THE LAGUNA BEACH COLONY HOTEL IS ON SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION DURING EARLY 2003

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—(May 6, 2002). The Laguna Beach Colony Hotel, a luxury resort community that is being developed at a cost in excess of $80 million, is being constructed to stringent, five-star standards by Wentz Group, one of California’s premier general contracting firms. When completed during the first quarter of 2003, the 371,707-square-foot facility will include 260 luxury hotel rooms, 14 condominiums, 14 custom residential lots and a public park.

Situated on a 30-acre site featuring a coastal mesa, bluffs and beaches, the development by The Athens Group, was designed by Hill Glazier Architects as a Turn-of-the-Century, Craftsman-style Southern California hotel and bungalows. The hotel will feature an ocean view restaurant, a bluff-top specialty restaurant, ballrooms, meeting rooms, a luxury spa, swimming pools, hot tubs and a seven-acre public park with pedestrian pathways.

Last year, Wentz Group completed construction of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, another luxury resort facility that was developed by The Athens Group and built to five-star standards.

"We are pleased to be continuing our working relationship with Wentz Group, our general contractor for the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay that opened last year," said John Mansour, vice president of development for The Athens Group. "The Laguna Beach Colony Hotel will be another example of how a high-quality project can result from the solid collaboration between owner and general contractor."

Wentz Group has maintained a complex project construction schedule, despite design modifications. To preserve the spectacular ocean views from hotel guest rooms and neighboring properties, the five original one- and two-story bungalow buildings were redesigned to create four buildings. Working with the architect and developer, Wentz Group accomplished approximately $6 million in value engineering.

Construction commenced on the development in May 2001, and in January, a milestone was met with the "topping out" of the concrete hotel structure and completion of the parking garage. The luxury facility is currently in the dry-in phase. Exterior work scheduled for completion in July includes the hotel’s built up 5-ply and tile-composite roofing and the installation of wood and cedar siding.

Construction of the hotel’s interiors began early in April with the installation of sheet rock, drywall, paint, marble floors, showers and millwork on the walls and vanities. The common areas, including the lobby, kitchen, restaurant, ballrooms and meeting rooms, are in the framing and rough-in phase with the mechanical plumbing and electrical scheduled to be completed in late June.

The Laguna Beach Colony will have two swimming pools and four hot tubs. Excavation has begun on the spa pool, which will be completed in May, and the main pool, which is scheduled to be completed in July.

Grading has been completed for 14 custom residential lots and 14 condominiums, as well as the infrastructure for roadways and underground utilities. The remainder of the property continues to be graded, and the road and asphalt completion are scheduled for late spring.

About Wentz Group

Wentz Group provides management, construction and engineering services for leading corporate users, real estate development firms and institutions with specific emphasis on hospitality projects, retail shopping centers, tenant improvements, office buildings, industrial facilities and distribution centers. Among the many projects ready to commence construction by the Wentz Group is Pasadena Collection, a four-story, 150,000 square-foot office and retail building in Southern California. In Northern California, the firm is building Creekside Plaza, a 204,380-square-foot office development featuring a single, four-story building with two, three-story buildings and a 63,882-square-foot parking structure in the city of San Leandro.

Wentz Group prides itself on providing Five-Star People and Five-Star Service to its clients through extensive, hands-on experience and principal involvement in every aspect of construction projects.

Wentz Group is a leader in its market areas and is nationally ranked as one of the largest firms of its type. Wentz Group was ranked among the top contractors in the nation in ENR's Top 400 Contractor's list. The company has its corporate office in San Carlos, California, and regional offices in Irvine, Sacramento and Livermore. For additional information, visit the Wentz Group Web site at www.wentzgroup.com

For more information, contact:
Susan Slone
(650)801-1028
or susans@wentzgroup.com

Return to News