DC4MS

Pond Bay Club Construction Progress on Schedule


Written by Jaime Elliott
Sunday, 16 November 2008


Imagine enjoying a luxurious spa treatment in a private villa while watching the last of the afternoon’s rays sweep across the sky and melt into the Caribbean Sea right out the window.

Soon visitors will not have to just imagine that scenario, the first completed villas at the luxury fractional ownership property Pond Bay Club should be available for occupancy by next winter.


Two of the 17 buildings on the almost 15 acre site on Chocolate Hole Bay on the southwest coast of Love City will be expansive two-story 4,200-square foot spa villas, which will feature private treatment rooms.

The spa villas — located on the beachfront portion of the Pond Bay Club property — include three bedrooms, three full baths, a library, formal dining room, and terraces leading right to the shoreline.


Also lining the shore are six beachfront cottage units in three one-story buildings and a two-story beach villa which consists of four units. The three-bedroom beach cottages are comprised of 2,275-square feet plus a 725-square foot covered terrace which includes a private jetted hot tub just steps away from the sand.

The three-bedroom beach villa units afford unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea and include front and back terraces on both levels.


A club house, restaurant and large, extravagant infinity edged pool will overlook the beach as well. Five two-story clubhouse villas will be comprised of 18, 2,100-square foot three-bedroom units surrounding the Pond Bay House area. A fitness center, retail shops and top-of-the-line spa will be located nearby.

A destination in itself, the 16,000-square-foot ESPA will include relaxation rooms, coral steam rooms and a full compliment of holistic and therapeutic services.

Four two-story hillside villas are similar in layout to the club house villas but located on the eastern portion of the Pond Bay Club property.

Two one-story pond cottages, overlooking the salt pond on site, will include three-bedrooms and large covered terraces with private jetted tubs.



Traditional Caribbean stucco and stone exteriors will lead into open and airy rooms with vaulted cathedral ceilings ranging from 8-and-one-half to 12-feet high. The modern exposed stairways will be comprised of structural steel with marble slabs for treads.

Villa floors will be made of Romanian marble while the front doors will be comprised of sturdy Spanish cedar. Terraces will feature heavy timber construction with exposed rafters and tongue and groove fittings.

An arrival building, back of house administration structure and a bocci court round out construction plans on the site.


The road from imagination to reality has been a long one for Pond Bay Club, a Folio Collection property the sister resort of which is Isle de France on St. Barthelomy. After rounds of hearings with Department of Planning and Natural Resources officials which spanned several years, progress at the site is now moving along on schedule.

The fast pace of construction is in no small part due to the steadfast Jay Wicklund, general contractor Wharton Smith Inc.’s senior project manager. Wicklund relocated to Love City from Atlanta with this wife and two children to oversee the project.

“We probably have between 65 and 75 guys on the site on any given day,” said Wicklund. “We’ll have more workers too as we get further. While you’re never quite where you want to be, we’re moving along very well.”

“We’re absolutely very pleased with the progress,” Wicklund added.


Ensuring those employees have tasks to complete is a major part of the project’s success, Wicklund explained.

“We have two full-time logistics guys — one in Florida and one here,” said the senior project manager. “Their only job is to make sure that we have supplies. We have 34 containers ready to be unloaded right now.”

“I’d rather pay container storage fees and have the materials than be short of anything,” Wicklund said.

Currently work is concentrated on the beachfront structures, the first of which should be finished in the next couple months. Once complete, the Pond Bay Club offices will move into a beachfront cottage, which will also serve as a tantalizing model for prospective buyers.


The units are available for sale on a one-tenth interest basis, which translates into about five weeks a year. Buyers can purchase all 10 interests in a particular villa or specific week increments. Owners are also free to use the units whenever they are unoccupied, explained Bill Orwig, Pond Bay Club’s director of sales.

“Flexibility is the key word,” said Orwig. “Owners can come anytime the units are available at no extra fee. They will have their reserved weeks and then be able to use their unit whenever it’s open.”

