A new waterfront townhouse development in Muskoka, Ont. is looking to bring people closer to nature.
Luna Bay by RAM Development Group is located on the southernmost tip of Muskoka on Sparrow Lake on 53 acres.
What sets Luna Bay apart is its unique proposition as both a retreat and a smart investment, Russell Jacobson, principal of RAM, told the Daily Commercial News.
“Owning a cottage on a lakefront in Muskoka has become very expensive and there are people who don’t want to go to the cottage every week and cut the grass and make the beds and clean up and have the hassle of maintaining two homes,” said Jacobson.
The project was inspired by a style of ownership which is popular in the Caribbean where people own condos, but only visit for part of the year and the rest of the year have them looked after and rented out on their behalf by an onsite management team.
“You have onsite management and what that ultimately does with the rental program is it naturally leads to the property being way cheaper to hold and, in certain cases, in fact a profitable venture depending on how much you use it,” Jacobson noted.
Design echoes natural surroundings
The team spent three years looking for the right piece of property.
The development would feature 60 townhouse units. Jacobson said the site is big enough to fit all the amenities but also small enough to feel exclusive and not crowded not like a huge complex. It’s also a 90-minute drive from Toronto.
“We really wanted create a boutique retreat,” said Jacobson. “We found a property which is west facing which makes a huge difference, if you’ve ever been on a lake in terms of the beautiful sunset views. This has an extensive 150-foot beach area which is also unique in that kind of setting.”
The units were designed by ATA Architects. Jacobson said the team coined the phrase “Nordic zen” to describe the design inspiration.
“There is extensive use of pine in the ceilings, an exposed roof with pine which extends from the inside out and you have the black natural granite, so we have black trim in our design,” said Jacobson. “You have this natural wood with the black trim to give you that feeling that it’s echoing really the surroundings, so that you kind of feel you’re in nature. We want to preserve that. The entire wall of the property top to bottom facing the lake is all glass so it really is an indoor-outdoor experience.”
The development also includes around 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor resort-style amenities such as hiking trails, swimming pools, a restaurant, a year-round heated plunge pool, 200-foot private beach, boat slips, sauna, in-suite spa services, fire pits, a kids’ game room and a golf simulator room.
Developer looks to break ground in 2025
The project has received zoning approval from the Town of Gravenhurst and the team is about to submit for detailed site plan approval.
They anticipate breaking ground in the fall of 2025.
“We know what we’re building and we have all of the detailed drawings, but we haven’t started going out to look for bids in terms of the construction as yet,” Jacobson said.
“We’d like to finalize our site plan, get final approval on that because that would then approve all of our infrastructure.
“We’d like to have them all lined up so we then have a full package that’s available for folks that might be interested in working in that area.”
There is an existing resort on the site which was built in 1907, however, it’s no longer functioning or operating. It closed down during COVID-19.
“One of the thoughts is during the construction process to leave some of those buildings up until the construction is finished because maybe there might be some trades who might want to stay there,” said Jacobson. “I don’t know if it’s possible yet because it might not be that easy to recommission those buildings and get them up and running. We’d like to use local to the extent that they are available, but a project this size will definitely require some input from the larger trades that might come from the GTA.”
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