Luxury Enclave-to-Be Sheds a Little Cachet

Ritz-Carlton Out of Loudoun Project

By Derek Kravitz (Contact)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Creighton Farms was supposed to be a playground for Loudoun County's rich.

Sitting on more than 900 acres in Virginia's vaunted horse country, the resort-style community and golf course is nestled behind a wall of 30-foot loblolly pines, an imposing stone guardhouse and a wrought-iron fence.

But like many planned communities in Northern Virginia's wealthy suburbs, the worsening economy has put a hold on the luxurious vision of Creighton Farms. Only a smattering of homes, in varying stages of construction, have blossomed on the sweeping landscape. Most of the prized "estate lots" are vacant. And to date, not one person lives on the property.

The golf course — designed by Jack Nicklaus and named one of the top private courses in the country by three golf and travel magazines — has attracted about 50 paying members, roughly a fifth of the desired membership. The clubhouse remains unfinished.

Last week, a group of developers sold the gated development in the rolling hills of western Loudoun after being beset for years by financial woes and less-than-impressive sales.

The Washington Post

Ritz-Carlton had agreed to manage the development, but workers are taking down signs and insignia with the hotel chain's name and lion's head logo at the property, off Route 15 and just north of John Mosby Highway (Route 50).

Creighton Farm's future has changed. The idea of giving homeowners a taste of hotel-style opulence has been scrapped. In its place is a golf club-centered community with a "club atmosphere" and more turnkey, low-maintenance homes, about 35 of which will be built on one-acre "hamlet" lots.

The new owner, Southworth Development, has begun the laborious process of filing zoning permits and drawing up architectural plans for a slightly less opulent community, said David Southworth, president and founder of the company.

"In our opinion, the project was well put together and very well thought out, but it hit the wrong timing," Southworth said.

Larry Goldman, a San Diego area developer who grew up in Rockville, purchased seven acres at Creighton Farms for $1.7 million nearly two years ago with his wife. The couple's dream, Goldman said, was to own a luxury 6,000-square-foot house with a pool and with tennis and basketball courts for their children.

That plan is in limbo, at least until the developer builds the clubhouse and back security gate, among other promised amenities.

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Creighton Farms Gets a New Owner

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The front entrance and view from Route 15 of Creighton Farms, a luxury, gated development in Aldie. (Derek Kravitz)

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A view of Creighton Farms, which has been under construction since 2006. (Derek Kravitz)

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"Until they get around to some of the things they promised, we're skeptical of how it will go," Goldman said.

Other property owners are even less happy than Goldman about the change in management.

Keith Nahigian, a political consultant and former strategist for Republican Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign, purchased a five-acre lot in July 2007 for $1.67 million. He likened the disappointment over Ritz-Carlton's departure to that caused by the Colts football team's leaving Baltimore for Indianapolis in 1983.

"It's the difference between a cow pasture and the Ritz-Carlton," said Nahigian of the new owners. "I was thinking of selling a while back but didn't because I thought that even if it bottoms out, the Ritz-Carlton name will bring it shooting back up. That brand is important."

The new owners said that little, except the name, will change.

"At Southworth, we look forward to bringing our experience in the area of luxury lifestyle development and property management to Creighton Farms and to continue to operate a world-class club and community that our residents, members and their guests expect," said Jason Paul, the property manager.

Creighton Farms has had a tortured history.

In 2006, Ritz-Carlton took a significant gamble on Creighton Farms, its first "everyday living" community made up entirely of single-family homes. Residential properties, mostly consisting of condominiums, are managed by the hotel chain in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and such resort areas as the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

Creighton Farms was unique among Ritz-Carlton projects in that there was no hotel associated with the development. Instead, the company proposed a lavish clubhouse and personal concierge service, complete with hotel-style catering, spa treatments and party planning. Developers from Florida and Virginia touted the 18-hole golf course and the community's proximity to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner.

Purchasers included wealthy business owners who didn't mind paying $30,000 in annual dues. Residents were supposed to start moving in during the second half of 2008. Then the credit crisis hit, and sales plummeted. Only about 30 of 181 plots have been purchased, and few owners have broken ground.

A spokeswoman for Ritz-Carlton, Vivian Deuschl, said the hotel chain had no plans to duplicate its effort at Creighton Farms. She called the idea "tremendous" and said that "no one could have foreseen the economic crisis we are in."

The new owners are optimistic about their chances of completing the project, buoyed by Loudoun's growth and median income, which last year was $107,200. Despite the dire financial outlook, signs of hope might be on the horizon.

A charity golf tournament at Creighton Farms, the second annual Loudoun Youth Invitational, has attracted corporate donors, organizers said, thanks in large part to its swanky host. Seven groups of four have already signed up for the May tournament at a cost of $20,000 a team.

"It's huge for us," said Carol A. Kost, Loudoun Youth's president, who held Ritz-Carlton-emblazoned promotional literature. "We couldn't be happier with how things have worked, with or without the change in ownership."

Tagged: Creighton Farms, Dulles, Ritz Carlton Country Club

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