Pond Bay Club owners can put their unwanted weeks in a rental pool and will also have the option of joining a reciprocity program with Ultimate Escapes, Orwig added.

Looking ahead, Wicklund expects construction to be complete in late 2010.

“Somewhere towards Christmas 2010, all the units should be buttoned up, completed and turned over to the owners,” he said. “The original plan was 30 months of construction and it might end up being about 33 months, only because all the high-end finishes take just a hair longer.”

Prices for a one-tenth ownership range from the low $300,000s to the high $800,000. For more information about Pond Bay Club check out their website
www.foliocollection.com, or call 779-8881.

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/...=2737&Itemid=1

LTTravel

Looks like UE is trying to get reciprocity with fractional ownership resorts. I think this is a great idea.
Though availability at their own homes may get tougher, this increases the variety and these fractionals are a great option. Many of these fractionals are connected to a resort which many members prefer to stand alone homes.

willmyclubmakeit

As I understand the deal, UE has required high season access to these resorts in exchange for access (and fees) to UE properties at non-holiday times. Good for both as long as there is sufficient availability. I would be happy to add a stay in this property in St John to my next UE stay in St Thomas if I could.

wdinner

St. John's is my favorite island. I hope this will be available to premier level members and I would reserve in an instant. Though, the near north side - either Caneel or even Maho has the wonderful beaches and great snorkeling and is easier to get too.

willmyclubmakeit

looks like a reason for members to upgrade probably...i hope its signature though not just elite....

ChicagoMark

It is such a PITA to get there-That being said, I was shut out by UE for Xmas week-so I'm redeeming Starwood Points and staying at The Westin St John, again. If you've never stayed there before during a holiday week-you must book your rental car a couple of months early as there aren't that many available on the Island.

willmyclubmakeit

you really got shut out---ugh. You should have dropped down to Signature as I'm sure there were places available unless you ran out of holiday reservations (and I hope we never get shut out but I have over 200k of starwood points left just in case even after transfering 150k of them to AA to use for UE trips). To avoid some of the PITA, we have taken the local ferry in lieu of waiting for the Westin ferry and just taxi'ed it from the pier. It was quicker and better than waiting in the airport for the westin staff with the crowds.

We have stayed at the Westin St. John a couple of times and hate that its mostly timeshare now but have also used SPG points every time we were there. We usually book at O'Connor rental just for the days we want a car (one day at a time) as you can pick those up at the hotel. The local taxis are so convenient that unless you are visiting the beaches you don't need a car so we only get one for a couple of days. My kids favorite restaurant in the world is ZoZo's, mostly due to their terrific chocolate ,molten cake (as good as Gale Gand's per my kids--and if you are from Chicago you must know Gale at least by reputation, books, or restaurants). Enjoy "crab man" too as he was always a highlight at the Westin St John. Let me know by PM how the resort looks after all the conversions to time shares--even below the road--I'm afraid to go back but may after our st thomas stay in a couple of years (unless we can get this new interval via trade). Let us know what you recommend.

Boccalu

I was told the developers program was open to signature and elite but not premiere. Looks like a real score for UE, adds new locations at no cost (possibly even positive cash flow) and increases holiday availability...almost sounds too good to be true, although it makes sense for the other side as well (except maybe paying for the privilege). If the early ones go well I'd expect others to join and other clubs to copy the concept.

Jack1234

Wonder if it is only open to the PE owners who "upgraded" to UE rather than those, like me, who converted without "upgrading"..

Desties

Jack, like the hotel collection, this is reciprocity only with members on a fixed number of nights a year. In other words, PE Legacy members with unlimited nights are shut out of the property, unless UE winds up acquiring an actual property there down the road.

Jack1234

That was what I figured was the case. Not a big deal and I still feel remaining a Legacy PE member is a far better fit for us. Thanks for the info.