AmbergrisCaye.com
Welcome to The Phoenix, a luxurious condominium resort being built
on Ambergris Caye, Belize and in the town of San Pedro.
If you're looking for...
...an exclusive beachfront condo overlooking the Caribbean to call home
...an income-producing rental property of quality construction and innovative design
...real estate in a location with a strong likelihood to appreciate greatly in value
Now is the time. This is the place.
The Investment Section of our website
is the best place to start learning more about what The Phoenix offers.
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Overview
When setting out to design The Phoenix, our team was intent on building something beautiful as well as something never done before in San Pedro. Our vision was to bring a style of architecture pioneered in Central America by Luis Barragan and Ricardo Legorreta, which focused on integrating external architecture, interior design, and landscaping with the natural beauty of the land. We hired an accomplished architect and industrial engineer, Gui Trotti, someone world traveled and intimately familiar with the architecture of our region, to help us realize this vision.
The Elements of Design
The design of The Phoenix borrows from Barragan and Legorreta the powerful use of strong modern geometric forms and simple materials to create magnificent buildings. Both architects have striven to make their buildings look and feel like a beautiful and serene refuge, and the design of The Phoenix demonstrates the same intention.
Specifically, The Phoenix features the deeply recessed windows and doors that Legorreta employed that resemble “sculptural voids rather than reflective surfaces.” Meanwhile, our resort will offer square openings in each of the large, concrete walls like those of Barragan, blending privacy and framed vistas of the gardens and landscaping. The design of The Phoenix also contains wide, innovative fountains that flowed into large, sculpted pools and grand staircases, creatively lit to provide stunning night-time perspectives, similiar to the work of Barragan and Legorreta.
These architectural visionaries strove to create architecture in harmony with nature and the personality of local culture. In the same spirit, the innovative design of The Phoenix has adapted this rich architectural lineage to the beautiful landscapes and views of Ambergris Caye. The design of the Phoenix gives guests the privacy of a first class resort, while also allowing the opportunity to experience the incredible views of the Caribbean coastline through numerous, expansive windows and doors. This is one reason The Phoenix will stand apart from all other resorts in Belize.
The Architect of The Phoenix
Gui Trotti, the person helping us to realize this vision, has been President of Trotti and Associates since 1996 and has been in involved in architectural design for over 30 years. In addition to designing numerous homes and resorts across the world, as well as major theme park attractions and movie sets, Trotti and his design firms developed several elements of the International Space Station and were the winner of the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Architects competition for the design and master plan of the South Pole Station in 1990. Trotti’s work has been published in many international publications and he has been a frequent presenter at international conferences and Universities. His diverse and extensive background in design, as well as the passion he brings to his craft, make us proud have him involved in The Phoenix.
For more images of the architecture that inspired the design of The Phoenix, please visit our Photo Gallery.
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Where It All Began
Long before there was The Phoenix, Jerry McDermott stood and stared at the beautiful white sand and palm trees at the north edge of a small, sleepy fishing village on a picturesque island in the Caribbean. On the land stood a building used as a retreat many years before by a group of Catholic Nuns from the mainland of Belize. Jerry could still read the name they gave to their escape, colorfully painted on a piece of driftwood: The Paradise House.
Rather than being daunted by the absence of power or running water, the man who came to Belize in the late 1960s in search of oil saw a very different opportunity. Soon thereafter, Jerry and his wife Linda built The Paradise Resort Hotel, choosing the name in honor of the history of the land. It was the second hotel in the town of San Pedro and on the island of Ambergris Caye. It was also an opportunity to share this Caribbean island with friends, family, and many others—the same place they now called home.
Sharing The Dream
For the next 20 years, largely due to its lively owners and friendly atmosphere, The Paradise’s bar and dock were a favorite among locals, while its thatch cabanas were exactly the rustic getaway many of the first visitors to Ambergris Caye were looking for. It's no exagerration to say that the social life on the island revolved around The Paradise.
Because of the exposure The Paradise brought to Ambergris Caye and Belize, and his role in many other businesses on the island, Jerry McDermott is often cited as being the pioneer of tourism for San Pedro and Ambergris Caye.
After many enjoyable years of entertaining, the McDermott’s decided to sell The Paradise to pursue new entrepreneurial challenges on Ambergris Caye and in Belize.
Paradise Reborn
Amidst the success they achieved in other endeavors, ranging from real estate development to landscaping to home furnishing, the McDermott's desire to bring their first Belizean venture back to prominence never faded. When the opportunity arose, Jerry and Linda assembled a team of trusted family and friends—including their daughter Kelly, a successful businesswoman on Ambergris Caye—and reclaimed The Paradise Resort Hotel. Yet, just as the island had changed a great deal over the past 15 years, so, too, had their vision of the living experience they wanted to provide on Ambergris Caye.
From the ashes and rubble of The Paradise Hotel, The Phoenix has arisen. It’s one family’s dream come true: a beautifully designed and luxurious resort on the land so long associated with their name.
Once again, the McDermott’s and the rest of The Phoenix family are thrilled to provide a memorable vacation experience.
What's different with The Phoenix is the McDermott's will also be giving other families the opportunity to purchase a condo and call Ambergris Caye and Belize home for part or all of the year--just like they have for the past 35 years. To provide this opportunity in an exlusive beachfront community, and in close proximity to charming San Pedro, makes it all the more special.
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What is available at The Phoenix?
