Silver Beach developer starts next big project in Bancroft

June 20, 2018

Bancroft Ridge Homes Ltd. partner Gerry Kowalski shows Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins his plans for 28 homes on Palmer Avenue at Bancroft Ridge Golf Club. / SARAH SOBANSKI Staff

By Sarah Sobanski

A veteran team of development professionals is building a new community in Bancroft’s backyard.

Bancroft Ridge Homes Ltd. celebrated the grand opening of the Bancroft Ridge Golf and Lifestyle Community Bancroft Ridge Golf Club on June 16.

Partners Gerry Kowalski – known for his 60-home Silver Beach development in Haliburton – master builder Mike Parlevliet and golf club owners John Puffer and Danny Jackson hosted guests throughout the afternoon. Among them were potential buyers looking to take advantage of pre-construction prices of the 28-home development planned for the golf club’s Palmer Avenue, between its 13th and 14th holes.

“I discovered Bancroft and it’s absolutely amazing,” said Puffer who has had dreams to help develop the area since he bought the golf course last April. “I call Bancroft the heart of unspoiled cottage country.”

In the past, Puffer has been involved in five other area development projects including Group of Seven Cottages on Baptiste Lake. He said he’d “always been interested in providing the cottage area lifestyle community,” but he needed a “practical solution” to providing early retirees with the cottage lifestyle while maintaining the level of and access to amenities they were used to.

That’s when Bancroft Ridge Homes Ltd. came in with partners Kowalski and Parlevliet.

Partners in the Bancroft Ridge Golf and Lifestyle Community including Bancroft Ridge Homes Ltd., Bancroft Ridge Golf Club, Century 21 and the town break ground where the community’s showhome will be built, Lot 2 on Palmer Avenue. / SARAH SOBANSKI Staff

Parlevliet has been building custom homes for more than 25 years including million dollar cottages in Muskoka, Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes, as well as several homes for the Princess Margaret Lottery. He and Kowalski hit it off when Parlevliet worked with Kowalski on his Silver Beach development.

“We realized that we each had surpreme amounts of talents that we each could bring together, me with program-style community building and Mike with his extensive knowledge of custom home building. It makes us an overall complete fit to build a new community,” said Kowalski. He continued stating that due to his partner’s Custom home builder expertise, they are looking to build homes that would be a great fit for the modern community, adding onto what they’ve already built.

Together the pair designed five homes ranging from 1,300 to about 2,500 square feet and about $400,000 to $560,000 in price.

The idea is to develop a “lifestyle” community focused on recreational sports including golf but also all the other activites the average Bancroftian might get up to on a typical day.

Residents will have access to the golf course and clubhouse for games, dining and resident socials. They’ll also be close to the Heritage Trail and have access to the community’s exclusive York River Club, which will grant access to the York River within the development. There’s already a dock in the water.

Residents can fish, swim, boat and store their canoes, kayaks and more through the club. Or, if they’re looking to stay dry, they can walk, bike, hike, or ATV using the trail.

“All these homes will be built directly in-house, and managed and constructed by our own team,” said Kowalski.

“I think that’s important,” said Parlevliet, noting that the developers won’t be subcontracting the homes out to other builders. “It’s a team that Gerry has mostly worked with.”

“A lot of our sub-trades such as electricians, plumbers, drywallers that are more into the finishing side – my whole team is all coming here because they’re all from the Haliburton-Bancroft area,”

Kowalski added, noting he’d be buying materials locally where possible as well as employing local workers.

Mayor Paul Jenkins called the team “reputable” and said the town was “very excited for this development.”

“We need development,” he said noting he hoped this development would be the first of many. “This is a catalyst for other projects as well.”

“Bancroft is a town that’s on the verge of growth,” said Kowalski. “This is such a warm and welcoming community.”

Parlevliet agreed, noting he planned to buy one of the homes on Palmer Avenue and move to the area.

Bancroft Ridge Homes Ltd. plans to have its first home built to show by the fall. Kowalski said anyone looking to get a better idea of the homes before the first showhome was built could drive to Haliburton to check out the Silver Beach development.

If you are looking to have a custom home built for where you are, researching the best home builders in your area will help you find the best one for you. If you live in South Carolina, you can look into a custom home builder Charleston or somewhere more local to the area you want to live in.

Anyone looking for more information can contact Century 21 at 613-332-5500.