About Us - Our Why
Crane Island is more than a neighborhood—it’s a community created to celebrate life. From the beginning, our development team has been dedicated to designing a place that nurtures the highest quality of life, blending timeless Lowcountry architecture with spaces that invite connection. Seven years in, the joy of living here is evident in the curated moments—weddings, community dinners, music on the porch, and celebrations that honor food, nature, and one another.
What truly sets Crane Island apart, however, is not just the beauty of its setting or the events that bring people together. It’s the spirit of community—the idea of being good neighbors again. Here, regardless of where you come from, everyone is welcome. Crane Island thrives because of the people who call it home, and together, we’ve created a place where belonging is natural, connection is effortless, and life is meant to be celebrated every day.
The Values That Guide Us
John Hillman offers some important insights into what we hold dear and how that has guided us over the past many years. We are intentional about protecting the natural environment around us, partnering with design professionals who share a deep passion for timeless Lowcountry Architecture, and creating a sense of place that celebrates the highest quality of life for our owners.
Meet The Team
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Jack Healan, Jr
Founder & Developer
A resident of Amelia Island since the early 1970s, Jack draws on decades of shaping the island’s most celebrated destinations to guide a new vision—rooted in sustainability, thoughtful design, and lasting community. Building on his legacy of creating places that thrive in harmony with nature, he’s shaping a vibrant village of mixed uses, diverse homes, and welcoming spaces where neighbors connect. Beyond development, Jack enjoys time with family, fishing, flying his “Mooney” with wife Karen, or cruising the Plantation with Goldie, his beloved golden retriever.
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Jack Helan, III
Founder & Developer
A Fernandina Beach native, Jack Healan III brings a lifetime of coastal living and nearly three decades in real estate and construction to Crane Island, overseeing planning, engineering, architecture, landscaping, and amenities. Having shaped award-winning communities across Florida, he now channels his expertise and passion for design, nature, and community into creating Sea Grove with his father. Married to a fellow Fernandina Beach native, Jack enjoys time with family in Chicago, flying across the U.S., and the occasional “board meeting” on the waves.
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John A Hillman
Broker & Developer
John has called Fernandina Beach home for seven years, building a life here with his wife and two sons. With a passion for placemaking, historic architecture, and creating meaningful connections for owners, John has helped develop 12 communities in his three-decade career from Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Hawaii, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and for the last 12 years in Florida. As The Broker, John is responsible for Branding, Sales, Marketing, and working closely with owners, builders, architects, and designers to bring the property vision to life. John and his wife are the founders of Cabana Lane, a full-service brokerage, interior design firm, home builder, and developer consultancy.
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Jim Strickland
Founder - Historical Concepts
Jim founded Historical Concepts in 1982 with a commitment to creating timeless homes inspired by historic precedent and informed by the grace and charm of the South. At an early age, Jim took notice of the often overlooked details that make up the story of a home and embraced the artistry of fine builders. The role of indigenous materials in expressing the language of a community, as well as the little quirks that belong to a particular region, taught him that vernacular precedent was inextricably linked to the work of craftsman through their honest expressions of material and form. In these less explored building styles and types, Jim saw his future: to re-invent them for contemporary living while preserving their traditional spirit and delightful idiosyncrasies.
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Ryan Yurcaba
Crane Island Land Plan & Architecture
Ryan was born to an artistic, industrious family and can vividly recall his first exposure to architecture at age 4, when his father and grandfather, “armed with little more than determination”, designed and built a house. He credits observing this process with awakening his desire to create. With a passion for traditional design rooted in his upbringing in Beaufort, South Carolina, Ryan enthusiastically joined Historical Concepts in 1999 after receiving a Bachelor of Design from Clemson University. Spurred on by his work at Historical Concepts, he decided to return to school for the more specific study of classical architecture. Ryan earned his Master in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 2004.Description goes here
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Dr. Michael Coffey
Crane Island Civil Engineering & LID - Low Impact Design
Michael Coffey grew up surrounded by nature in rural South Florida. As a boy, Michael was always tinkering and fixing things, and often grown-ups told him he would become an engineer. Fast-forward a few decades and you can find him solving some of Crane Island’s most complex civil engineering challenges.
As a Senior Project Manager and leader of Corporate civil engineering at the architecture, engineering and consulting firm RS&H, Inc., Michael is responsible for the planning and engineering design of drainage, utilities, roadway, nature conservancy and permitting for projects such as Crane Island.
Contact Us
Seven years in the making, and a lot has been learned and figured out. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions & ideas of how to join the community and build your dream “forever” home on Crane Island. I’m here to help you with each step in the process.
Socially Minded