There are currently 25 condominiums remaining for sale at The Phoenix. One, two, and three bedroom floor plans are all available. Floor plans range from 1,245 to 1,845 square feet of interior space and from 1,780 to 2,765 of total square footage, when accounting for each condo's spacious private veranda.
We encourage those interested to view our complete listing of Square Footages and Availablity and then visit our Floor Plans section to understand the layouts and location on the property of the residences still available.
How much do the condos cost?
Construction prices start at $325,000 USD for one bedroom condos, $389,000 USD for two bedroom condos, and $505,000 USD for three bedroom condos. Beachfront two bedroom condos start at $455,000.00 USD.
For a listing of our most up-to-date construction sales prices, please contact The Phoenix Sales Office.
What are the terms of payment?
The Phoenix is currently offering substantial construction and pre-construction pricing discounts. Buyers will receive a 10% discount off the Purchase Price on condos currently under construction and a 15% discount on condos scheduled to undergo constrcution later on in 2005. In order to take advantage of these sizable construction discounts, Buyers will follow a payment schedule that includes an initial down payment and the remaining balance paid in installments connected to the completion of construction milestones.
For more details on terms of payment please read the Purchasing a Condominium with The Phoenix section.
What are the homeowner's fees/property assessments?
The Phoenix projects a quarterly assessment of $1,350 USD ($450 USD/month) for the opening 2006-07 season. This assessment will cover the costs of landscaping, gardening, and pool maintenance in the Common Areas, building maintenance and repair, 24-hour security, property taxes, property management compensation, and the establishment of a reserve fund for unanticipated future expense. Our priority is to make the quarterly assessment as low as possible while maintaining the high standards of the property of The Phoenix.
For more details on the quarterly asssessment, and answers to many other frequently asked questions, please read The Phoenix Financial FAQ.
What are the projected net rental revenues for a Phoenix Owner?
The rental income generated by a condo at The Phoenix could be quite substantial. For two bedroom beachfront units, after all taxes, fees, and other expenses have been met, we project a Phoenix Owner’s net rental revenues would be between $27,000 USD and $37,000 USD based upon occupancy projections of 65%-85%. For two bedroom beach view units, we project a Phoenix Owner’s net rental revenues would be between $21,000.00 USD and $29,000.00, based upon similiar occupancy rates. One bedroom units project to earn between $19,000 USD and $27,000 USD for a Phoenix Owner, and three bedroom units project to earn between $33,000 USD and $46,000 USD for their Owners based upon occupancy projections of 65-85%.
Please read The Phoenix Financial FAQ for more information on how rental revenue is generated and distributed. For more detailed calcuations on how we arrive at these rental revenue projections, please contact The Phoenix Sales Office.
Why does The Phoenix stand apart from other investments?
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Mid-March Construction Update
Posted 03/11/05
In the past couple of days the staircase that runs from the first to second floor in Building D was completed. This staircase. along with the other staircases at The Phoenix, was inspired by the wide, grand entrances found at Mayan temples.
The completion of this staircase now allows us to show those visiting The Phoenix property the incredible Caribbean views from Building D's second floor condos.
Parts of the second floor slab have also recently been poured. The remainder of the second floor slab is expected to be completed in one larger simultaneous pour early next week. In recent weeks we've been building many wooden forms around our steel beams. We will pour the concrete into these forms, allowing it to harden around the steel, and then remove the forms once the concrete has dried. Pouring all of these beams at once is a means of further ensuring the structural integrity of the building.
We encourage you to view the March 05 Construction Section of our Photo Gallery for 10 more pictures taken on the site in the first two weeks of March 2005.
Cobblestones on Middle Street
Posted 03/10/05
The paving of Middle Street (Pescador Drive) is moving along very rapidly. Cobblestones are currently being laid right in front of The Phoenix Sales Office. It appears that by the end of the month a good portion of Middle Street will be paved, much to the delight of local businesses and residents.
This cobblestone paving of Middle Street, one of the roads leading to The Phoenix, is a long awaited civic improvement to San Pedro. It is a join effort of the San Pedro Town Council and a collection of local businesses. It began in early February and is expected to continue for two to three months. When complete, a long stretch of Middle Street will be lined with cobblestones and have an improved irrigation system. Both visitors and locals will greatly benefit from this civic project.
Additional pictures of the cobblestone paving project can be found in the Miscellaneous section of our Photo Gallery.
New Pictures of Floor Plan Layouts
Posted 03/10/05
Our ability to climb the stairs to the second floor of Building D allows us to photograph the layouts of the six condos we are building much better. These pictures will give potential buyers a better idea of the size of our condos as well as the proximity to the Caribbean.
Pictured here is the Great Room of residences 110. It is bordered on the left by 110's Master Bedroom, and on the right by a 16-inch thick concrete wall, and then the Master Bedroom of residence 109. In the forefront of the picture is the Guest Bathroom.
More pictures of the layouts of residences 109, 110, 209, 210, 309, & 310 can be found in the Building D Floor Plan Layouts section in our Photo Gallery.
Archive of Past Updates
The links below provide details and pictures of other major events at The Phoenix in the past year.
• February Construction
• January Construction
• Website Launched
• November Construction
• October Construction
• September Construction
• Sales Office Launched
• August Construction
• Pre-Construction
Home / Phoenix Origins / The Design / View the Phoenix / Floor Plans / The Investment
About Belize / Ambergris Caye / Exploring Belize / Photo Gallery / Phoenix Update / Contact Us