Groundbreaking Takes Place at Bay Creek

As seen in the July 2003 issue of Where to Retire Magazine

Cape Charles, Virginia – As the dog days of summer 2003 were winding down, and heavy rains were finally replaced by a period of dry blazing temperatures, ground was broken and footings were laid for what may well be the most stunning home ever designed by William E. Poole. That's saying a lot considering the fact that, to date, over a million homes have been created in America by the noted home designer, known to many as the "Dream Merchant."

The spectacular setting for the Showcase Home is Heron Pointe, one of numerous unique villages unfolding within the gated community of Bay Creek Golf and Marina Resort, in Cape Charles on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The heavily wooded village is located at the point where the sparkling waters of Old Plantation Creek flow together with the wide expanse of the Chesapeake Bay, skirted by a rim of white sandy strips of beach. The designs for the Showcase Home have been carefully scrutinized and fine tuned over many months, as all parties involved in the evolution of this project are determined to bring every aspect as close to perfection as is humanly possible.

The Showcase Home is not only an exclusive design developed specifically for Bay Creek, it also incorporates many of Poole's building material licensees, and will be filled with Poole furniture and accessories. In addition, it will be the site of the exclusive debut of Poole's new line of teak and wicker outdoor and casual furniture which won prestigious awards at the Chicago Home Show this past fall. The outdoor furniture is being manufactured by Laneventure. A Grand Opening of the Showcase Home will be held sometime in 2004.

The development team for this project is an impressive one. Dick Foster is the visionary man behind the overall development of Bay Creek. Foster fell in love with the land from the moment he laid eyes on it years ago. His unbridled passion to create a community worthy of the unequalled natural setting is the force that drives all members of the Bay Creek team to the highest levels of excellence. To design his golf courses, Foster chose Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, both known not only for their legendary careers and their renowned design talents, but also for their personal integrity.

In order to bring the quality of the home designs to a comparable standard, Foster sought out William E. Poole. "Initially, Bill was reluctant to get involved much at all, other than to provide a few designs," stated Foster. "He had worked with other developers to design entire neighborhoods in the past, but he didn't want to take on another commitment at that level. But once he and his wife Jean visited Bay Creek, they were as enchanted as I was with the quality of the land, the setting in the historic town of Cape Charles, and the relaxed nature of the Eastern Shore lifestyle."

So in the summer of 2002, barely a year after the grand opening of the Palmer course, Poole agreed not only to design a neighborhood at Bay Creek, but to forge a major alliance with Bay Creek and thereby create the first-ever William E. Poole Signature Community, with all the individual neighborhoods embraced into the Poole design standards.

Poole's excitement over the Showcase Home is palpable. In a recent letter to Dick Foster, Poole said, "I just wanted you to let you know the responses I'm getting to our Bay Creek Showcase Home. Basically, almost to the man, people in the industry flip over this home!" He went on to exclaim it was, "the best project that I have ever been involved in–it certainly is the most exciting!"

Lifelong resident of Hampton Roads, Jim Monaco of Monaco Homes, is the builder of the Showcase Home. Monaco's excitement is a tangible as the rest of the team's. "As a third generation builder, working on the Showcase home allows us to achieve the utmost quality. The Poole homes all exude quality inside and out. They are homes that capture all the style, charm and romance of yesterday, my grandfather's day," declared Monaco. "Yet they incorporate the best of today's technology as well as the most modern materials. The Showcase Home will endure well into the future and become a true legacy."

The Showcase Home is one of at least ten different Poole homes rising up this year in various villages at Bay Creek. Several will soon be completed, including the Salisbury in Signature Village, and the Homestead, both by Monaco Homes. Other Poole homes being built in the Signature this year include the Arlington, the Cape Charles and the Chesapeake Bay by Creative Development II; Culpepper Cottage, Saybrook and Virginia Farm House by Schneider Bennett. Poole homes being built in the Hollies are the Seaside by Boytos and Boytos, and the Drum Bay by Monaco Homes.