McCaw’s island

for sale for $75M

Craig and Susan McCaw have listed their 780-acre private island near Victoria, B.C., for $75 million.

James Island is about a mile off the coast of Vancouver Island and has a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, an airstrip and extensive docks. There is a four-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot main residence built from reclaimed cedar, a warehouse converted into an entertainment center, a gym, a store, staff accommodations and six guest cottages.

James Island once had a World War II-era dynamite plant and a population of about 800. In the 1980s it was partially developed into a resort. McCaw, a cellphone billionaire from the Seattle area, purchased the island in 1994 and further developed it into the private retreat it is today. The property is listed by Mark Lester, Specialized Assets Group, of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

Seattle Times staff

Open houses this weekend

There are a couple of notable open-house events in Seattle this weekend.

From 3-9 p.m. Saturday you can see the homes and studios of artists at Cooper Artist Housing at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way S.W., Seattle. Free. cooperjournal.com.

The artists will open their home studios to the public to show the “Curious Creatures” in their natural habitat. Music, performance art, theater sketches and poetry readings will also be featured.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday is the Phinney Home and Garden Tour. Tour five homes and five urban gardens. Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; $12-$15. 206-783-2244, phinneycenter.org/events/homeandgarden.shtml).

Seattle Times staff