WV Executive

One of West Virginia’s most outstanding features is its unique environment. From its majestic hills to its rolling rivers, West Virginia’s natural beauty is fueling a booming tourism industry, enticing travelers from all over the world. Some developers are taking the next logical step and marrying West Virginia’s natural beauty with high-end residential living. Today West Virginia is participating in a nationwide movement that is coupling luxury living with environmental conservation.

The Greenbrier, the world famous resort in White Sulphur Springs, is setting the standard for this movement with a private, equity membership-based, single family home mountain community and sporting club located within the pristine 6,500 acres of its estate. The Greenbrier Sporting Club is a joint venture of The Greenbrier and Dolan, Pollak & Schram Development Company, LLC, known for award-winning properties including The Ford Plantation in Savannah, Georgia, and Deep Water Cay Club on the Grand Bahama Island, and more recent residential developments at the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay, British West Indies, and Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Located less than six hours from two-thirds of the United States population, The Greenbrier Sporting Club is well-known to families who share a common interest in land preservation, love of the outdoors and world-class amenities. The community features a variety of distinct neighborhoods, the newest of which—Greenbrier Summit Village, located at the 3,000 foot summit of Greenbrier Mountain—will be released this spring. Each sporting club neighborhood provides an architectural style consistent with The Greenbrier’s traditions and standards. These neighborhoods consist of lots for larger estate homes, as well as mountainside and golf fairway cottages. Lot prices start at $400,000 and go up to $2 million. Upon completion, the community will have more than 500 residences, and members will enjoy a variety of private amenities including The Snead, named one of the top three “Best New Private Golf Course” by Golf Digest, as well as all of the amenities The Greenbrier has to offer, including its three golf courses. In addition, the club has set aside 2,000 acres as conservation land. To date, 288 homesites have been sold, and although significant numbers of homeowners are from other states, West Virginians have purchased the greatest number.

John Klemish, director of sales at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, credit the success of the club’s sales to various economic and lifestyle demands. “In the past two or three years, we have seen several trends that have contributed to the success of The Greenbrier Sporting Club: continued growth of the well-heeled sector of the baby boomer generation who have access to considerable levels of disposable income; the Federal Reserve’s intent to maintain interest rates at historic lows to stimulate economic activity; gun-shy stock investors seeking blue-chip real estate opportunities as part of their diversification strategies; an increasingly sophisticated taste level among affluent consumers; and a steady stream of social guests of The Greenbrier, who, over the years, have accumulated fond memories of the resort, and for whom the brand holds tremendous marketing clout.”

Mike Campbell, a native West Virginian who grew up in Wyoming County, is a founding member of the Greenbrier Sporting Club and trusted his investment in the club because of the reputation of The Greenbrier. “I’ve been to a lot of resort areas and have never experienced the high quality of services and people that I see at The Greenbrier Sporting Club or the hotel. The combination of rural beauty and architectural elegance seemed like a natural choice.”

Dr. Richard Nessif, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, is also a West Virginia native and sporting club member with a family history of visiting The Greenbrier. “Anyone who golfs or fishes would have a hard time finding a better place to live in America. The staff is exceptional—all experts in their field. Whether I drive in from the East or fly into the airport, I see these majestic mountains and am amazed that I now live here.”

The Greenbrier Sporting Club has an Architectural Review Board that ensures adherence to a strict set of architectural and environmental guidelines. All development is designed to minimize environmental impact. The board, whose members are of licensed architects, evaluates building plans on the basis of site conditions, architectural design and building materials, maximum house square footage, lot coverage and height limits with respect to tree lines and hillside positioning. “We believe that the quality of architectural design of homes is vital to both the short and long term success of the Club,” says Peter Pollak, managing partner of Dolan, Pollak & Schram.

Economic Impact

Investment of these high-end homes is revitalizing local communities in West Virginia, including the town of White Sulphur Springs. Since development began at The Greenbrier Sporting Club in 2000, hundreds of jobs have been created within the area.

