What's Mr. Seagull Up To Now?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The real answer is who can keep track? He has so many irons in so many fires.

In our running around condo-hunting with family/friends yesterday, we made it to Emerald Point late afternoon, and in the penthouse model (not the type you might be thinking of ) with the most awesome lakeview we have ever seen. A wall of glass filled with nothing but water, hills, and sun going down.

Wow!

We hadn't snooped in detail for a long time on Emerald Point and we learned that among the mid-low/rise condos at the end of the point, there are at least 6 different developments, depending on what building. There were the original ones we looked at 10 years ago, the first ones there, then the one we were in, then the one next to it, then the one Yakov owns a bunch, in, then the ones further back on the hill, then all the ones that Mr. Seagull now controls, Westgate Branson Lakes, the former Emerald Point Resort.

And what does he have up his sleeve? Why, a 10-story condo building, of course, just like everywhere else he has a presence. That will be Mr. Seagull's second vertical timeshare in the short time he has been here.

I believe you can stick a fork in the economic inefficiency of those single-story timeshares rambling all over the countryside. What'd they use to call those, Golf Villas?

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I didn't know land prices had gotten that high in Branson. You usually see developers going up when spreading out is to expensive. Example, Las Vegas on the strip. Most everthing there goes skyward on a small footprint rather than on 50 to 100 acres.

I think Mr. Seagull just likes the LOOK of the highrise condo tower more than the necessity to build it. So far he's done pretty good at knowing what the public will buy. Only time will tell if his high rise timeshare ideal will fly in Branson.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Just look at Westgate Lakes

He sure does like high (ok, mid) rises. It started with Westgate Lakes - one of the poster children for ugly, crowded tall buildings squeezed into a minimal space, no parking, blocking the sunlight you are in Orlando to enjoy and with the overall look of a future NYC tenement area. And now many of the small, 2 story buildings that were originally on the site are being torn down to build - yup - more high rises on very little space! Westgate Lakes is an upscale rat hole of a development and it seems the blueprint for his others. Unfortunately many others have followed his lead in Orlando as I'm sure it is cheaper to build these monstrosities vs a more spread out and original Fl feeling 2 and 3 story complex. As for me I'll stick with the originals until he wants to buy me out and replace my 2 story unit with yet another ugly cookie cutter 5-8 story blot on the landscape. I hope he knows I have ROFR on my unit....

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Well, of course they will get them sold. A timeshare marketing company's ability to spin their tale was not my point!

If you always do what you've always done you will always get what you always got.

I believe in the two cases here, Emerald Point and Cedar Ridge, it is not a matter of whether our country bumpkin land is not relatively inexpensive, although a few of the bumpkins have probably wised up , but the fact that the land within the developments Mr. Seagull has purchased is relatively scarce.

Just eyeballing Emerald Point, I would say there is only 200-300 yards between the last Westgate building and the next, non-Westgate building.

Same situation within the old Cedar Ridge.

In those locations, the ones he controls, when it's gone, it's gone.

I would not be surprised if he works something out over at Branson Yacht Club, where Westgate has said they do not intend to do anything, and a vertical condo building goes up there. I believe he would find it to be a fitting tribute, his tall buildings across the big water from each other, flanking Mr. Hammons Shadow on the Lake.
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In reference to land prices around Table Rock in the Branson area, a small lot, lakefront, with dock zoning, starts at $100000. The only condo we looked at yesterday that had a slip available was $40000 more for the slip (no boat included).

So, for bumpkins, the prices are getting up there.

I didn't know land prices had gotten that high in Branson. You usually see developers going up when spreading out is to expensive. Example, Las Vegas on the strip. Most everthing there goes skyward on a small footprint rather than on 50 to 100 acres.

I think Mr. Seagull just likes the LOOK of the highrise condo tower more than the necessity to build it. So far he's done pretty good at knowing what the public will buy. Only time will tell if his high rise timeshare ideal will fly in Branson.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Mr. Timeos obviously understands how obnoxious it is and offensive it is to the local bumpkins when filthy-rich, free-wheeling billionaires blow into town, $100 bills blowing in their wake, messing around with the landscape.

Even the Branson Landing folks, Mr. Seagulls timeshare predecessors here, got their come-uppance when they quietly snuck a 25-story highrise (probably really a highrise) through the local council, only to have a public outcry reverse that ruling a couple weeks later.

I am surprised that Mr. Seagull is moving as quickly as he is here, figuring he would first establish himself as a civic-minded contributor. But, I guess he just skipped step 1.

Somehow Mr. Hammons' planned highrise in the shadow of the Shadow on the Lake, does not seem as offensive, because he is the local boy and he has made those civic contributions, at least up the road in Hammonsville.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

PS: Orlando and Vegas are a totally different story, each having sold their souls long ago.

[Transit Member Find all posts View Profile Close Transit]

Whats Mr Seagull up to now

How about that unusual Starwood/Wesgate thing at Planet Hollywood in Vegas?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Switching my attention to our local Mr. Seagull, Mr. Hammons. Last week the Springfield City Mothers and City Fathers dropped his proposal for a 4-star hotel from the four proposals for a tract of land in the Hammonsville (my name) district of Springfield, where he already has the only highrise in Springfield (Hammons Tower), a Convention Center Hotel, the baseball stadium (Hammons Field), on a street named Hammons Drive.

They left standing a proposal for a 4-star hotel by HCW, the company doing the Branson Landing and the company that sold out to Westgate, letting Mr. Seagull into our local market (you knew I'd work him into this )

So, what does Mr. Hammons annouce yesterday? . . .

A 4-star highrise hotel on land he owns across the street from the parcel where the city is consider HCW's 4-star highrise hotel, that after a study has already concluded that Springfield would not support even one 4-star hotel.

Is that not in your face?

Hammons already has announced a bazillion-story 4 or 5 star highrise hotel/timeshare to be built next to the Shadow on the Lake (between Indian Point and Emerald Point) but there hasn't been much to-do about that lately.

Another thought, do you think these guys have not heard about the New Madrid fault?

He says he is building it regardless of what the city decides to do across the street.

When I came out of Wal*Mart the other day, a Westgate van with Florida plates was parked next to our car.