Minto finally opens anticipated Harbour Isle Beach Club
PERICO ISLAND
Nearly five years after moving its first residents into its Harbour Isle development on Anna Maria Sound, Canadian home builder Minto Communities has finished building the upscale community's beach clubhouse.
The company gave the 23,000-square-foot Harbour Isle Beach Club an official opening Friday during a breakfast ribbon cutting ceremony. Positioned near a break in the mangroves that grow along the rest of the subdivision's west-facing shoreline, the two-story building is expected to be a major draw for a project that will be selling high-end homes for several years to come.
It's something residents have been waiting for. John Lefner, who moved into the community with his wife, JoAnn, about a year and a half ago, attended the ceremony and had a look around. They liked what they saw.
"I think in any large development like this there are some hiccups and waiting for things to get finished," said Lefner. "This is the crowning jewel of the community, so maybe it was worth the wait."
The beach club includes a resort-style pool, a 4,200-square-foot fitness center, a second-floor bar and clubroom and a ground floor hall can be used for everything from quiet afternoon reading to formal receptions. Deangelis Diamond Construction built the beach club, completing it on a 10-month construction schedule.
Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, who attended the grand opening event, said the beach club opening is a strong sign for a subdivision that met opposition. In 2005, Paper company St. Joe filed the first set of
plans to build its Seven Shores development on the Perico site, but sold the land for $8 million to Minto in 2007 when the real estate market collapsed. The development of the property was once the subject of a lawsuit and drew fire for its environmental impacts and for the amount of traffic it was expected to generate.
"Everybody was afraid," Poston said. "We had council meetings that went to midnight over this place."
Since the project was approved, Minto has built more than 200 homes at Harbour Isle. Last year, it expanded its land holdings by buying 35 acres on the northwest tip of the island from a company controlled by Lake Flores developer Whiting Preston. The area is designated for the construction of several 12-story multifamily residences.
Homes in the 220-acre development range in size from 1,621 square feet to 2,960 square feet, according to Minto. Pricing starts in the $400,000 range. Some models sell for more than $900,000. The company has built more than 200 homes to date. Harbour Isle is slated for 686 homes at buildout.
Other projects in the works at Harbour Isle include mid-rise condominium buildings and a long-promised marina. Last fall, Mike Belmont, Minto's president of Florida operations, said work would start this year on a boating facility that could feature more than 60 slips, a restaurant and up to 30,000 square feet of retail space.
Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027, or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.
This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Minto finally opens anticipated Harbour Isle Beach Club ."