Heartland Homes Buys Highland Country Club
The financially troubled club has been closed since October, 2011.
Heartland Homes confirms it has purchased the former Highland Country Club in Ross Township.
“We are beginning the early planning stages of how it may be developed,” said Adam Packard, Marketing Manager for Heartland Homes. “At this time there is no release date, pricing, product mix to announce.”
Packard did not have details of the purchase price of the 118-acre site on Highland Avenue, which includes a swimming pool, restaurant, and clubhouse.
The financially troubled club closed October 3, 2011 and had been the subject of multiple lawsuits from creditors.
Slovak Savings Bank on California Avenue in Pittsburgh's North Side foreclosed on the property in February. According to court papers, the bank had been seeking more than $2 million, including $1.6 million in outstanding principal on the club’s mortgage, $182,000 in attorney fees and $130,000 in interest.
According to the Allegheny County real estate web site, county taxes have not been paid since 2009 and the club owes the county $21,098 for 2010 through 2012.
J&J Holdings HCC LP purchased the property from a group of longtime members for $1,346,454 in December 2009. The 2012 county assessed value is $1,400,000.
J&J Holdings is a partnership of Jeff Cuny, 46 of Cranberry, and Jeff Garbinski, 43, of Franklin Township.
Garbinski, as part of a plea agreement, pleaded guilty in November to stealing from the club. He was sentenced to spend 18 months on house arrest followed by two years probation and ordered to pay $174,088 in restitution.
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Richard Cook
9:06 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Lots of comments already on our Facebook page. Jody Wozar Larkin:
After just redistricting and closing (and selling) several elementary schools, please tell me this is not going to become a huge housing development.
Richard Cook
9:07 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Barb Hulcha They need to cut the grass! When I drove past the other day it looked like feces over there!
Richard Cook
9:07 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Laurie Lancia Medfisch 118 acres -- that could be hundreds of homes. Back when we were trying to keep Northway open, we brought this exact scenario up to the school board. On a positive note, it's great to see new development in the area.
Richard Cook
9:07 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Bugzy Locher Cannot see houses up there worth 200,000 and up inwest view maybe retirement home for seniurs we will see!!!
Richard Cook
9:08 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Eric Olender Unless they revamp the golf course and put homes around it. That might be nice. But I bet they start from scratch and just build homes.
Jane Tedesco
9:32 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
It is a bittersweet ending and beginning for the Highland Country Club property. I've enjoyed attending many banquets, weddings, and dinners at HCC. I envision a plan of stand alone carriage homes that would include some of the existing landscaping; the pool remains and the clubhouse (refurbished) for plan homeowners use. Just a thought.
Tom Duncan
3:24 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Hate to be the "Voice of Doom," but how incredibly sad. Of all of the "developers" out there, it goes to the ill-named "Heartland Homes," probably the most truly vicious company in business to further ruin the earth. Expect no greenspace left whatsoever, and that every square inch will be cut, chopped, chain-dragged and scraped until there is nothing recognizable left. 118 acres? Expect 236 sad excuses for "homes," another traffic nightmare, and one more iconic landmark to be erased, while the "developers" pocket millions. Perhaps Ross will intervene on the plan, but that is very unlikely, considering what else has been allowed in recent years! If it could be turned into 3-, 5- or 10-acre "estates," the company that destroyed Ohio Township MIGHT begin to redeem itself, but THAT is undoubtedly wishful thinking, as they'll probably cram in dozens of rows of townhouses and as many little postage-stamp sized "yards" as possible. Very sad for West View/Ross!
Valerie Castelli
10:27 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Hi Tom - I agree with you. And as my mom still lives right across the street on Highland, I anticipate some problems for her with traffic, noise, etc. Valerie Kornides Castelli
mark mervick
7:38 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
lets hope heartland does it right...carriage homes..save the club house, save the pool and make it a 9 hole course. kinda like a smaller diamond run or treesdale..alot of history on that 118 acres...ross and west view has to get involved so it doesn't turn into a BIG plan...if it does you'll have to turn gass rd and highland into 4 lanes and a traffic light at gass and highland.
Lmono
10:07 am on Sunday, July 1, 2012
I agree with including a carriage home option for the middle age/retirement lifestyle. We need this desperately in the North Hills! Keep the clubhouse and pool for the community. Walking trails/greenspace a plus!
MMc
9:47 am on Saturday, June 30, 2012
Maybe they will pattern it after the Venango Trails housing plan concept (NA) with more "historic home", walking trails, ponds, etc
amy mcdonald
12:25 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2012
i hope that they make it affordable carriage homes, reasonable size something that the local people in surrounding communities can afford when they sell their homes. priced under 215 to start. this will allow us empty nesters to at least have a chance and be able to sell our homes to familes who could enjoy them.
Jim
4:15 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
If they build stand alone carriage homes we will be the first to buy one.
Jim & Deb
Richard Cook
11:38 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Message from J. Wenzel: I don't know how businesses can slide through not paying their taxes when residents can't.
If the township doesn't get the taxes due them, it is the township's fault for not collecting them on time.
Why not build townhouses/patio homes for seniors on the former Highland Country Club property. Make it a place where seniors
would be proud to live. Check out Chatham Village, Mt. Washington.