Bosques Altozano, June 2008

Below is the course layout.   I walked the first 5 holes,  then over to holes number 10 and 11.   They are hoping to have 9 holes open sometime this summer.   A few of the holes were ready to play,  although the grass could use a little more maturation time.  I am excited about how the layout is coming along,  I think it will be a fun,  fair course,  unlike some other,  more acclaimed courses in the area.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come on along as we walk through some of the holes.   Keep in mind,  these photos were taken  3 weeks ago in May,  the driest time of the year here in Morelia.   It has been raining fairly steady  for the last 3-4 days,   so things are looking much greener up here already.

Hole # 1,  Par 4,  390 yards from the blue tees.

You will want to aim your drive towards the large tree in the middle of the fairway.   It is fairly open and forgiving,  which is good seeing as it is Hole Numero Uno!

This photo below shows the landing area for your drive.   You would play a high iron over the stream,  into a small green surrounded by bunkers.

 Hole # 2,  Par 5,  533 yards from the blue tees.

This hole is straight up hill,   making it very challenging to go for the green in two.   Below is looking back at the tee area.

Assuming a straight long drive,  below is the view of your second shot will look like,   bunkers are strategically placed on both sides of the fairway.

Behind the second green,  looking back to drive's landing area. (below).   In the distance is Jesus del Monte.   This hole is up pretty high,  and I can see it getting pretty windy up here at times.

Hole # 3,   Par 4,  466 yards from the blue tees.

What goes up,  must come down.  Having hiked up number 2,  now it is straight downhill with the wind at your back.   At an altitude of well over 7000 ft.,  hackers like me should have fun letting it all hang out on this drive.   Aim for the lake,  with a fade,  and you could easily reach 300 yards off the tee.  The building just past the lake will be the provisional clubhouse.   The Altozano towers can be seen in the distance.

Your second shot (below) is also straight downhill.  The fairway on this hole was still a ways from having mature grass ready for play.

Hole # 4,   Par 4,  380 yards from the blue tees.

We have crossed under the perimeter road,  and are entering the flatter,  more wooded section of the course.   This is a short dog-leg left,  slightly downhill. 

If you are still with me,  reading this,  you must be a golfer.   Below is the 4th green.   We are coming into the area where 4-5 holes are very close to one another.   You are either finishing up on 18, or moving onto holes number 5 & 6.  (see course layout above)

  Hole # 18,   Par 5,  571 yards from the blue tees.

As you walk off the 4th green,  you come into the HUB of the Bosques Altozano course.   The photo below shows the 18th green,  you would be hitting your 3rd shot over the pond.    This would also be a great vantage point for watching a tournament,  as you can enjoy watching play on 4 or 5 different holes from here,  as well as being in a nice shaded grove of eucalyptus trees.

 Hole # 10,   Par 4,  443 yards from the blues

Holes 10 and 11 will probably be included in the first 9 holes to open this summer.   Here we are looking over the recently topdressed green at No. 10.   It is a dogleg left.

Hole # 11,   Par 4,  427 yards from the blues

Tees at 11,  a slight dogleg right.   That's my tour for now,  can't wait to try out my neighborhood course in a few weeks,  come on down,  you won't be disappointed !!

 

The Mauling of Monarcas

No,  I am not going to rake on the poor Divison 1 professional soccer team we have here in Morelia.    Rather I will stay with the theme of the MALLS that plan to be springing up over Monarch Mountain.

The hummingbirds up here are buzzing about the potential land purchase of a plot of land near the Jefferson High School and La Bandera memorial park by Grupo Acosta Verde .   I guess I will have a Soriana's supermarket nearby at some point.

Now,  on to the visuals.   Here are three floor plans for the first phase of the large mall here in Monarch Mountain,  known as Paseo Morelia.

Starting from left to right,  bottom to top,  here are the floor plans:

The Liverpool anchor store will be two floors,  this plan shows the first floor (Planta baja).   Liverpool will be closest to the access road connecting the Juan Pablo II traffic circle (see previous posts) to the access road to Morelia,  yet to be determined as to tunnel or bridge.

 

Below is the main floor (Planta primer nivel) with the Liverpool store's second floor.  On the far end is the other anchor store Sears.  You would enter Sears first floor from this level.

 

Below is the second floor (planta 2do nivel) which shows the Cinemex movie theaters,  which will overlay the Zara store above,  and the second floor of sears,  with Playtime over the Coppel store.

 

These three floor plans represent the first stage of the project,  below is a partial list of the stores that have commited to the mall's first phase:

LIVERPOOL, SEARS, CINEMEX, SANBORNS, ITALIANNIS, APPLEBEES, CARLS JR, LA MANSION, MC DONALDS, TACO INN, SUBWAY, STARBUCKS, COLD STONE CREAMERY, HOOTERS (negotiating)
HARD ROCK CAFE (almost a done deal), ZARA, BERSHKA,
LACOSTE, TOMMY, MARINGO, MANGO, BENETTON, JULIO, MASKOTA, MIX UP, DISCOVERY THE STORE, GAME PLANET, BLOCKBUSTER, CRABTREE & EVELYN, BIZARRO, HERTZ , ALAMO RENT A CAR, MEXICANA, PLAY CITY, NECK & NECK, PUMA STORE, MARTI, MARTI SOCCER, DEPORTENIS, ATHLETE'S FOOT, DIONE.

