Plaza del Mar

The Club House Advances, Wow!

2009-02-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Our last view of the Club House left us waiting to see and wanting to see more. The shear structure, while impressive, still left room for imagination and, of course, finishing of construction. Pictured here are some time stamped photos of the Club House so you can appreciate the monumental task that has been undertaken to complete this incredible amenity at Plaza del Mar Beachfront!

June, 2007

August, 2007

February, 2008

August, 2008

The above are views of the drastic cosmetic changes made to the Club House up until August of 2008. The below picture shows the pool deck in November of 2008. The sunset is included and presented on a daily basis with varying tones and cloud formations! Now lets spring forward to January of 2009! Happy New Year..! No, the following photo is not an artist rendition, it's an actual photo taken on January 31, 2009; I should know, I took it.

Hey, I was impressed at the quality of the picture, not to mention the construction that struts out amongst the back drop of the mountains. If you like that take a look at the following set of pictures of the pool deck:

Of course, what's a pool deck without a proper barbeque area. The best kept secret to date has been the advancement of the squash/racquetball courts. Take a look at the quality of this work! If you don't play already this will make you want to go out and buy a racket!

Complete with a viewing area! So if you're a player or a spectator come on by and get a private tour of the entire facility. Afterwards, stick around and enjoy the fantastic sandy beach and beautiful sunsets. SALUD!

Picnic Lunch

2008-09-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ocean View Picnic Area

Bring your lunch!

The developers at Plaza del Mar have constructed two picnic benches in the federal zone of lots 19 and 20 on the oceanfront. These tables are there for the use of all our great owners and their guest. So bring your picnic basket, a bottle of your favorite wine and come enjoy a gorgeous Baja sunset in the comfort of these benches!

Green Areas in Bloom

As time passes the planted green areas at Plaza del Mar Beachfront have begun to bloom. There is still more to come but what has been put in place is adding charm and beauty to our favorite development. Next time you're in the area come take a walk around the development and enjoy the growing bloom.

Home Construction Well Under Way

2008-08-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

At Plaza del Mar Beachfront the infrastructure has been complete since November of 2007. With the infrastructure done, which includes, water, electric, sewage and telephone, the door was opened for property owners to begin construction of their Baja retreats on one of the most exclusive beach front properties in the Rosarito Ensenada corridor!

With approval to proceed a hand full of owners have started with the design of their homes. For quite sometime it was thought that the design of the home featured on this BLOG (Lot 56, Block IVB) would be the first construction. However, some desired design changes have delayed the start of construction.

The developer at Plaza del Mar had always planned on constructing some homes to sell. And it is them whom broke ground in June on a two story home on Lot 59 of block IVB indicated below.

This particular lot offers a 2nd row oceanview home to be build. The rise from Privada de la Playa to Avenidad de la Playa is about 15 feet. The architects elected to construct a 3,000 SqFt Mediterranean design featuring 3 BR, 2.5 baths and magnificent ocean view terraces from the Living Room, Master Bedroom and rooftop terrace.

A beautiful Copula has been placed over the dining room giving the home a more open and bright appearance.

Stop by next time you're in the area and take a tour of the first home in Plaza del Mar! It is for sale for so ask about pricing and financing options!

The developer has also broken ground on still a second home. This home is located on lot 20 IVF, on the beachfront adjacent to the beach access stairs. Plans have not yet been delivered, but the foundation is in process as shown in the photo below. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. Who will be next?

