking at this case?

Epperson’s business model demonstrated something key for the industry: amenities no longer have to be a cost center funded only through residents’ HOA fees.

By incorporating Crystal Lagoons® technology and enabling controlled public access, real estate developers gain three clear advantages:

1. Monetization from day one: The lagoon generates independent operating revenue while the real estate project is being built and sold.
2. Brand positioning and prestige: The project enters and consolidates its position among the top spots in the most important national and international sales rankings (RCLCO and John Burns), attracting highly qualified buyers and investors.
3. Land flexibility: It makes it possible to bring beach life to lower-cost inland sites that do not have access to the ocean.

Epperson showed that the future of the real estate industry is not only about building homes, but about creating destinations people want to return to again and again.

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• Media outlets such as Daily Mail, New York Post, The Sun and This is Money highlighted the impact of Mirada and Epperson, two developments that confirm the power of crystalline lagoons as drivers of sales, community, and real estate differentiation.

Beach life no longer depends on living by the ocean. That idea, which only a few years ago seemed aspirational, is now being highlighted in international media as a concrete trend within the United States real estate market.

New York Post, The Sun, Daily Mail, and This is Money have put the spotlight on Mirada and Epperson, two communities developed by Metro Development Group in Florida that have turned their lagoons powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology into the main attraction. This is not just about an appealing image. It is about an amenity that sells, brings people together, and changes the way residents experience a residential project.

Mirada: The lagoon capturing the attention of the U.S.

Mirada, located in San Antonio, Florida, is home to a 15-acre lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology, considered the largest man-made lagoon in the U.S. Its scale is equivalent to nearly 150 NBA basketball courts and offers activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, relaxing beach areas, a swim-up bar, and a floating obstacle course.

For a real estate developer, the key point is not only its size. It is the impact it generates. According to coverage published by the U.S. edition of The Sun, Metro Development Group describes the lagoon as one of the main drivers of interest in its communities, because it creates immediate excitement and offers something that cannot be found in a traditional neighborhood.

Epperson and Mirada: from amenity to purchase driver

Epperson was the first community in the United States to feature a crystalline lagoon of this kind, paving the way for a new category of residential development: communities that offer a resort-style experience every day.

Mirada took that model to another scale. Metro Development Group highlighted that the community is now making national headlines for its 15-acre lagoon, while Epperson and Beachwalk also stand out as benchmarks for the concept of “lagoon living” in Florida.

This phenomenon makes one thing very clear: a crystalline lagoon does not function as a simple add-on. It functions as the heart of the project.

What makes this model so powerful?

• It turns inland communities into beach lifestyle destinations.
• It creates a visual identity that is easy to communicate.
• It increases appeal for buyers and residents.
• It activates activities year-round.
• It builds community, permanence, and a sense of belonging.
• It differentiates the project from traditional amenities.

The “lagoon effect” is also reflected in the rankings

The commercial impact of developments powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology is also reflected in real estate rankings. In 2025, three communities featuring this technology ranked among the 50 top-selling communities in the United States, according to RCLCO: Sunterra, ranked 5th; Mirada, ranked 14th; and Lago Mar, ranked 47th.

For the industry, this data matters. In a competitive market, where developers need to justify pricing, accelerate sales, and create real differentiation, a crystalline lagoon can become a powerful commercial argument.

An increasingly strong footprint in the United States

The success of Mirada and Epperson is not an isolated case. Crystal Lagoons has a growing presence in the United States with residential, hospitality, and public-access projects, including

• Lago Mar
• Evermore Orlando Resort
• Balmoral
• Cotino®, a Storyliving by Disney™ community
• Hyatt Regency Hill Country
• Sunterra
• Sole Mia
• Beachwalk 
• Southshore Bay, among others.

Why is the industry betting on this technology?

Beyond the visual appeal that captures media attention, there are solid operational and financial reasons behind this sustained growth:

• Water and energy efficiency: They consume up to 33 times less water than a conventional golf course and use only 2% of the energy required by a traditional swimming pool filtration system.
• Land transformation: They make it possible to turn inland sites into locations with value comparable to beachfront properties.
• Proven value appreciation: Lots and homes surrounding the lagoon register consistent price increases, often outperforming area averages.
• International recognition: An innovation backed by multiple global awards in innovation, sustainability, and intellectual property.

The new standard for real estate amenities

International coverage of Mirada and Epperson confirms a trend developers are already seeing on the ground: buyers are not just looking for a home. They are looking for experience, a sense of community, and a more memorable everyday life.

That is where the value of Crystal Lagoons lies. Its crystalline lagoons transform real estate projects into destinations, create a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate, and deliver something the market immediately recognizes: living with a vacation feeling every day.

New York Post

• Crystal Lagoons has turned Colombia into one of its most promising markets in Latin America, demonstrating how a crystalline lagoon can accelerate sales, increase real estate value, and respond to the demand for beach life.

Colombia has become one of the most dynamic markets for Crystal Lagoons in Latin America. The combination of a privileged climate, urban growth, a strong tourism vocation, and high demand for differentiated experiences has created the ideal setting for Crystal Lagoons® technology to transform real estate projects into beach lifestyle destinations.

