b'C o m m u n i t yPharaoh Valley Golf Course FinallyCleared, Making Way for Barisi VillageFollowing legal battles that stretched over a period of nine years, McKinney-based developer Jeff Black-ard and his investment partners have at last taken the biggest and most visible step in moving forward withtheredevelopmentofthelong-abandoned Pharaoh Valley Golf Courseand that is the clear-ing of the course itself, which appears complete.The 127-acre site, which encompasses the proper-ty located along Ennis Joslin Road on Oso Bay, and north across Nile Drive, was the centerpiece of the prestigious Pharaoh Valley Subdivision, which was built in the late 1960s through the 70s. The country club closed for good more than a decade ago, and the golf course fell into a state of decay marked by wildfires, vagrant settlements, wildlife inhabitation, and its use as a stunt course by dirt bikers.As for many high-end residential communities of the era, the golf course and country club were main sell-ing points for homes in Pharaoh Valley. Like so many of those developments, however, including most in Corpus Christi including Kings Crossing and Padre Isles, financial viability of the country clubs eroded as interest in golf declined, and founding homeowners sold, died, and otherwise moved on.Jeff Blackard is one of the worlds most innovative landdevelopers.HisNeo-Retroismapproachto community design takes architectural and land use concepts from 500 or 1,000 years ago, those of the European villages from where so many of our ances- Top: Former site of the tors once emigrated to America, and applies them toPharaoh Valley Country Club new, modern development and construction.Blackards most recent work can be seen on Northon the east side of the golf BeachattheluxuriousLighthousePointeApart- course is mostly cleared. ments, where stone construction and choices of tileTAMUCCs Islander Village and other materials are inspired by a Croatian sea- student apartments are just side village. Barisi Village, the Pharaoh Valley rede- north, with the university velopment, is inspired by the colors and architecturecampus on Ward Island of Portofino, Italy, across the Adriatic Sea. behind. Middle: Newly-Barisi Village will be Jeff Blackards second, full-scalecleared golf course viewed village development in the U.S., the first in McKinneytoward Ennis Joslin Rd. and north of Dallas, known as Adriatica. The mixed-useOso Bay. Bottom: An original community will include single- and multi-family res- rendering of the Barisi Villageidential, and a diverse arrangement of office, restau- concept, based on Portofino, rant, retailand possiblyhotel space. Italy, on the Adriatic Sea.46THE COASTAL BEND GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'