A bit of History

2008-05-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from the book titled Baja Legends by Greg Niemenn published in 2002. It’s just a bit of historical information that may serve you to impress friends! For more information on the book and where to acquire it visit the web site:

http://books.google.com.mx/books?id=35WQOduN1F4C
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~~~~~~~~R O S A R I T O A N D T H E G O L D C O A S T ~~~~~~ ~~

PLAZA DEL MAR
Steve McQueen Sought Cancer Cure
On the bluff a mile or so north of La Fonda Restaurant are what appear to be pre-Columbian statues and a pyramid resembling a Mayan temple. The replicas, on a slight hill next to the Plaza del Mar Resort, were constructed not a millennium ago, but in 1975.
The place was originally a clinic, more specifically a laetrile clinic, where cancer patients could make one final attempt to find a cure after all other avenues had been exhausted. Not legal in the United States, the controversial treatment still attracted those but with a few strands of hope remaining.
One early patient was the popular actor Steve McQueen. Born in Indiana in 1930, McQueen starred in Great Escape, The Sand Pebbles (for which he received and Academy Award nomination), Bullitt (in which he met his wife Ali McGraw), Papillon, and others.
From a troubled youth, McQueen served in the U.S. Marines and always enjoyed living life to the fullest, riding motorcycles and racing cars. He became the highest paid and most popular star of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
By 1980, McQueen had contracted mesothelioma, a rare and painful form of lung cancer. One of the main causes is asbestos, a substance the actor had been around much of his life.
In fact, while in the Aleutian Islands with the Marine Corps, McQueen had been sentenced to six weeks in the brig, where he was assigned a work detail in the engine room of a ship. He had to rip out and replace the asbestos lining on the pipes. He later complained that at times the air was so thick with asbestos particles that the men could hardly breathe.
By the time the cancer is detectable, the patient usually has just months to live. After being told his condition was inoperable, he went to Baja and underwent a three-month crash program at what was then called the American Biologics-Mexico SA Medical Center. At Plaza del Mar, McQueen was housed in a double wide trailer near the bluff top. Some of the old-timers there can show visitors the exact trailer.
His treatment included the powerful B-17, or laetrile, animal cell injections, over 100 vitamin pills a day, diet and exercise. Unfortunately, it did him little good. While laetrile clinics have had some anecdotal successes reported, there has been little documented evidence to those claims.
McQueen’s condition deteriorated and he left the Plaza del Mar to another part of Mexico. There he died on Nov. 7, 1980 at age 50 after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
The Plaza del mar has been a hotel with tennis courts, swimming pool, restaurant, and bar. Twice it has been a clinic. The statues out front look hundreds of years old, and the temple, which has been recently repainted, looks like the Mayan Chichén Itzá.
The Plaza del Mar doesn’t contain the history the artifacts suggest it might. But it was the place where actor Steve McQueen tried to save his life.

Spring Arrives

2008-04-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

As the chill of winter leaves the air the color and warmth of spring starts to show it's splendor. Advancements at Plaza del Mar are more subtle, not because they're not occuring, but because the services infrastucture is complete. Water, sewage, electric and telephone are all in place to the curb of each lot, the flagstone streets are complete and sidewalks are in process. The sidewalks are being decorated with beach rock accents that gives them a touch of class.

The Club House has progressed along and is looking like the finished product. Painting has started, and we hope to show a more completed exterior in the next blog report.
In the news area the first project has been submitted to the architectural committee for review. It will be delayed a bit due to required changes in the design; they overshot the height limitation by almost 3 meters!

The completion of the infrastruction was officially announced in November of 2007. Since that date all owners have the freedom to start construction of their homes. Three projects are currently in process and as time passes more and more will start. I'm certain that before long we'll have several homes on site.

The beauty of the Plaza del Mar beach, it's rustic landscape and incredible sunsets continues to astonish us. There are so many different view points, colors and skies that each sunset, sunrise or night moon is unique. Come and enjoy one...!

Plaza del Mar on Google Earth

2008-03-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now local real estate sales and business people have used, or tried to use Google Earth to pin point locations throughout the Northern Baja coastline. Unfortunately, the satellite pictures of the area south of Popotla (Fox Studios area) down to Ensenada were of poor quality and for the most part useless for assisting in locating condo, lot or home developments along the corridor. That is, until now!!!

