Pointe Vista Breaks Ground for Resort
December 6th, 2009
Representatives with the Pointe Vista residential and resort community near Kingston announced the first phase of a long-range plan to redevelop the former Lake Texoma Lodge area during a meeting at the Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club on Friday.
Pointe Vista and local community representatives along with state officials also participated in a groundbreaking event at the lodge to signal the start of activity on the project.
“It was six years ago when we first started talking about where we are today,” said State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm.
The plan unveiled is part of a long-range, multi-year initiative to develop a more competitive tourism destination on the Oklahoma shore of Lake Texoma. The developments are expected to bring in new jobs and investments to the area.
“What makes this so exciting is that we are investing in our future, in Oklahoma,” said Scott Fischer, MBA Chief Operating Officer for Pointe Vista Development, LLC.
In respect to the history of the area, a historical marker will be placed near the old lodge site, officials said.
“We have great respect for the history of the area and wanted to honor the past while we set our sights on a new exciting future,” said Fischer.
Demolition work on the old lodge and related structures began on Friday and will take approximately four to six months to complete. Keeping conservation in mind, at the end of the project, approximately 65 percent of the materials will be recycled from the demolition including the copper, iron and aluminum in the structure.
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Pointe Vista at Lake Texoma will be a master-planned residential lake community featuring a variety of small to large lakefront properties and luxury resort amenities, including a conference center, hotel, golf courses, and a marina. The community is expected to cover 3,000 acres requiring an investment of $750 million and generate a multi-billion-dollar economic impact on the local area and the state.
“I’m excited about the vision that people have for the Lake Texoma area,” said Lt. Gov. Jari Askins. “We are blazing new trails.”
“The initial 36 months of project work will focus on engineering, infrastructure, and initial phases of residential construction,” said Fischer.
A luxury hotel and conference center will then follow the opening phase.
Twelve to 18 months of planning and design of the infrastructure has begun and will continue throughout the demolition. A portion of the infrastructure must be in place before they can commence construction of the initial phases of the residential community, which they hope to begin within the next two years, according to Fischer. The building of the infrastructure will follow the completion of the engineering and design work.
Pointe Vista currently owns and operates Chickasaw Pointe Golf Course and Catfish Bay Marina. Plans call for the purchase of an additional 1,122 acres pending completion of the environmental impact study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the creation of an additional 18-hole golf course on the south side of Highway 70. Improvements to the Chickasaw Pointe Golf Course are also planned, along with upgrades and expansion of the marina.
“We want this project to serve as a strong engine for sustained economic advancement for many decades,” said Fischer. “To put it simply, we are excited about the future.”
Candice Budgick, Staff Writer - The Durant Daily Democrat