The best example is Baía Kristal, in Cartagena de Indias, the first development in the country featuring a crystalline lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology. Its commercial performance confirms the so-called “lagoon effect”: the ability of this anchor amenity to increase attraction, accelerate sales, and elevate a project’s perceived value.

Baía Kristal and the commercial power of a crystalline lagoon

Baía Kristal, developed by AED Constructores, marked a turning point in the Colombian market. Its 7.93-acre crystalline lagoon, equivalent to 6.1 American football fields or 25.7 Olympic swimming pools, became the visual, social, and commercial heart of the project.

The figures are compelling:

• 1,560 apartments sold in just 2.3 years, equivalent to an average of 56 homes sold per month.
• The top-selling project through the close of its commercialization in December 2023.
• The sales value per square meter of the project’s homes doubled over a 2.3-year period, compared to similar projects that grew between 5% and 15%.
• The average sales price per square meter increased by 33.77% between 2022 and 2023, when the Crystal Lagoons® amenity began operating.
• The first stage had a target of selling 60% in one year, which was achieved in just 45 days.
• The first phase of the project quickly reached 95% of homes sold, leading the developer to launch a second commercialization phase.
• Units sold grew by 150% since launch.
• AED Constructores had projected a seven-year sales period for the first phases of the project, which sold out in just 2.3 years.
• The project’s sales success led the developer to sign a master agreement with Crystal Lagoons for 13 new lagoon projects across Colombia.
• Baía Kristal commands a significant premium, generating, on average, 25.34% more value compared to similar projects in the Northern Zone and surrounding areas, highlighting amenities as a key competitive advantage.
• The project’s exceptional financial validation drove the creation of Kristal Malls, a 120,000 m² “Shopping Resort” in Cartagena that will feature a new lagoon as its commercial epicenter.
• Baía Kristal has been recognized as a Best Community Practice by the Colombian Chamber of Construction (Camacol) and as a Sustainable Urbanism Success Story during Biopolis 2024, held within the framework of COP16, among other awards.

For real estate developers, these results demonstrate that a crystalline lagoon is not just a landscape feature. It is a tool for positioning, differentiation, and sales velocity.

“The turquoise lagoon was a decisive differentiating factor that contributed to the exceptional organic positioning of this project,” explains Juan Pablo García, CEO of AED Constructores.

Colombia seeks year-round beach lifestyle

The success of Crystal Lagoons in Colombia responds to a clear need: buyers are not only looking for square meters, but for experiences. They want wellness, recreation, community, connection with water, and a lifestyle associated with tourist destinations.

In coastal cities such as Cartagena, the lagoon enhances the natural appeal of the surroundings. In inland areas, it can bring beach life to places far from the sea, creating an aspirational experience that is difficult to replicate.

This combination turns Crystal Lagoons® technology into a competitive advantage for residential, tourism, mixed-use, and commercial projects.

Kristal Malls and the reinvention of retail in Colombia

The impact of Crystal Lagoons in Colombia is not limited to the residential segment. Kristal Malls, in Cartagena de Indias, represents a new stage: the transformation of traditional retail into a destination for entertainment, tourism, shopping, and beach life.

The project is positioned as the largest shopping center in the Colombian Caribbean and the country’s first Shopping Resort. Its centerpiece will be a large crystalline lagoon developed under the Public Access Lagoons® model, also known as PAL® projects, which will allow ticketed access and recreational activities year-round.

Kristal Malls brings together figures that reinforce its scale:

• The project began its construction phase with an impressive 55% of its units sold in advance.
• A case that demonstrates how turquoise-water technology can save and reinvent the shopping center industry in the face of e-commerce growth, transforming malls into multifunctional, publicly accessible entertainment destinations.
• A 731-acre development.
• 110,000 m² of leasable area.
• A crystalline lagoon of more than 20,000 m².
• More than 100 national and international brands associated with the project.
• A 150-room hotel.
• Offices, apartments, healthcare centers, a movie theater, an amusement park, restaurants, and event spaces.

This progress confirms that the “lagoon effect” can also be capitalized on in retail. The lagoon not only attracts visitors; it redefines the shopping experience and transforms the mall into a multifunctional destination.

A scalable model for new markets

The success of Baía Kristal led to new agreements to develop projects in cities such as Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Pereira, and Cartagena de Indias. In addition, Crystal Lagoons has moved forward with new complexes in regions such as Cundinamarca, Meta, Tolima, and Valle del Cauca, reinforcing the country’s potential as an expansion platform.

The key lies in scalability. Crystal Lagoons® technology makes it possible to create large crystalline bodies of water with low resource consumption, using up to 33 times less water than an 18-hole golf course, up to 100 times fewer chemicals than a traditional swimming pool, and only 2% of the energy required by conventional swimming pool filtration systems.

Colombia as a regional showcase

The Colombian case demonstrates that crystalline lagoons can transform the logic of real estate development. Baía Kristal proved its impact on sales and property appreciation. Kristal Malls is demonstrating its ability to reinvent retail and create new urban hubs for entertainment.

For real estate developers, the opportunity is clear: to incorporate an anchor amenity capable of accelerating sales, strengthening the project’s identity, and responding to the growing demand for beach life.

In Colombia, Crystal Lagoons is not only changing the real estate landscape. It is demonstrating that the beach can become the center of a new way of living, investing, and developing cities.

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