James E. Johnson, Jr. & Coastland Corporation

Coastland Corporation, founded by James E. Johnson, Jr. in 1970, is a real estate investment company whose holdings include one of the largest remaining developable ocean front properties on the east coast. With approximately 3 miles of oceanfront property on the Outer Banks of Currituck County, North Carolina, Coastland established the Ocean Sands resort community near Corolla.

Coastland Corporation improved access to Ocean Sands and many other communities on the Currituck Outer Banks in the early 1970’s by extending and paving Highway 12 north approximately 7 miles from the Dare County line through Ocean Sands.

The Ocean Sands community, called “a model for future coastal development” by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources, is a 678 acre planned unit development between Highway 12 and the Atlantic Ocean. There are over 1,000 residential home-sites in Ocean Sands. Coastland Corporation still owns nearly half of the original development rights which are available for development.

There are a limited number of single family residential lots still available in Ocean Sands, as well as several ocean-side development tracts. These are available for multi-use development including 1,250 hotel rooms, 782 multi-family units and over 250,000 square feet of commercial space. An 88 acre parcel offers the potential for breathtaking views of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Sound with the only 75 foot building height allowance on the Currituck Outer Banks. Coastland Corporation ensured the preservation of the natural beauty of the Outer Banks when designing Ocean Sands. Coastland Corporation was the only development company to adopt “The Currituck Plan” in 1973 which provided for over 30% of the property to have permanent open space in the community. Coastland Corporation was also the first developer to provide a central water and wastewater system for its community to help prevent potential pollution on the Currituck Outer Banks.

The Ocean Sands Community has private streets, private security and 19 private beach access boardwalks. Coastland Corporation still plays an active role in the management and preservation of the original ideals of the development by acting as the management company for the Ocean Sands Property Owners Association, the Crown Point Property Owners Association and the Ocean Lake Swim and Tennis Club.

James E. Johnson, Jr. can be reached via email at [email protected]