Blog > Putnam home to future Bass Pro resort?
Okay, don't let me get you worked up on the idea of a Bass Pro Resort coming to Putnam like a Big Cedar Lodge or the new Valhalla resort in the Keys that was announced in 2022.
There is nothing official as of now... But let me paint the picture of what I'm seeing develop.
As St. John's County constantly grows, more and more tourist are setting their sights on NE Florida. Short-term rental industries like Airbnb have flourished from the constant expansion of "Vacation Florida".
Right next door is Putnam County with lots of land and room for improvement.
The Floridian Sports Club is a recreational facility located in Welaka, Florida which is the southeast part of Putnam County. It is a rural area with a proud community of under 1,000 people.
Interestingly, the club has a long history and is currently owned by Johnny Morris, the CEO of Bass Pro Shops.
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2021Bass Pro Shops quietly bought several neighboring properties in the Welaka and Satsuma areas.
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February 2022Bass Pro Shops purchased 5,000 acres of land in Putnam County, including an island on the St. Johns River.
The land is located where the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers meet, which is a focus for conservation groups.
The Welaka portion looks about 2X larger than the Satsuma portion but the Satsuma land is more focused on the river and the Welaka land is more inland but accessible to the river by crossing CR 309.
Just to give perspective, Bass Pro Resort Big Cedar Lodge is described on its own website as just over 4,600 acres, this is Bass Pro's largest resort by square ft.
An outdoor recreationist's dream along with 5, yes five golf courses.
After the land purchase here was final, the Mayor of Welaka Jamie Watts is quoted "It’s going to obviously be some sort of resort. It’s not going to be a Bass Pro Shops store,"
Again, all speculation as of now is because Bass Pro hasn't outwardly said what their intentions are with the land publicly.
I believe the writing is on the wall after learning that shortly after the land purchase, in September 2022 Governor DeSantis approved and announced at a local restaurant near Welaka, a multi-million dollar wastewater treatment facility grant for Welaka.
If you've had a bureaucratic job with all the different cogs working for one outcome then all of this may seem similar.
So, long all over-the-place story short, I believe there is going to be an out-of-the-world outdoor resort built here in Putnam.
This would be one of the largest impacting businesses in Putnam County,
Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri has over 500 employees and I like to think Putnam would have around the same amount, wishful thinking of course.
That would immediately make them a top employer in Putnam with some comparisons listed here-
•GP Mill at around 900 employees
•HCA Community Hospital 500-800 employees
•Seminole Electric Co-op 270 employees
•St.Johns River State College 435 employees
•Vertias Steel 260 employees
•Putnam County School Board
Did I mention Welaka is "Bass Captial Of The World"?
I know the term can be thrown around loosely but it holds merit to the Bass fishing community.
Cant you see it? "Bass Captial Resort and Lodge by Bass Pro"
Unfortunately, I don't see this materializing for several years or more.
So why the heck am I even talking about it ?
VALUE.
This area is littered with cheaper-than-average properties, land, and waterfront lots on the river and lakes.
Buy a property for short-term rentals, maybe a small piece of land on the river, build your dock and sell slips or fence in a small lot for people to store their RV or trailer while in town.
Anticipating a vacationer surge from a resort will prove a smart investment.
Start your process with me, Cody Bockheim from Living in Palatka.
Here is an amazing article by WUFT reporter Bonny Matejowsky about Welaka and Bass Pro owner Johnny Morris. https://www.wuft.org/2024-07-22/you-dont-see-this-in-the-city-welaka-has-an-unknown-future
