Nestled among 565 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence in
The Bahamas, Albany is best described as a masterpiece in the making.
Celebrating the very best in island living, Albany will feature a luxury boutique hotel and approximately 325 residences that include beach-front, beach club and golf course custom homes, equestrian ranchettes, and luxurious marina residences designed by some of the most notable architects in the world. Combined with the finest amenities ever assembled in a resort community-including a mega-yacht marina, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by top pro golfer Ernie Els, an equestrian centre, beach club, and family water park - Albany is a showcase of natural beauty, architectural innovation, and exceptional amenities.
Scheduled to open in 2010, Albany is the collective vision of its developers, private investment company Tavistock Group and golf icons Tiger Woods and Ernie Els who wanted to create a special place in The Bahamas. The perfect setting for those who desire the epitome of luxury with direct access to the ocean, Albany has attracted families from across the globe.
“Albany has been designed to deliver something for everyone,” said Christopher Anand, Albany’s managing director. “The community has an array of amenities that appeal to every member of the family.
Albany’s location makes the resort community not only a perfect island escape, but an easy one, too. New Providence’s alluring landscape and rich Bahamian heritage coupled with its proximity to Nassau’s international airport (which offers several non-stop flights daily from major US and European cities) convinced Albany’s developers to build their luxury resort property there.
With construction underway on an assortment of Albany’s world-class amenities and its luxury boutique hotel, a vision that is several years in the making moves closer to reality.
Substantial construction has been completed on the Albany Cottages, the first 40 units that form the cornerstone of Albany’s luxury boutique hotel. Comprising three to five bedrooms, the cottages are inspired by traditional Bahamian architecture and offer charming outdoor living spaces, including private pools and gardens.
The 71-slip mega-yacht marina, that will accommodate vessels as large as 240 feet, will open in 2010. Once finished, the marina will rival the great resort ports of the world with a state-of-the-art concrete dock system, high-tech communication systems at each slip and one-touch dialing for access to resort amenities and services.
No sporting paradise would be complete without an extraordinary golf experience. Albany’s links-style championship course, which features four sets of tees measuring more than 7,400 yards from the back tees, will offer one of the purest golf experiences with fairways free of residential development. With rough grading complete, its irrigation system installed and grassing underway, the Els-designed golf course is beginning to take shape and will be ready for play in the first quarter of 2010.
“It’s an opportunity to create an instant classic that will be challenging for all levels of play,” Els said. “It will be demanding, but very enjoyable to play.”
Renovations on the Albany Beach Club, a 20-year-old beach-side mansion that overlooks the ocean, are also underway. Once complete, the beach club will serve as the heart beat of the community featuring an elegant dining room and second-floor adult lounge. A nearby family restaurant currently under construction will provide an ideal place for families to gather for breakfast, lunch, casual dinners, and special events.
A family water park, featuring an assortment of pools, slides, grottos, and waterfalls, is in the works. Construction on the Conch House, a supervised clubhouse just for kids, is also making headway. Outfitted with activity centres for various age groups and appointment-based child care, the Conch House can engage toddlers to teens.
Albany also broke ground on its enclave of northside amenities centred on sports, fitness, and relaxation. Health enthusiasts will find a fully-equipped fitness complex furnished with a lap pool, a boxing ring and best-in-class personal training equipment, and a racquet centre equipped with lighted Har-Tru tennis courts. The Albany Spa, a full-service spa outfitted with a salon and exquisite individual treatment pavilions for private services, is currently being built.
Beyond its luxury amenities, Albany will be recognized for its architectural distinction, offering a range of styles that will all stay true to the era that inspired their design.
A hallmark of Albany’s architectural merit is the unprecedented collection of design talent the developers assembled between world-renowned architects Robert A.M. Stern, Charles Gwathmey, Robert Siegel, Richard Sammons, Scott Merrill, Morris Adjmi, and Geoffrey Mouen.
The result is 100 well-appointed marina residences that will generously blend indoor and outdoor living spaces, setting a new standard for island living.
Priced from US$4 million to more than US$20 million, the marina residences range from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom penthouses with private swimming pools, each with exceptional views of the marina, ocean, and golf course.
Just steps from the beach, Albany’s Beachwalk custom lots have been designed to offer an enclave of residences with inviting front porches and courtyard gardens. Priced from US$1.5 million, these home lots will span a wide range of architectural styles. Albany’s Golf Course lots, also priced from US$1.5 million, will offer dramatic views of rolling greens, fairways, and lakes on the resort community’s core golf course. Surrounding the equestrian centre, the Ranchette custom home lots will be the largest properties. Ranging from three to five acres, the home sites are designed for horse enthusiasts and are priced from US$7 million.
Sales at Albany have been brisk, including demand for a collection of beachfront home lots that offer breathtaking views of the water. Priced from US$5.5 million to more than US$13 million, a handful of the home sites provide double waterfront views-north to the marina and south to the beach and ocean.
“It’s a pretty unique situation when you can say you already have 75 families from 12 countries represented as future residents of Albany,” Anand said. “Our long-term goal is to create an enduring resort community which sets a new quality standard.”
Whether you’re enjoying a round of golf or spending the day at Albany’s family water park, it’s easy to navigate this walkable, compact town that is seamlessly linked by paths that can be accessed by foot, bicycle, golf cart, and automobile. Designed by noted planner Andres Duany and Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, Albany’s master plan complements both the nature and architecture of the community.
“It’s more than the weather and the beach, and the fact that you can do sports,” Duany said. “Albany will be perfect beyond anything you can find at home or in a resort. It will be utopia.”
Defined by its incomparable setting, amenities, services, and architecture, Albany (www.albanybahamas.com) is destined to be the type of resort community families will visit again and again.
