Resort Retirement Communities - Arizona
Trilogy, a division of Shea Homes, Inc., is ready to unveil a glitzy country club at its Encanterra community in Arizona.
La Casa, the 60,000-square-feet, $30 million clubhouse and recreational facility designed by architect Bing Hu, will open officially on February 13, 2010.
Hu has designed numerous clubhouses and multi-million homes around the globe, but he’s particularly delighted with La Casa’s outcome at the gated Encanterra community in Queen Creek.
“This is a world class facility,” said Hu, founder of H&S International in Scottsdale.
Though Hu might be a bit biased, Joe Passov, senior editor for Golf Magazine, was sufficiently impressed.
“The entire clubhouse really did far exceed my expectations,” Passov said. “I’ve seen roughly 1,500 country club clubhouses around the world, and of the really impressive ones, at least half of them are strictly monuments to ego and money losers to boot.”
La Casa is an intimate affair with cozy niches and a stunning view of the Superstition Mountains beyond the Tom Lehman-designed 18-hole golf course. There are several restaurants, including a private dining room surrounded by glass in the midst of the commercial kitchen. The Vault is a personal wine cellar for members. Also included is a spa, athletic club, sports shop, wedding venue, resort swimming pool with dining cove, lap pool, tennis courts, beach volleyball court and outdoor amphitheater.
“The rambling, Hacienda-style spread impresses me not just from a southwest aesthetic, but from a functionality standpoint,” Passov said.
Hu credited Shea Homes for providing him the latitude to put together a top-notch country club.
“(Shea) is really committed to quality. This club can compete with any club in the nation,” Hu said.
Hal Looney, president of the Arizona division of Shea Homes Inc., said research is where it all begins.
“We did a lot of research about baby boomers so we could understand what the consumer needs,” Looney said.
At first glance Encanterra might look like a retirement community, but it’s open to all ages. Even so, 75 percent of the buyers have been from cold climates and many of them are part-time residents.
Since fall 2008, 130 homes have been sold. Another 30 are in escrow. Shea is a long way from build out, however, which is 2,400 homes.
Prices start around $200,000 for some models and go as high as $750,000.
Anyone who buys a new home at Encanterra automatically has a social membership at the club, which includes everything but golf. A limited number of golf memberships will be available to nonresidents. Maintenance of the club is funded with homeowners association fees.
Post information provided by Jan Buchholtz of the Phoenix Business Journal.
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