Salt Pond Construction

[stltimmy]

Good Afternoon Gang,

Can anyone confirm that the construction for Salt Pond Club is still on standby?

While I know that any development of large complexes is considered an eyesore on STJ, how much does this impact the view from your villa? I know this is relative based on the villa, but can it distract that much from the view?

TIA

Tim

[Diana2]

Pond Bay is still at a standstill the last I heard.

[stltimmy]

Oops, I meant Pond Bay Club!

I have heard the same that its at a standstill. Just curious if it really detracts from your view enough for it to sway your villa selection...

Thanks,

Tim

[liamsaunt]

In the case of Pond Bay, construction is stopped but the outer shells of most if not all of the buildings are complete. So it is not as much of an eyesore as it could be. I believe there are still many large containers on the site. Because of the siting of Pond Bay, you would look over the site and out to the ocean in most cases.

[BeAsUR]

Just returned yesterday from our villa that overlooks the construction....the construction has stopped- developer ran out of money...however, yesterday there was some activity down there...workers walking around. If we wanted to , swe could see all this....but we never looked at it....just out to the sea...it did not distract from the beauty at all....I guess if you do not look out to the sea, you could see it...

[pjayer]

I saw Pond Bay from the water in April, and quite honestly, I found it depressing. There was no activity and no landscaping giving it the appearance of an abandoned ghost town. If I had a choice between two equal villas and one didn't directly overlook Pond Bay, that is the one I would pick. However, if the deal were sweet enough on a great villa, I would be tempted to take the good deal and avert my eyes from the Pond Bay property. Regular doses of rum might soften the scene, especially if you'll be spending most of your time at the beach anyway.

[Lulu76]

Last time I stayed in a villa overlooking Pond Bay, the construction was in full swing. I was more annoyed by the noise than the view. As someone else mentioned, you can just look over it at the ocean, and the views can still be pretty amazing depending on where your villa is located.

I can see how it could be depressing, but I wouldn't give up my "dream" villa because of it. And I definitely wouldn't pass up a good deal on a villa because of it. But if I had two equal villas and one had a view of Pond Bay, I would probably pick the other. Just because it ruins some of your pictures.

[papabou]

for our 1st 2 trips to stj, we stayed in villas that had wonderful views of hart bay, the mouth of choc hole, the view to stt over the maria bluff neck, and the salt pond and vegetation between pond and choc hole beach. went back to 1st villa in dec 07. still lovely views over hart, the greenery that blocked the view of choc hole was gone so could see entire bay and the moored sailboats BUT looking over a major construction site that was a real pock.

i feel for the villa owners who have been significantly impacted but if and when the development is completed, the lower choc hole villas will have a view of the beach and east end of choc hole they didn't have before. not perfect but many will find better. higher villas will look over not a salt pond and brush that blocked their beach view but rather a beach front development like the vigin grand villas overlook the westin. not having lower level development maybe reason many like catherinesburg.

papabou

[Berlingirl]

We were above it in April. Looked at the development like a blemish on the landscape. Developers have really hacked up STJ in the decade we've been going. If the developments under construction were finished, it might be another thing though.

[linda]

I am looking at Sea View Villa by Seaview Homes. If anyone is familiar with this villa, can you please tell me if it is close to Pond Bay construction? The photos of the villa on website may be old and I am not totally familiar with exactly where the project is. Thanks.

Link to villa pics:

http://www.seaviewhomes.com/seaview.htm

[Lulu76]

From that picture of the view of the pool, you would see it there.

Let me see if I have some pictures of the construction from when I was there. We were higher up and it was at a different angle, and I don't know how far along they were when they quit, but it might give you an idea of how much of an eyesore it is.

Honestly, the only thing that really bothered me was the noise, which there won't be if they aren't working. It's not pretty, but some of the views from that villa look like the vegetation blocks the view of the contstruction mess.