Google Earth has upgraded the pictures of the area and you can now zoom in close enough to see the coastline, developments, homes and even residential lots. While the satellite view is a great tool the photos are 2-3 years old. BUT WOW! Below is the view of Plaza del Mar Beachfront.

If you go to Google Earth you can use their tools to zoom in even closer!

Winter Time!

2008-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

We were asked recently for some pictures that depict the holiday season or Winter in Baja. Clicking through the multitudes of pictures we have taken I couldn't really see one that exemplified the holiday, not one; so I sat down and thought about it, "is there a picture I can take at Plaza del Mar that exemplifies the holiday season?" Without decorating a palm or hiring a Santa, the answer was an emphatic "no".

That determined, I set out on a quest to depict winter at Plaza del Mar. Looking through many more photos and taking still more I found some that are winter photos but could be mistaken otherwise. Nonetheless, with a bit of an intro they are Winter photos.

In December we had some strong Santa Ana winds (Santa Ana winds are strong winds, typically in Southern California, that blow on shore from the desert mountains) that created a spectacle of dust, an ocassional tumbleweed and a high surf capped with even higher sprays of white water. Could this be a Baja winter photo?

Creating the feel of a cold dark night is a challenge in Baja. However, the recent completion of the streetlights afforded us the opportunity to demonstrate Winter in just that fashion. The mist skewing the light on a cool December evening,
..............can you feel it!

A Plaza del Mar Winter can also be potentially demonstrated by the Winter sunsets. They vary in color and, most importantly, will almost always include a winter moon in the southwest sky.

While the cold of a winter night can be seen in the dark colors of a sunset and demonstrated by the Winter moon this last picture showed more than expected. Taken on December 24th while showing the property to some clients this picture captured a colorful moon lit evening and........can it be that we captured the spirit of the holiday amongt the palm trees.....well, that's for each of us to decide.

Wishing everyone had a pleasant Holiday season and all a GREAT 2008!

Club House Update

2007-09-24T17:22:00.001-07:00

The Plaza del Mar Club House has progressed rapidly since construction started in June. On this early photo taken on June 28th the construction crews had just started to lay in the foundation and only the vague location of the building could be seen.

Within a couple of weeks the structure could be seen to start to stretch upwards. Certainly, it made my job easier by pointing at the "I" beams, that could be seen from the office, to show clients the location of the Club House. And although it could be located there was still no shape or form that even resembled the final product.

In this latest, September 23rd, photo there is a definite framework of the end design that can be seen. additionally, you can see in the following photo that I was able to climb to the pool level and take a few more pictures showing the incredible view of the pacific from that height!

The last photo shows the artist conceptual drawing of the Club House; still a ways to go!!

The Tide Pools of Plaza del Mar

2007-09-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

The pacific tides rise and fall with the precision of a swiss watch and in synch, like a texas two step, with the phases of the moon. With the high tide comes the glistening white foam of the crashing surf against the rocks of the most northerly part of the beach, and to some extend at the southern rocky jetty going towards the campground. At the north end as the surf creeps in you start to see a change on some of the rocks along the beach. The green slippery moss will become more prominent and contrast with the rising waters. As it gets rockier and the tide higher, pools start to form creating havens for all the seas critters. Small shallow pools form first and then larger more prominent areas start to stir with white water.

As you work your way into the more rocky areas and the tide continues to rise the vegetation on the rocks sprouts in varying colors between the jagged edges of the many rocks; creating a splendid garden of seaweed and other plant life. The eco systems wonder comes to life as the many crustations on the rocks start to appear, the mussels, crabs and the undisturbed sea urchants peeking through the cool waters of the late afternoon.

These are only but a few of many of the pacifics spendors that are brought to shore at Plaza del Mar. A small token from mother natures pallette, but a huge world for children of all ages to explore amongst the sandy beaches of Baja.