According to General Manager Larry Klein, The Greenbrier Sporting Club has had a tremendous impact on the local community. Since work began and over the next 15 years, it is estimated that more than $1 billion will be spent on development at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, leading to a total economic impact of more than $5 billion on the West Virginia economy. To date, more than $40 million has been spent on infrastructure and club amenities. The ripple effect within the community has led to the start-up of new businesses, ranging from landscaping and maintenance to dining and shopping. The effect has also been seen in the transportation industry. The Greenbrier Valley Airport has expanded it services to offer additional flights and FBO services.

The Homes

Currently, 73 homes have been completed at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. Another 41 homes are under construction with more than 20 additional house plans are being reviewed in the Architectural Review Board process.

The homes demonstrate a significant commitment to quality, attention to detail, craftsmanship and artistry seldom seen in the local housing industry. The contractors of the homes go to great measures to use local businesses as their suppliers and ensure the home’s materials are of highest quality.

In 2003, architect Donald Rattner and interior designer Victoria Hagan collaborated on a Town & Country Design Showhouse at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. The magazine dubbed the project as “A House for All Seasons” in their October 2002 issue.

The Story behind the Homes

Residential home builders must be approved before they are allowed to work at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. Currently there are 14 approved builders at the club. Two of the most active are Pinnacle Construction and Sterling Construction Management.

The Pinnacle Group

The sporting club’s first general contractor in the inaugural construction efforts was the Pinnacle Group, which built the club’s first and largest spec home. The Pinnacle Group’s approach is to take the homeowners ideas and transform them into a complete home package for the upper luxury market through their design-build services. In addition, Pinnacle Group also offers a complete interior design consulting service through their company, Old White. The result provides a home custom made for the homeowners.

Brothers Tony and Michael Mamone, the owners of Pinnacle Group, are West Virginia natives and have been in the design-build business for more than 21 years. The company has developed the lodge cottages as well as other spec homes through their custom home concept.

“We came to White Sulphur Springs with a successful concept, and we have provided local people with long-term employment opportunities. We started with a commitment to the community from our first day in the area,” says Tony. In fact, Pinnacle Group has employed many local people who previously moved out of state to find work. “We have several people who work for us who left the area and have now come home because of their opportunity to work with us. Our people are our business.”

With Old White, they have been successful because of their attention to detail. In some cases, they have sent designers to their clients’ other homes to capture the clients’ tastes.

The Pinnacle Group tries to use materials that are indigenous to West Virginia. They recently floored a home with the oak that they cleared from the land. They also use local stone and wood craftsmen.

The group has built homes on other high-end residential properties in West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and California.

“We are proud of our ability to achieve excellence within our field, and we are proud of our people whom we work with,” says Mamone.

Sterling Construction Management

Sterling Construction Management (SCM) was formed to manage the construction of custom homes for the discriminating buyer at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. As the first approved builder at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, SCM serves both as an agent for the homeowner and as a construction management entity that manages the time, cost and quality of their clients’ projects. Quality homes and exceptional client service are the cornerstones of their business.

“Since most of our clients do not live in the area, it is important to us to manage the construction process in a way that makes it seamless and enjoyable for them,” says Robert E. Vass, III, president of SCM. “We take great satisfaction in assisting clients with selecting a team of professionals, from architects to designers to landscape architects, with one goal in mind: absolute satisfaction.”

The formation of SCM was a logical outgrowth of The Greenbrier Sporting Club development. The company was formed by a group of individuals with experience and professional backgrounds to ensure the quality standards of the development are maintained.

“We are a construction management company that specializes in architecturally designed custom homes. We operate on a system of ‘partnering,’ working with clients, architects and designers striving for excellence and continuous improvement,” says Vass.

SCM employs residents from the local community and utilizes local and regional craftsman, subcontractors and vendors to build homes. “The work we are producing at The Greenbrier Sporting Club borders on the edge of artistry. It fills us with great pride to know that the craftsman and artisans of our home state offer services that can be considered nothing short of world class,” says Vass.

A Place to Call Home

Construction at The Greenbrier Sporting Club stands as a testament to the beauty of human ingenuity. The effort and artisanship involved in creating this spectacular housing reveals the tremendous talent in West Virginia. In addition, construction such as this generates a positive economic ripple for the area and showcases an environment that West Virginians can be proud to call home.