First phase of the peripheral area of Paseo Morelia,  corporations commited include:

WAL MART,  SAMS CLUB (negotiating), MIDAS, AUTO ZONE

 

Below is the view that you will have of Morelia from the Mansion Restaurant and the Fiesta Inn hotel.

Plaza Las Americas Mall, Morelia - Phase I

The first phase of Plaza Las Americas mall opened this week, featuring the Cinepolis VIP cinemas. Surprisingly, even though the corporate headquarters of Cinepolis are based here in Morelia, it took awhile for the VIP cinemas to arrive here.

The color-coded overlays above show the future expansion plans for the mall. Eventually all of the outdoor parking and some of the homes in the area will be replaced by the mall. It will even surround the nearby Financial tower.

Photo above shows the plaza from the inside, with the new cinemas on the 3rd floor.

The "Valle de Altozano" awakens

 

Over the past 3 years, this gated community, listed on Altozano's master plan as the Valle de Altozano, has laid silent. Walls were in place, cemented streets and services installed, but no housing....Photo taken in Sept 2005

 

Now, as seen in the photo below taken 3 weeks ago, a flurry of building has begun.

Paseo Morelia update

Technorati Tags: Paseo Morelia,La Nueva Morelia,Jesus del Monte,Morelia Mall,Altozano,Ciudad tres Marias

The above drawing will give you an idea of some of the companies that have signed on with Grupo GICSA that will form this large mall.

Most of the names you will recognize, Wal-Mart, Sears, Liverpool, Carl Jrs., Sanborn;s etc. Play City, Johnny Rockets, Italiannis Restaurant are some of the lesser known establishments. Any idea why it is Cinemex and not Cinepolis movie theaters here ? I have been told close to 70% of the major locales have been reserved.

Below is an outline of the stores layered over a recent photo of the construction site. As you can see, there is still a ways to go, but they are working on it 24/7. My teenage kids are more anxious than I regarding its completion, small town life is just too dull for them!

Place your bets !!

If I were a betting man, this is the access road I would bet the ranchito on. The white line in the photo is the second proposal of access to the Paseo Morelia mall and the rest of Altozano. This will require a "Megapuente", a bridge of some sort, which is shown in the two white arches which will span the Rio Chiquito .

This makes much more sense to me, as the access will be from the McDonald's on Camelinas near the Plaza Morelia. The Megatunnel which I have described in previous posts, although it may be more unique and possibly more asthetic to the eye, is too controversial in this town. Plus its access to Camelinas is at the Sanson Flores intersection, which is only one stoplight away from the present access road at "La Paloma" intersection.

Of course, all of this now is a giant political football. Without getting too political, the players here are very high profile at this moment in Mexico. Felipe Calderon, Morelia's native son, and present President of the Republic, is more than ready to fork over the pesos to make this project a success. Standing in the way, is the newly elected Governor of Michoacan, whom is from the opposition party. Will funds forked over from the Federal Government, be used to buoy the opposition's losing presidential candidate? I understand his real initials are MALO , but somehow Andres became his first name, not Manuel, after he had the epiphany of politics in his blood.

Alas,, politics aside, two access roads to this area will happen this year. Too many interests are at stake for it not to happen. One will be the MegaPuente or MegaTunnel, and the other will be an access out to the Patzcuaro Highway.

Altozano's Master Plan. where they stand.

Above is the master plan for the Altozano project. I took this off of their website, and I have amplified the numbers and put some of the communities in English. Their website is a little frustrating to navigate, regardless of the language. http://www.altozano.com.mx/. Anyway, you can click on the above map, enlarge it, so that the names and numbers are legible. I am going to clarify the specific areas in this and future posts with photos to show their present state of development.



1. Bosque Monarca...see previous posts for photos. I have been told that 9 holes will be open for play this spring. I hope to get there soon to take some updated photos of the golf course construction. In December, there were only a handfull of holes ready for play.












2 . Punta Altozano (anyone else have the tendency to say/type Altazona?) I have insider info on this, as one of my in-laws built a nice 3 BR home here. There are modern townhomes, aimed at both first time home buyers, young families, as well as retirees.











Punto Altozano is the most populated area of the development as of now. It is very close to the entrance to Bosque Monarca, the golf course.




3. Paraiso Altozano. This is just to the right as you head down the hill from the Tec de Monterry traffic circle. At present, there are 2-3 buildings in this gated community. The appear to be well built, large residences.

Fore, score.....maybe 7 years

To be fair, these photos were taken last Summer & Fall 2007, so the construction has come along. When finished, this will be a very nice 18 hole golf course, quite a bit different from the Tres Marias course. Tres Marias is similar to a Southwest USA canyon course. This will be more of a wooded , tight shots, very scenic golf course with two man-made ponds and a small stream running through it. I used to hike out here, and there were always signs of coyote, fox, deer, etc.

