Blue Mountain - Windfall

  One of the seemingly exciting new residential projects on the horizon in the Collingwood/Blue Mountain area is “Windfall.” Located north-west of the intersection of Osler Bluff Road and Mountain Road on 148 acres, Windfall is the vision of Replay Resorts and Georgian International.

  Based in Vancouver, Replay Resorts is headed by former Intrawest CEO Joe Houssian. Under Houssian’s leadership, Intrawest became a leading developer of ski and other resorts most notable in Canada for Whistler Blackcomb and Mount Tremblant as well as a partner in Blue Mountain Resorts and the creator of the Village at Blue. While not a global destination resort by anyone’s standards, Houssian and his partners obviously see the potential offered by southern Georgian Bay and Blue Mountain given the millions of people that reside in the GTA and within a 4 or 5 hour drive of the area ie: New York State and Michigan etc.

  Georgian International, a local business entity is best known for its involvement in the automotive business in Barrie via Georgian Chevrolet Buick GMC, Georgian BMW and MINI Georgian. They are also in the aircraft business and own the Barrie Colts hockey club in addition to their real estate division.

  Windfall promises to be a planned community that will co-exist harmoniously with its surroundings in what the developers describe as an “eco-considerate development” and will feature a forested trail system, significant parkland, a restored wetland and other community oriented amenities.

  Having recently attended a REALTOR® preview of the development, I can say that the developers of Windfall appear to have the right foresight in offering what many of today’s buyers for real estate in this location want. Too often, we see projects in the area that are architecturally out-of-synch with our surroundings. Given the increasingly popularity of southern Georgian Bay, developers from the GTA and elsewhere seem to have the attitude “built-it and they will come.” Too often, developers exercise little in the way of design creativity and simply replicate what they may have built in the city. The result, a product offering that is too urban for this environment and often meets with buyer resistance.

  Windfall’s initial offering of “Mountain Homes” will consist of single family homes that based on artist renderings, reflect and compliment the natural surroundings at the base of Blue Mountain. I’m no architectural critic, but having had extensive dealings with the buying public, I’ve come to know what consumers are looking for in southern Georgian Bay real estate. Too often, developers in this area are missing the mark. Windfall however I feel good about and I believe the buying public will as well. For additional information on this exciting new project, please do not hesitate to contact me: rickcrouch@propertycollingwood.com