Feb. 25, 2009 -- as seen in News-Press.com -- This November, owners and guests at The Resort at MarinaVillage Residence Club will settle in to their choice of one of 184 upscale condos.

MarinaVillage is centered around the deep-water Tarpon Point Marina, featuring 175 boat slips for vessels up to 75 feet long. The fully furnished condos at MarinaVillage were initially slated to sell for full ownership, but as construction continued, plans changed into fractional ownership opportunities.

"Because of the economy and the way people are spending their money, we thought it would be better for people just to pay for their condo when they're going to use it," said Lauren Snyder-Hagan, director of sales and marketing for Grosse Pointe Development Company.

Three months ago, the company's president, Jim Crumbie, announced 75 percent completion on the project, which began in October 2007. It includes a six-story parking structure, shopping and office space, banquet facilities and 184 two- and three-bedroom condos over 19 stories.

"We're expecting everything to be completed on schedule," said Dave Nitsche, the development company's senior project manager.

MarinaVillage, a $150 million project, is the fourth phase of the overall Tarpon Point Marina project and is the only one open to the public. The marina features six villages, the first three of which have already been completed: Tarpon Estates with single-family homes; Tarpon Gardens with coach homes; Tarpon Landings with three mid-rise condominium buildings; MarinaVillage with a condo/hotel and a retail component; and Tarpon View and Tarpon Island, two additional villages of luxury condominium towers, according to Jessica Barton, public relations director with Spiro & Associates.

Interested buyers have the choice of purchasing a condo for a 1/12 fraction of the year or 28 days, instead of paying for the entire year.

"It's a much more economical way of owning a second home, plus, they have all the amenities of staying in a four-star hotel," Snyder-Hagan said, adding that contracts should be ready for sales by mid-April. Initially, only units on five different floors will be available.

Prices for the 1,235 to 2,195 square-foot condos at the resort range from $74,000 to $252,750, depending on the time and floor plan chosen. North-tower condo owners will be able to choose a different month to stay in a different condo every year, while those in the West tower's units are fixed on the same unit and month annually.

Condo owners will have access to the hotel's concierge and spa services, room service, housekeeping and a resort-style pool, spa and deck.

All units, according to Snyder-Hagan, are fully furnished and professionally decorated by Robb & Stucky. Each has granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, flat-screen TVs and either overlooks Tarpon Point Marina or directly over the Caloosahatchee River, leading to the Gulf of Mexico.

Hotel guests will not be on one of the first six floors as was initially planned, but in one of the available condos alongside resort unit owners.

In one tower, guests will be greeted on the first floor at a concierge desk. The resort's offices and laundry facilities will also be located on the first floor. In another tower, according to Snyder-Hagan, guests will find a restaurant, exercise room, video arcade, pool and spa among other amenities.

Reservations can be made now, with stays beginning on Nov. 1 in a one-, two- or three-bedroom suite. One floor will be specifically designated as pet-friendly for smaller to mid-size pets, although some breed restrictions will be set.

Daily rates begin at $169 a night and grand-opening specials will be offered for the fall, according to Carolyn Masten, public relations manager for SunStream Hotels and Resorts, a management group heading the resort.

The two-story waterfront promenade will offer boutiques, a day spa and a gourmet market among other featured plans. An upscale seafood restaurant, Marker 91, and an indoor/outdoor upscale bar, Nauti Mermaid, will also be available.

Retail space, along with an 18,000-square-foot banquet center, will be on the first floor, while offices will be located on the upper level. Two weddings have already been booked for next spring.

A complimentary taxi to Fort Myers Beach will be offered to hotel guests and condo owners. Boat rentals, ecological and shelling tours, and chartered fishing trips will be available for planning from Tarpon Point Marina for an additional charge.

"It's been really exciting, there are so many ways to promote a business like this," Masten said. "It's a beautiful resort ... it's bringing a whole lot to that area of Cape Coral and Southwest Florida. Once you arrive, you don't really have to go anywhere ... I think it's going to be the top destination of hotels in Cape Coral."

The groundbreaking date for Tarpon View and Tarpon Island have not yet been set.

Tarpon Point Marina is at 5902 Silver King Boulevard in Cape Coral. For more information, call 549-8500.

The Resort at MarinaVillage in Cape Coral, which overlooks Tarpon Point Marina and the Gulf of Mexico, is set to be completed in November. The resort is located in the center, a parking structure at left and a waterfront promenade at the right. MarinaVillage is one of six villages at Tarpon Point Marina and it will be the fourth to be completed.