"Bosques Monarca Country Club" was due to have its inauguration last November, but seems to be on Mexican time :))

Now, before you go and make your tee times, the photos above are of the 4-5 holes that have grass, most of the course is in the state of the photos below. The drainage and water pipes have been put in place, but the fairways and greens have yet to be seeded. I do not forsee this course being open until 2009, hopefully they will prove me wrong.

What's in a name??

The powers to be in the Monarch Mountain Project are not satisfied with the results happening up here on the mesa overlooking Morelia, or so the birdies tell me. They contracted a Spanish consulting firm to find a way to boost sales of the gated communities that are taking over the cow pastures up here near Jesus Del Monte.


So what do you think a Spanish consulting firm would come up with? "Monarcas" is too common for the upper crust that we are looking for up here (sarcasm interjected). Heaven forbid, taxis, tacos stands, soccer teams, all have this commoner's name "Monarca". We must name it after something mucho mas cavalier....say, a Spanish wine, ..yeah, who'da thunk it! Never mind that Michoacan is the winter home to the fluttering insect with the regal name.


So, after thousands of pesos spent on name buildup on the radio, etc. , this project has morphed from the Monarch Mountain project, (aka "Montana Monarca"), equally regal and easily remembered in both languages, to become known as "Altozano". Just reposition the Os and the As in that name, and you can become as confused as I.


I am sure that a looming recession and huge housing downturn in North America had as much to do with any slowdown here, then the name, but who am I to opine. On to the changes that have taken place since my last posting, much more than name changes.


The Pope's blessing

The traffic circle, or to us New Englanders: "Rotary" has a new statue, of the travelling Pope, Juan Pablo II. Most new businesses in Mexico make sure they have a priest come in to bless the establishment at its opening, not here in "Altozano" we have boulevards and statues honoring the late Pope.

Overview of the New Morelia Expansion

This map shows the area of expansion for the New Morelia. The area in blue is where most of the projects will take place.

The dark blue line shows the present road that winds down from Jesus del Monte through Santa Maria, ending in either the Paloma intersection or at Morelos Sur on Camelinas (near the zoo and Star Medica)

The above map shows the long range planned growth of the southern sector of Morelia. Yellow line is Avenida Camelinas. The red line is the current project known as the "Megatunnel" that will connect the city to the upper plateau where the mall, golf course, and numerous planned gated communities will be.

The dark blue shows where a perimeter road is planned connecting the tunnel extension, which would by-pass Santa Maria, El Durazno, and Fracc. Mesoamericano, ending at Libramiento Independencia near Costco (Independencia and Camelinas are one and the same, their name just changes depending on which part of the city you are in.

The brown, aqua, and red roads are planned outlets connecting to the Patzcuaro Highway. When and if all of these roads will be built is anyone's guess, but for now, the Paseo de Morelia Mall, Bosque Monarca Golf course, and tunnel project are under way and due for completion sometime in 2008.

I lifted these aerial photos off of the Morelia government's website. For a detail description of the tunnel project, including re-forestation of trees etc. visit :

http://www.morelia.gob.mx/web/Html/Hechos/Tunel%20Vial/PRESENTACIONtunelPARAinternetOK%20Abril2007.pdf





This photo shows the Cointzio Dammed lake which you can see at the bottom of the previous map.

Mega tunnel - aerial view of Project

Here is an aerial shot of where the proposed tunnel will be built. You can see the construction of the mall Paseo Morelia in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

Bosques Monarca

The second major player in la Nueva Morelia is Francisco Medina, a local entrpreneur with auto dealerships throughout Mexico. He is the principal owner of all the land up here near Jesus del Monte that will become Montaña Monarca. The company GICSA is the contractor behind the Paseo de Morelia mall. They are a large contractor out of Mexico City, it is rumored that Carlos Slim is behind GICSA. Paseo Morelia will be the largest mall in the GICSA system, and one of the largest in Latin America.

As stated earlier, Enrique Ramirez has his pet golf course, not to be outdone, Francisco "Paco" Medina is now constructing his up here. Below are the photos of what will become Bosques Montana CC. Keep in mind, 3-4 months ago, I was walking through these woods, they were just starting to move dirt around.

The photo at the right was taken from the highest point in the perimeter road that runs around the golf course. The brick structure in the middle (click on photo to enlarge it) is Los Corporales Salon de Fiesta. The white tower for the tech would be just outside of this photo to the left. The author´s home is in the distance in line with Los Corporales at the far tree line.

This photo was taken from the same spot, just moving left. The Tec Tower can be seen, and behind that in the distance, is the new construction for Paseo Morelia. You are looking north. The foreground sandy areas are where the golf course is.

Same vantage point, just moved the camera to the left, Golf holes in foreground, the white buildings in the distance are in the gated community of Punta Monarca. I really believe that Bosques Monarca will be the neighborhood to live in Morelia. Much more naturally scenic than Tres Marias.

Here is part of the perimeter road around the golf course. After hiking through these woods over the years, my only hope is that they will zone this community for at least 1 acre lots.