Sunshine Estate Builders broke ground on the Fairway Cottages at Catawba Island Club on Thursday, a luxury development of 66 homes. Turning over the topsoil were, left to right, State Senator DJ Swearingen, Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Coppeler, Jim Stouffer of Catawba Island Club, Lu Cooke of Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s office, Tony Corona of Sunshine Estate Builders and Catawba island Township Trustee Diane Belden. (Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan)

BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN

Sunshine Estate Builders put a batch of golden shovels into the topsoil on Thursday, breaking ground for the Fairway Cottages at Catawba Island Club, a luxury development of 66 homes on the Catawba Peninsula.

The 3-4 bedroom, and 4-5 bedroom homes will have a base price of $539,900, with lot premiums in the $80,000-$90,000 range. That’s before you stretch the 2-car garage to add space for a golf cart or fishing boat. The Fairway Cottages Sales Center is at 2663 NW Catawba Rd., Port Clinton.

Catawba Island has seen tremendous growth over the past 10 years, partly because of the contributions from the talented development team at Sunshine Estates Builders led by Tony Corona, Roger Riachi and Jim Stouffer.

“Since 2012, Catawba Island Township has seen an unprecedented increase in property values of over 60%,” said Sales Manager Nicole DeFreitas (419-202-3444, fairwaycottagescic.com). “Fairway Cottages at Catawba Island Club will only strengthen the demand to live the Catawba Island Lifestyle.”

DeFreitas said the Catawba Peninsula a century ago had been a place of orchards and vineyards visited by summertime visitors looking to enjoy the beaches, fish the legendary walleye waters of Lake Erie, and enjoy local attractions with friends and family, such as Cedar Point Amusement Park and Kalahari Resorts. In recent years, more substantial homes have been built, attracting year-round residents.

Catawba Island Club has a sprawling Arthur Hills-designed golf course on the Lake Erie shoreline that is as scenic as it is challenging, with its views of Lake Erie. The well-appointed Catawba Island Club Marina, which hosted the Progressive Catawba Island Boat Show last weekend, boasts a world class hotel, restaurant, bar and meeting rooms, as well as a pool.

The Erie–Ottawa International Airport just south of the Catawba Peninsula, offers a full-service U.S. Customs Station. The airport handles private and and commercial jets, as well as small airplane trips to the Lake Erie and Canadian islands.

Just minutes away on the north end of the Catawba Peninsula is the Miller Ferry Line, which leisurely takes people and vehicles to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, a famed tourism island with shops, restaurants, resorts and music of all varieties. Featured is 352-foot Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial with an observation deck. It was established to honor Americans who fought and won in the Battle of Lake Erie against the British during the War of 1812.