Terri and John Havens, minority co-owners of the Houston Astros baseball team, are building a luxury European-style housing development in Bonsall in partnership with Corman Leigh Companies and Bonsall Oaks, LLC.
The Havens, named after the couple, will have 164 homes in gated neighborhoods near the Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, and The Havens Country Club, and a vineyard – all of which the Havens own.
The estimated construction cost of The Havens development is $60 million.
The Havens maintain their primary residence in Houston, where John Havens heads Seismic Exchange, Inc., one of the largest data and marketing firms in North America for the oil and gas industry.
The couple also have a home at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Vista on the border with Bonsall.
“This is our adopted city,” John Havens said.
Inspired by Terri and John’s love of French culture, art, architecture and cuisine, the housing development, designed by Kevin L. Crook Architecture based in Irvine, climbs up a hillside.
“The view is the wow factor,” Terri Havens said.
The entrance to the housing development is adjacent to the winery, designed by Walter Allen Architects.
“You can’t get to the homes without driving past the winery,” John Havens said.
Active lifestyle
Modeled after French vineyards, the 16-acre winery is anticipated to open Summer of 2024. The Havens Country Club, known as Vista Valley Country Club before John and Terri Havens bought it in 2010, recently underwent a $13 million renovation.
The country club renovation included the addition of a fireplace mantle from a 1700s French castle, a wedding site with 18th Century gates and columns imported from France, and shade timbers from the 1730s.
The idea for the housing development was an offshoot of the country club renovation.
“When we were trying to figure out ways to make the country club better, we came up with the idea, ‘Well, what if we had a subdivision across the street that fed into the country club,’ and then it just morphed into that,” Terri Havens said.
Combined with the country club, the housing development covers nearly 700 acres. The housing development itself is 240 acres and includes five miles of hiking and equestrian trails, according to Terri Havens.
The housing development will be divided into four separate communities, each of which carry names connected to winery regions in France.
Terri and John trace their interest in all things French to their childhood growing up in New Orleans, and Terri Haven’s French ancestry.
The first community, Provence, is under construction and will have 59 homes in a mix of single-level and two-story homes ranging from 1,942 square feet to 2,842 square feet with up to four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two-car garages with neighborhood electric vehicle spaces.
“All of the homes are inspired by traditional French architecture, but there’s some Mediterranean influence in there as well,” said Jeff Addison, a principal and director of design at Kevin L. Crook Architecture.
“They’re not a literal interpretation, but applying some of those timeless French characteristics to the way that we live today,” Addison said.
The homes have stone veneers and stone accents, with different types of stone used among the exterior design “to create some variety,” Addison said. “Every home has a covered patio. There is also an optional deck that you can do.”
Lot sizes within the development range from 4,500 square feet to about an acre.
A formal opening of the Provence neighborhood is scheduled for November with construction of Provence to be completed in the spring of 2025.
Home prices will start around $900,000.
Likely buyers will be people who have “a very active, healthy lifestyle and that love to connect with people,” Terri Havens said. “I think a lot of people want to move out of the city and this is just far enough away where you can enjoy the outdoors, and a slower pace, yet drive 30 minutes into the city if they desire.”
Unique Touches
The Havens is John and Terri’s first venture in California housing development, and something that they’ve been planning for several years.
“I love to build things,” John Havens said. “I’m a frustrated architect and builder. We renovated our house in Houston for 10 years. It was an old house and we saved it. People wanted to bulldoze it.”
Along with renovating the country club, the Havens rebuilt a French chapel on the grounds of Cal-a-Vie after disassembling it in France and shipping it to the U.S.
Terri Havens said they decided to add the chapel after some guests at Cal-a-Vie said that they’d like a spiritual element at the spa.
“We try to look for unique touches,” John Havens said.
“The Havens is so much more than a new home community, it’s an exquisite destination,” said Daniel Leigh, founder of Corman Leigh Companies.
In addition to The Havens, Corman Leigh Companies is building housing developments in Palm Springs, Murrieta and Colorado.
Corman Leigh Companies
Founded: 2005
President: Daniel R. Leigh
Headquarters: Temecula
Employees: 28
Website: www.cormanleigh.com
Contact: 951-296-5070
Notable: Corman Leigh Companies has successfully processed over 10,000 acres of land including more than 11,000 residential lots and other commercial land uses with developments underway throughout Southern California and Colorado.
