Homesite and membership sales at Club Adena — the former limestone quarry transformed into a picturesque luxury golf community tucked away off busy U.S. 441 North just north of State Road 326 — have restarted after a six-year pause.
Stacey Rollins, membership and real estate director, said there are “exciting and new” aspects to the development, and management is “picking up where we left off.”
Rollins described in a later email an “oasis” within sight of major roadways.
“(Club Adena) truly is a natural oasis property with organic, locally sourced food served in our restaurant. When our members and guests enter through the gates and catch sight of the breathtaking waterfall, they often can't believe that such beauty exists in Ocala, Florida,” she wrote.
The Adena property, 950 NW 75th St. in Ocala, was purchased around 2012 by Canadian and local businessman Frank Stronach. A July 11, 2018 Star-Banner article headline announced the development had “abruptly closed.”
An article on the continued shutdown, dated Aug. 11, 2020, discussed litigation that stemmed from a possible sale of the property and drama within the Stronach family.
The 2020 article indicates Stronach's daughter “reportedly ordered the abrupt closure” of the Adena development in July 2018 and further legal entanglements followed.
Ten buildings on the grounds now have a value over $10 million, according to county tax records. County PUD data indicate a maximum of 202 homesites, including single-family detached and attached units, can be developed on the Adena GC Holdings property.
The sole detached single-family residence currently completed on the property was described recently by a development representative as belonging to Stronach.
Stronach, a native of Austria, is chronicled in the biography “Magna Man” as starting in the work world as an apprentice tool and die maker in 1946 at age 14 and immigrating to Canada seven years later, where he worked tirelessly to establish Magna International, Inc., “one of the worlds biggest“ auto parts manufacturers.
The biography details his “Fair Enterprise” business method, with a “constitution” for a profit sharing plan for eligible employees and management.
According to a Forbes.com profile, as of 2018 Stronach’s financial net worth was $1.5 billion.
Stronach “divested himself of all equity in Magna” in 2013 and briefly traveled to Austria before returning to Canada and buying land to enter the beef cattle industry, according to the Forbes.com profile.
The Forbes.com profile notes alleged internal conflict in 2018 in the Stronach family company, TSG.
According to Bloomberg.com, "The Stronach Group …operates and manages a number of leading businesses… including thoroughbred racing, horse breeding, agriculture, electric vehicle technologies, and medical technologies” and “owns a number of premier development properties and real estate assets in North America.”
Stronach responded in an email when asked for an update on the Adena property and discussed additional issues.
“I have a long history with Ocala. I bought my first farm close to 40 years ago in Ocala. The farm was fronting Highway 27. Consequently, I bought a lot more land. In some of my estate planning I transferred some of the land to my daughter,” he wrote.
“I was fortunate to create one of the great companies in the world. Magna International. I started in a garage as the only employee and I built up a company with 170,000 employees, approximately 40 thousand of those employees are in the United States,” Stronach wrote.
“Anytime when you create that many assets it takes a while to sort it out who would inherit those, I kept a number of assets personally and set up a company which will own and manage those assets. One of them is the Ft McCoy Meat processing plant. And the other is Club Adena,” he stated.
"I bought the lands about 12 years ago from the Stavola Road Building Company. I thought the property could be one of the great golf courses. The land itself had a fair amount of hills and with the road company needing the gravel and limerock they created lakes and a lot of land over burdens, with stunning elevations,” he stated.
“Anyway, I am very proud of the golf course. I believe the golf course will be great for Ocala. We are committed to build great amenities like a spa, a hotel and have an organic food program which will support longevity,” Stronach wrote in part.
Patrick Jenkins, general manager of the development, stated in an email that she’s “incredibly excited for the reopening of Club Adena and the opportunity to showcase the amazing property Frank Stronach created.”
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The Residences at Club Adena will offer member homeowners a lifestyle with a seemingly endless list of amenities including an onsite organic garden and grocery, polo fields, boutique, spa, tennis and pickleball courts, pool, restaurant, bar and lounge and bridle trail.
The centerpiece of the 448-acre Adena GC Holdings LLC planned unit development is an 18-hole, 7,242 yard championship golf course described by Golf Digest as “dramatic and unforgettable,” with rolling hills and a waterfall.
Phil Gadd, from England, handles photography and social media for the golf club. Gadd called the course unique in Florida with its rolling hills and long stretches to cover over water.
Brooke Mosley and Maria Isaza operate the golf shop and Mike Timson is director of golf.
“As a PGA professional, I am enthralled by the diverse blend of holes this course presents. Among them, the par threes stand out, offering exhilarating play over and around our stunning quarries…Club Adena's Golf Course is a true masterpiece,” Timson wrote in an email.
The Spanish influence two-story, 16,651-square-foot clubhouse was constructed in 2015 and has a five-story tower and penthouse accommodations including a suite with touches like exquisite paintings of Russian ballet dancers.
Brian Anderson and Austin Vazquez with A-1 Painting and Finishing of Ocala were busy recently doing finishing work including oil paint detail, crown molding and wainscoting in the clubhouse.
The property is bordered by U.S. 441 to the west; State Road 326/ Northwest 70th Street on the south; West Anthony Road on the east side and Northwest 95th Street on the north side.
Freddy Goins, owner of Gold Street Reality of Ocala, attended North Marion High School, located about eight miles north of the development. and is “passionate” about the area.
“I am excited to see how the re-opening of Adena will affect the real estate values and future developments in north Ocala. To see a luxury development of that magnitude operate in Ocala is incredible. I hope the community accepts it and supports their operation,” he wrote in a text message.
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