By: Brianna Crane and Jason Thomas | September 29, 2019

From: Charlotte Agenda

Sunset Cove Hotel in Mooresville, NC (North Carolina) – Lake Norman Real Estate – It will be the first lakefront hotel for the 55-year-old man-made lake, and all of the rooms will have water views. The resort, called Sunset Cove, (a part of Mooresville, NC Real Estate) also will include a 3,000-square foot spa, private beach, pool, a 4,000-square-foot conference center and an Italian steakhouse restaurant.

Brett Krueger, the former Vice President of MRK Investments, which led the development and restoration of the historic building that became The Ivey’s hotel in Uptown, is leading the development. He said that he hopes to build condos near the resort in later phases of the project.

“I want to give people something they’ve maybe had only a few times in their life: total and complete relaxation,” Brett told the Agenda.

The only other waterfront hotel or motel is the Lake Norman Motel in Sherrills Ford, a no-frills spot that’s been around since the 1970s and includes “color cable TV” on its list of amenities. This will be the lake area’s only luxury resort. The exact address is 195 Sunset Cove Lane.

Mooresville Planning & Community Development Director Rawls Howard said the city has generally approved the resort, but some of the nitty-gritty details like utility plans are still in the works. “They can start turning dirt as soon as they want,” Howard said.

Some neighbors voiced concerns about the proposal at the rezoning public hearing in April, but the city had no opposition, Howard added.

“There’s 520 miles of shoreline, and the average home is very expensive on the lake,” Krueger said. “There’s a lot of money up here, and all of these big corporations, like Lowe’s, send their people to the Ritz or the Ballantyne to get away.”

“This may really spur future positive growth in the area. Few people realize how important and what a stepping stone luxury lodging is to investment and positive growth for an area.”

The 3,000-square-foot facility will have a salt/relaxation room, mineral pool, juice bar and an outdoor relaxation area.

You can expect typical spa offerings like massages and other “wellness treatments,” all of which can be done in the salt room.

People who aren’t staying at the hotel will be able to book treatments and use the facilities, too (similar to the Ballantyne or Ritz). The spa itself will have five hotel rooms, and those guests will have prolonged direct access to the spa amenities — even when it’s closed to other guests/outside users.

A yet-to-be-named local restaurant will run the resort’s steakhouse. Brett says you can expect an Italian restaurant with Lake Norman views.

Access to the beach is included for guests, but non-guests can use the beach club for a fee. That’s a pretty big deal.

Lake Norman has long been elusive for people who don’t live there. Unless you have a house on the shore or use a boat, finding a spot to hang out lakeside is difficult. There are only two public accesses: Lake Norman State Park and Ramsey Creek.

Brett helped produce The Ivey’s in Uptown, and he also did the Windsor in Asheville. Expect a similar level of luxury here, according to Krueger.

All 82 rooms will have views of the water, and the design is inspired by resorts in the Mediterranean and Bali. You’ll see greenery and water features throughout to tie in some of the natural elements of the lake setting. Krueger said it’ll have a “boutique flare.”

This project is a huge deal for many reasons. People who live in Mooresville Waterfront Homes are protective of the land there, and as with any big new development project, I’m sure the community will have concerns about traffic and the influx of people the resort may attract.

But it also gives locals the chance to experience Lake Norman in a way many currently can’t (unless you have a boat or house there). Think about the impact Hello Sailor has had — people flock there in droves to have a drink by the water. Once Sunset Cove opens, people will be able to design their own staycation, whether that means staying by the water for a weekend or sitting on the beach for one day.

Krueger says they’ve already cleared the land and he’s aiming to break ground in the first quarter of 2020.

Keywords: Lake Norman, Mooresville, Homes, Condos, New Construction, Real Estate, NC, North Carolina, Waterfront, Golf