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Newsletter #4 | September 2010 |
Greetings from the Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa
The five pools are now dug and
lined with gunite, giving them form and shape. The beams are in place over the
pool structure for the solar panels to be attached. It is an exciting time for
us as the pool area comes together. The caveat, as you will read below, is that
without stucco and paint, neighbors are asking, as well they should: What is
going on over there? It doesn't look like an inn and spa; maybe she is building
some sort of industrial plant or nuclear reactor!! This newsletter describes some of my personal living experiences
during this construction process.
We are now planning to be open toward the end of the year for local residents and will have our grand opening in early 2011. In our next newsletters, we hope to have these dates better established so you can plan your visit. We will also be announcing our pre-opening specials and will be introducing you to new staff members who will be coming on board in September.
For more detailed information about the Floating Stone, please visit our website and our Facebook Fanpage. You can also follow us on twitter.
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The Construction of The Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa
Taking an historical building through a construction process that would turn it into a restored, one-of-a-kind destination spa wasn't easy. Everyone anticipates delays and roadblocks -- it goes with the terrain. Given the complexity of the project, we
had many variances and zoning issues, and we had to get the usual surveying and site
plan approvals. After a few false starts, we finally grew into a cohesive team
that would take us through this project. These people include:
Tim, Ron, and Bruce  | · Tim Smith of Far West Construction,
· our general contractor
· Ron, his supervisor, whom our
· neighbors came to respect
· Bruce Phenniger, our architect,
· a fellow Tubac resident
· Rod McKenna-Johnson and
· his business partner, Matt, from
· Arizona Zenscapes
· Noah, our representative from
· Valley Oasis pools
Our crew was ready to go. Our wheels came off the runway last fall after our site plan was approved at the county -- a two-year process. Little did I know what was in store as I lived through the next
nine months with construction all around me.
I was living at the job site in what will become one of our conference rooms -- a large, studio-like space with fireplace and remodeled kitchen. Each morning, I would awaken
to the roar of backhoes and graders. The walls would rumble around me, and the
dust was everywhere. In December, I thought I would slip away for a trip to
California to visit my son and relatives. I asked that the patio be dug up and
thought that it would magically be replaced by the time I got back. Wrong. I came
back to mud and dirt down both corridors leading to Calle Iglesia and the
private road to the west. Plus, I could only enter my small studio through the
garage. The patio and walkway flooring will still not be complete until some time in October -- a 10-month wait!
As I peered out from my sunporch office every morning, water
trucks, shovels, graders, and dump trucks traded places minute by minute. It
was never boring. The woman who was cleaning my studio almost quit because of the dust. Hearing the construction workers talking outside my window at the crack of dawn became my daily wake-up call. This was life in a construction zone.
By summer, after all I had been living through, I was asked to leave my space. I also had to ask my guests to leave the Charles Poston residence as well as Casita Linda, both of which I had been renting out during this part of the construction process. The construction crew was ready to work on the interiors of these buildings to remake them into our inn accommodations and massage facility. All the furniture had to be moved before the mess began of demoing these interior spaces for the changes to come.
Luckily, I found a place large enough to store the furniture that was only a five-minute scooter ride away. Not living on site would come to change my involvement in
the project. I would begin to see it from afar and have to make formal plans to
meet Bruce and Tim on site when decisions needed to be made. Sometimes I would
view the project more through the photos being taken of it by Van, my
photographer friend. Van's photos are the ones you see here. Not living on site was also a reminder of how our guests will enjoy the walkability of the Floating Stone. What I miss the most living off site is that I can no longer walk to lunch at the Tubac Deli or meet with friends who also live in the village. Most people don't know the charm of living in one of the last "walkable" towns in our country.
The pools aren't yet a work of art...  | It is the beginning of September, and Tim tells me that we are two months
from completion of the buildings and pools. As I contemplate where we are right
now and where we need to be in November if we are to open, it is hard to
believe that Humpty Dumpty will ever be put back together again.
Most of the underground work is done, including our rainwater harvesting tank, septic system, and well, plus the plumbing, electrical, and water-retention work. However, the main aboveground work -- the pool structure -- is not. It is massive and incomplete, as you can see in the photograph. Still unpainted and stuccoed, it reminds me of an industrial building that has been bombed during a war. The townsfolk ask about my motivations and what
it will eventually look like. If I were to stop construction now, with it
looking like it does, I think I would be tarred and feathered.
Bruce assures me that the completed project will be as I have
envisioned: a one-of-a-kind property with clear-water pools (more on this in
our next e-blast, as we have found a way to filter the water without chemicals
and chlorine), surrounded by an oriental-style garden environment, situated on
one Arizona's most important historic properties: a newly restored and
refurbished Charles Poston Residence. Our massage building will also be
restored and refurbished in the older Otero Residence, or what was known at its
inceptions as St. Ann's Rectory and is now called "Casita Linda."
Soon we will all find out if Bruce is right and will see what
Humpty Dumpty looks like when he is together again.
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Coming Soon
When we open in stages late this year and in the beginning of next year, you will find that the Floating Stone is a unique destination, eco-wellness, and aqua spa. For the cost of a day pass or night's stay, you will be able to experience the grounds of the historic Charles Poston home in the heart of a walkable artist village replete with restaurants, shops, galleries, and history. You'll be able to enjoy our spa services, including massage, facials, and body treatments; relax in our specially treated hydrotherapy hot/cold/warm pools; partake of yoga and aqua-aerobic classes; and enjoy healthy lunches prepared by local chefs using locally grown, organic food.
With our four on-site rooms in the
Poston Residence and our six off-site casitas, we will be able to host your
private events, including small-business retreats, bachelorette parties, family
reunions, and more. If you are looking for a romantic getaway or simply a place to
host a party with friends, we will also have a private hydrotherapy pool available for
rent.
We are also gearing up to offer two- and five-day
programs, which include triathlon, biking, and endurance camps beginning in
February, followed by our Art of Eco-Living and Wisdom Series classes. In future newsletters, we will announce our spa programs and services in greater
detail.
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The Vision & Mission
of the Floating Stone
The vision of the Floating Stone is to bring eco-living and wellness together to create a sustainable world.
The mission of the Floating Stone is to provide education and inspiration within a nurturing, supportive environment for living in balance with nature and community. |
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Congratulations! Congratulations to Jennifer Gentry, who has won a weekend at the Floating Stone Casitas for having enrolled
in our e-blast listserve. Remember to tell your friends and family members to log
on to the Floating Stone website to be eligible to win a weekend visit next month and
to keep up with our pre-opening news.
Sincerely,
Linda Ellinor
Owner
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