First Home Construction Project

2007-08-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Advancements in many areas of Plaza del Mar are made on a daily basis. With construction of the Club House, installation of the perimeter walls and the continued installation of the flagstone streets there are visible changes on a daily basis.

One BIG occurrence that is still not visible is the design of what looks like will be the first home constructed at Plaza del Mar. The proud owners of lot 56, block IVB (pointed out below) have started the design of their home, received permission to start building and are only awaiting the completion of the final project plans to be delivered to the architectural committee to review. Once approved by the committee they will begin construction.

The lot being utilized for the construction of this home is an end lot in a section that allows the home to have three stories within a height limitation of 9 meters(30 ft). The plot shows the different viewing angles indicated by the numbers on the plot and their corresponding photo.

Photo number one(1) shows the home as viewed from the east as one enters the development. The lot at Avenida de la Playa is approximately 3 meters (10 ft) higher than at Privada de la Playa. Hence the appearance that the home is two stories as viewed from the east. The design is very open with wide entry walkways and numerous green areas creating an inviting open and bright home.

On Photo number two(2) it becomes evident that the home is three stories and that it is in a beach front community. This is indicated by the large windows throughout providing ocean views from inside the house and is also shown by the terraces located over the garage, outside the master and the rooftop. The designs continuity is evident with the continued green spaces and very open view of the home.

Photo number(3) now shows more clearly the attached 2 car garage, the terrace over the garage itself and the additional green areas on the west side of the home.

And finally, photo number four (4) gives us a peek of the side access on the south side of the home to allow more space and natural light from all sides of the home.

The home was designed by Arq. Eduardo Castañeda and will be constructed by Arq. Renato Jaramillo, and although it as designed with the community CC&R's in mind, it has yet to be approved by the architectural committee or the city. The design is subject to change to insure compliance to all restrictions and to accommodate the likes and dislikes of the owners.

Palm Trees Arrive

2007-07-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Plaza del Mar Gardening folks brought in a few surprises this week when they showed up with a total of 12 grown palm trees that were placed throughout the development.

Each palm was delivered by truck and then carefully put into place as desired. man and machine teamed up to get all of them straight with the blue pacific as a back drop.

The first palm raised was located at the entrance to the development; coincidentally, next to the first transformer installed a couple of weeks ago. After that the palms were installed in groups of three, 3 in the center around the area of lot 106; not more than 100 meters from the entrance to the development. Three more at the southwestern corner of the property. These three just begging for a hammock, palapa and cold beer to enjoy alongside the cliff. The summer breeze in your face, the hor sun scorching the earth and the sound of the ocean down below; Ahhhh, I can just taste it!

At the Beac access point the landscaping crew planted two more palms and, as they did on some of the others, they planted clinging vines along side which will grow to cover the base of the palms creating a somewhat tropical look.

lastly they planted a row of three palms alon the northern most section of Block IV alon the area of lots 9, 10 and 11. They three stand tall and proud with the crashing white water in the background alon the cliffs of Plaza del Mar's Pyramid section.

The landscaping crew was very busy this week or, at the very least, they managed to change the skyline of the development. Other projects, like the club house, keep on making progress!

The Club House Cometh

2007-07-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

The Club House at Plaza del Mar has been totally redesigned. All the amenities remain the same, but the architecture was modified to make it a more contemporary Mediterranean architecture. There was two artist renditions created to show the final product. Truly the amenities just ooze out of this design!! The heated pool, jacuzzi, sun deck and observation tower are all visible; BUT; can you see the bar stools at the bar adjacent to the game room? Also hidden beneath the pool are the 2 squash courts, gym, sauna and spa. Can you spell re-lax-a-tion!

The 2nd rendition was intended to capture the serenity of the Plaza del Mar beach from the lookout point at the jacuzzi level! You can feel the cool ocean air and certainly hear the power of the waves!

