A Spa Oasis in Forsyth County

If all goes according to Jacob Bloch’s plan, the largest spa complex in North America will open in Cumming, Ga., in the fall of 2023.

Capitalizing on the demand for wellness and self-care — a demand that has only increased during the pandemic years — the Passport Experiences CEO envisions a 10-acre oasis designed by veteran resort architects Voelker Gray, with themed pavilions representing Costa Rica, Rome, Israel and Japan.

Designed by Voelker Gray, the 10-acre Passport Springs site will feature themed pavilions: Costa Rica, Rome, Israel and Japan. Plans call for 25 thermal mineral pools, an Ocean pool and an underground cave network featuring snow, steam, sauna and salt rooms.

Plans call for 25 thermal mineral pools, a “centralized and glass-enclosed Ocean pool which links each of Passport’s international hot spring pavilions together,” and the Grotto, an underground cave network featuring snow, steam, sauna and salt rooms. According to the press release, massages, facials and other treatments will be offered from dozens of spa rooms.

Cumming is located in Forsyth County, which regularly ranks at the top of media lists like Travel Magazine’s “Top 10 Most Charming Towns in Georgia.”

Slade Gulledge, Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce vice president of economic development, said the development “is a very innovative, ambitious and exciting project.” // Photo: Kevin Garrett

Slade Gulledge, the vice president of economic development for Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, called Passport Springs “a very innovative, ambitious and exciting project.”

“We are thrilled Forsyth County has been chosen for their flagship location and look forward to continuing our work with their development team in the coming months,” he said.

According to Gulledge, projects “such as these not only increase the quality of life for our residents but serve as investments in Forsyth County’s growing tourism product. Passport Springs will not only be an asset for attracting visitors, but it aligns itself for the future of tourism that we are building in the area and the kind of properties we aim to attract.”

Passport Experiences CEO Jacob Bloch, who has extensive experience working with hot springs and recreational real estate ventures, is leading the development of the spa complex.

The Atlanta Jewish Times spoke with Bloch about his inspirations, plans for the site and his involvement in the Jewish community.

AJT: Where did you get the idea for this project? Did you have a model or inspiration?
Bloch: I was inspired to build Passport Springs after a trip to Israel. I was hiking through the Masada with some friends. It is a grueling day’s hike under the scorching desert sun. We eventually reached the Dead Sea. As we floated on this incredible body of water, I knew I wanted to recreate this amazing experience back in America.

AJT: Why Cumming, Ga.?
Bloch: Atlanta is the perfect location for Passport Springs. Atlanta has a vibrant culture and is also an international hub. It’s part of the reason why Atlanta is the landmark in the country for launching innovative recreational offerings that then go nationwide. Our location in Forsyth makes a lot of sense. We certainly need a lot of space — over 10 acres — which this location provides. Forsyth is also a thriving and prosperous community.

In the Costa Rica pavilion, visitors will find waterfalls and rapids within a tropical jungle, inspired by the Arenal Hot Springs.

I know this not because of the data, which shows that Forsyth is one of the fastest growing and most affluent areas in the U.S., but because of my interactions with its residents. Residents of Forsyth and Atlanta will embrace a venue as dynamic and upscale as ours. Lastly, when my team and I explored states and municipalities across the country, we were impressed with Forsyth County’s leadership and knew that we could further solidify its growth. Forsyth County’s commissioners and department leaders continue to impress us with their professionalism and commitment to the community, and they share our vision. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the months and years ahead.

AJT: Can you tell me more about the Israel pavilion? Will kosher options be available? Celebrity chefs?
Bloch: There’s nothing like Passport’s Israel pavilion. Guests enter the Israel pavilion by strolling through a narrow “Old Jerusalem” street surrounded by Western wall stone and arches. Guests can try the Dead Sea experience, which means floating on the largest Dead Sea pool in North America, or the second-largest in the world, second only to the Dead Sea itself. Guests can lather themselves and their friends with Dead Sea mud from the mud and clay pools. Or soak in hot spring pools inspired by those from Tiberias, which we have partially placed within caves.

Digging for springs is an ancient activity, says Bloch, going back to the biblical patriarchs who dug wells to uncover the “waters of life.”

Surrounding the Tiberias pools or Dead Sea flotation pool, guests can lounge on chairs or within cabanas, which in Israel means Bedouin casbah tents. Each pavilion offers food and drinks from its respective country. At the end of the Jerusalem street in our Israeli pavilion, we are creating a “shuk” station which offers Israeli street fare like falafel and shawarma, as well as signature cocktails. There will be kosher options.

AJT: Tell me about your Jewish background.
Bloch: I am active in the Jewish community. I currently serve on the Board of Governors of Chabad of Manhasset, a shul in Long Island, where I am from. Digging for springs is actually an activity that traces itself back to the patriarchs, who dug and re-dug wells. Like them, we are digging and uncovering waters of life for all to enjoy right here in Atlanta.

AJT: How will this benefit the local community and Forsyth County in general?
Bloch: Forsyth County and Atlanta will host the first hot spring and spa venue in the southeast. But the reality is that they will be hosting the “eighth wonder of the world,” since Passport Springs is a venue which is globally unprecedented. Passport Springs is recreating the most incredible hot springs experiences from around the world, but offering them all in one place.

Bloch was inspired by a trip to Israel and a dip in the Dead Sea. “I knew I wanted to recreate this amazing experience back in America,” he said.

There are no venues that come anywhere close to delivering the type of economic impact that Passport Springs can. It’s a unique, upscale destination that can draw premium visitors from afar. Passport Springs is projected to generate over $300 million in economic output over the next decade and result in the creation of hundreds of jobs. It will turbocharge existing local shops and businesses in the community and attract new desirable businesses to the area.

Passport Springs will serve as an anchor along the GA 400, SR 1441, and Ronald Reagan Blvd., helping to establish a super corridor for business development between the Halcyon and the Collection.