The development of resort/retirement communities

Since the early 1960's there has been a large amount of growth in a new type of development called resort/retirement communities. The majority of these developments are located in the South with a primary target market of retirees looking for a permanent residence in a mild climate. Typically resort/retirement communities offer a number of amenities, from lakes to golf courses. A number of these projects have been successful and deliver what they promised, but there are some that have failed leaving property owners with nothing but an undeveloped lot. It is the purpose of this study to determine the development process required to develop a project

The study has two major divisions, a development decision process model and a case study of Fairfield Glade, TN. The model and case study are divided into nine sections for easier comparison; predevelopment planning, development strategy, development team, feasibility and planning, physical analysis, financing, approval process, overall plan, marketing, and management and operations.

The model was developed based on the literature. The case study was based on interviews with key people in Fairfield Glade's development process. The interviews were complimented with records from Fairfield Communities, Inc. The conclusion of the study is that proper planning and analysis throughout the development of the project is extremely important to its success.