Construction of the Club House began about a month ago. It is rapidly progressing through the initial phases and signs of a real building are starting to show. This initial picture was taken when all you could see was a foundation on June 28th, 2007. At this point only a portion of the foundation was complete. The last photo was taken on the 13th of July; Wow, some obvious progress can be seen. We'll keep you posted as progress continues on this and all the other projects going on in the development. All with the objective of making ownership in this beachfront community a cut above the rest!

Plaza del Mar - Progress is Evident

2007-07-12T15:26:00.001-07:00

Through the months of work here at Plaza del Mar we have witnessed the accomplishment of many construction objectives. Some of them very subtle, others glaringly obvious and still others monumental. Irregardless the progress proves the commitment that the developers have to the completion of the project and the way of life that this incredible beachfront community has to offer.

The entrance was adorned with an illuminated stainless steel sign showing the high end quality of the development and proudly demonstrating its name and logo. The sign was installed in a period of three days during which all the electrical, lighting and letters were mounted over the entrance. Now complete it welcomes owners, visitors and would be owners to this fine community.

More recently the garden crew was very busy. They started by sprucing up the garden area around the sales office and then the small rotary at the entrance. A little TLC accomplished alot! The palm trees stand more erect and the stone accents add personality to the work. Additionally, the succulents that were planted are seperated from the palms allowing for warmer soil around each tree. This is a common practice since palm trees thrive in a warmer environment. Gardening has also been done outside the entrance to the development to help brighten up the area. Much more work is planned in the near future to complete the entire area. This and the area around the beach access point are the two bigger gardening projects planned in the coming months.

One of the projects that has been ongoing since the onset is the installation of the flagstone on all the streets. The process of adding each stone is painstaking and hardwork. A team of four stone masons works together leveling the roads, mixing cement, selecting the stones and then carefully placing each stone in its place. Still another "abañil" (mason) fills the spaces with cement to complete the setting of each stone. Since the beginning of the year they have completed Avenida del La Playa in the center section and Privada de La Playa from the club house to about 60% of the way to the southern cul de sac. Additionally, both the roads connecting Avenida and Privada de la Playa have been completed.

Advancing in rapid pace is the installation of electrical and telephone. We've witnessed the installation of the plumbing for the wiring and now we're witnessing the wiring going into place. Just this week the transfromers were put into place! There was also the construction of some strange looking aparatasus to say the least. At first glance they looked like barbecues! After a closer look and asking the proper authorities we realized that they were the street lights. The objective is to install no poles; hence low level street lights are being installed throughout the development.

Gardening, flagstone, electrical and streetlights all show great signs of progress but, on our next discussion we'll talk about the advancements being made on the Club House and the sewage treatment plant!

Plaza del Mar - The Subtleties We Miss

2007-07-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

At Plaza Del Mar Beachfront you will find the beauty that has been created to fascinate us with the work of our creator. The blue green of the magnificent pacific; with its thundering surf pounding against the rocks, it's warm sandy beach nipping at the bottom of your feet, and the moist sand of the tide pools squishing between your toes. The more obvious daily passing of the dolphins and porpoises and the brave surfers who dare to challenge the majesty of the sea. All this and we often miss the subtleties that nature bestows upon us with a delicate gesture. The hidden treasures of color present in the local fauna illuminates our senses with the variety of the local desert and the contrast of the pacific. Sometimes the radiance jumps out in minute sprinkles of color and others it brightens the entire landscape. The many sounds of the Baja coast entertain our audio senses. The singing of the birds, crashing of the waves, the rolling of the rocks on the beach and the splashing of the birds and sea life that bounce in and out of the water. All this in stark contrast with the cactus and catus flowers that decorate many parts of the development. Whether it's the wild daisy, the accidental germanium or the natural catus, the fauna of the area is ever present at Plaza del Mar and lends to its subtle beauty and sense of relaxation. Come and enjoy the splendor of Baja, the air of beachfront and the essence of oceanfront living at Plaza del Mar Beachfront Residential!