News

Intrawest's latest condominium/hotel in the Village at Blue Mountain will be the only one of nine planned residential buildings at the resort to feature a spa. The amenity has not only been overdue at the project, says Debbie Lafave, director of sales and marketing, but in the region as well.

"The area has grown leaps and bounds and yet there hasn't been a spa to satisfy the growing demand," Ms. Lafave says. "Our resort is one where it's not just about the mountains. . . . We're making sure we've got great things for people [all year round]."

The four-storey condo/hotel -- called Mosaïc at Blue -- will be part of a 32-acre, multimillion-dollar development to expand the mountain resort, which is about two hours north of Toronto, just outside of Collingwood.

The resort includes a pedestrian village with shops and restaurants, a conference centre, a freshwater pond, and four condo/hotels at the base of the mountain.

An aquatic centre and four more condo/hotels will be built by the time the project is completed, expected to be by 2010.

Mosaïc will have a total of 160 residences, with the first 81 released only to preregistered people. They will have an opportunity to purchase units during a one-day sale event on Saturday, April 8.

The 5,000-square-foot spa at Mosaic will offer massages, an exercise room, a heated pool with water jets, a lap pool, an all-season outdoor hot tub, and restaurants,.

At Mosaïc, owners also have the option of using their suites up to 120 days a year, and putting them into the hotel rental pool the rest of the time to generate income. "It may not carry their whole mortgage, but it certainly covers their operating costs," says Ms. Lafave, who adds that 95 per cent of the 800 owners now in the village take advantage of the program.

Homeowners can exchange their time at affiliated Intrawest resorts, from Whistler Blackcomb in Whistler, B.C., to similar places in the French Alps. They also can receive priority tee times at the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay on Georgian Bay -- the first Raven-branded course in Canada, which will open later this year.

There are 20 floor plans available at Mosaïc, from bachelors to three-bedroom designs, some with dens or lofts.Suites will have gas fireplaces, and balconies or terraces. Each will be finished with an upscale, chalet-chic decor, and be fully furnished with everything from cutlery and linens to a television.

Also available will be lockable in-suite storage closets, private ski lockers and underground parking.

Occupancy is scheduled for June, 2007.

Mosaïc at Blue

Location: Blue Mountain

Builder/developer: Intrawest

Price: $199,900 to $619,900

Square footage: 409 to 1,193

Sales centre: 220 Jozo Weider Blvd., Collingwood. Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a sales centre in the village next to Starbucks, open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact: 1-888-OWN BLUE (1-888-696-2583) or http://www.mosaicatblue.com