St. Regis Breaks Ground at Master Planned Puerto Rico Community

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorBahía Beach, Puerto Rico–St. Regis Hotels & Resorts recently broke ground at The St. Regis Resort and Residences in Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico, a 483-acre master-planned community that will include golf villas, townhomes and estate homes, in addition to the St. Regis Residences. The $173 million community, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, is being developed by BBP Partners LLC, a venture between developers Interlink Group LLC and Muñoz Holdings Inc., both of Puerto Rico. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based EDSA is serving as the land planner, and Miami-based SB Architects and Hill-Glazier Architects, based in Palo Alto, Calif., are working on the residence designs.In addition to the residences, Bahía Beach will include Bahía Village, “a quaint seaside town center, [where] residents and guests [have access to] shopping, fine and casual dining and entertainment. The community will also feature lakes and nature trails, a tennis center, and kayaking on the Espiritu Santo River,” Chris Pearson, Bahía Beach spokesperson, tells MHN.Additionally, Pearson notes, “the community is committed to the preservation and enhancement of the environment and is adhering to the highest standards of sustainable and conservation-oriented development. An example of this stewardship is the recent designation of Bahía Beach as a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary, the first resort in the Caribbean to earn this distinction.”This distinction is the highest level for the program, which certifies projects with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating. The project must abide a certain set of siting, design and management decisions relative to environmental aspects of the project, which are established prior to the completion of the development’s design.According to Pearson, the community is drawing interest from Puerto Ricans on and off the island, as well as traditional Caribbean markets, including the eastern seaboard of the United States, Western Europe and Eastern Canada.The St. Regis development will feature 25 adjacent residences—known as Las Estancias—139 guest rooms and suites, the St. Regis butler service, a 10,000-sq.-ft. Remède Spa, oceanfront swimming pools, a 120-seat restaurant by renowned chef Jean-Georges and an 18-hole golf course. Las Estancias offers five different models, ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. St. Regis Resort and Residences will offer studios and one-bedrooms. Owners at both properties will have access to St. Regis Resort amenities.In addition, Las Verandas Villas offers 90 one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 sq. ft. These units will be spread out among 10 buildings, offering garden apartments, terrace apartments and penthouses. Ten two-story, three-bedroom townhomes will be available at Las Olas. Homes will be approximately 4,232 sq. ft. each. Las Ventanas at the Village will offer 24 homes, ranging from 1,700 to 3,400 sq. ft.The first Las Estancias Estate Homes and Las Verandas Villas are complete. Las Olas Townhomes and Las Ventanas Villas are slated for completion in 2009, with The St. Regis Resort following in late 2010.Bahía Beach’s golf clubhouse, which incorporates the community’s “tropical plantation architecture”—used throughout the residences as well—will include an upscale casual restaurant, a private activity room, a bar and a golf shop, in addition to a full-size beachfront swimming pool and patio areas overlooking the ocean for dining and entertaining. It is scheduled to open in January.