Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified RAM Developments as the owner of 1711 Delmonte Road. Since publication, STOREYS has learned that the current owner remains the Skalosky family.
A massive lakefront development site recently hit the market for $10,995,000, over a year after gaining approvals for a sprawling resort-like redevelopment on Gravenhurst's Sparrow Lake. The development would have transformed the shoreline with 60 three-storey luxury townhome cottages and 20,000 sq. ft of top-of-the-line amenities.
Located at 1711 Delmonte Road on the northeast shore of Muskoka's most southern lake, the property is a 90-minute drive from the city and connected to the Trent-Severn Waterway. Spanning nearly 54 acres and touting around 1,700 feet of west-facing shoreline, it's one of the largest properties for sale on the lake.
In October 2023, RAM Developments submitted a Zoning Bylaw Amendment application to the Town of Gravenhurst that included now-approved plans to redevelop the expansive site. Those plans were approved in January 2024 and RAM got to work on bringing their vision to life.
As of now, progress consists of newly drilled wells, a completed Draft Site Plan, and a number of required pre-development studies that have been finalized, including Environmental, Archaeological, and Hydrogeological studies, according to the listing.
Specs:
- Address: 1711 Delmonte Road, Gravenhurts
- Zoning: ZBA approved
- Size: Nearly 54 acres, 1,700 feet of shoreline
- Price: $10,995,000
- Sales inquiries: Cayman Marshall International Realty Inc.
When STOREYS spoke to Principal of RAM Development Group Russell Jacobson last August, Jacobson said that vision for the project was to offer an alternative and more appealing route to cottage ownership. At Luna Bay — the name given to the to-be-developed community — on-site management would tend to owners' units and manage rental bookings in order to cover mortgage costs.
The model was based off of a style of ownership popular in the Caribbean, where the Toronto-based company has developed housing and recreational properties, as well as in the GTA and Florida. If successful, Luna Bay would have been the company's first venture in Ontario's cottage country and one of the largest waterfront developments in the region.
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Planned for the site were the 60 luxury townhome units, alongside 60 accompanying boast slips, but also a comprehensive resort-like community with "buckets full" of amenities, as Jacobson had described it. According to the listing, amenities in the current Draft Site Plan include a sports courts, pool pavilion and clubhouse, beach area, and forested paths. STOREYS contacted RAM for comment on the property being listed, but the company stated they are not open to providing comment on Luna Bay at this time.
Currently, the site is occupied by several buildings left over from a well-known resort that had occupied the land for over 100 years: Delmonte In the Pines Resort. According to Sparrow Lake Historical Society, the resort was built in 1906 by David Sanderson and served as a lakeside hotel and locale for dances and live music. The property then changed hands to Mary and Terry Skalosky in 1957 and remained a family-run business.
RAM's resort-style development vision, if carried out by a new owner, would continue the site's long history as a cottage country recreational destination, while adding an ownership/rental property element and upping the luxury factor. With approvals in place and preliminary construction and site planning under way, the listing represents an intriguing development opportunity for investors looking to carve out their slice of the Lakelands.
"This property combines natural beauty, accessibility, and strong development potential," reads the listing. "Bring your vision to life on this one-of-a-kind waterfront canvas."
