Demolition begins | Long Bay Beach Club to be redeveloped
Roughly two years after the 2017 hurricanes damaged the Long Bay Beach Club, restoration of the West End-based facility is underway.
General Manager at the club Richard Smith told BVI News recently that there are major plans in the pipeline for the facility.
“We have plans for redevelopment — getting rid of buildings that weren’t structurally sound after Irma and we are making way for some new buildings,” he said.
“We have two buildings that are going to be coming down, and we are currently working on finalizing the master plan and have reconstruction going.”
Smith further explained that one of the two buildings located on the western side of the property will be rebuilt into a spa.
“After the storm, the previous owner paid off all the timeshare owners, so the buildings turned back over to the hotel,” he explained.
He said an unnamed couple from California acquired the property last September. He said the beach club is one of two hospitality-type properties that they own in the territory.
In the meantime, the other building to be demolished and rebuilt will be one of the restaurants, Smith said.
“It is the old original restaurant, kitchen and lobby that’s in the garden, not the one that’s on the beach. The one on the beach is staying, but we are doing renovations to that,” he said.
The demolition started last week and is scheduled to last roughly two weeks.
Other improvements
Smith said other parts of the beachfront property is also set to receive attention.
“Being on the beachfront, everything received damage. We sustained heavy damage to roofs, doors, windows, and we have already taken down the beach cabanas that remained after the storm.”
Smith added: “We are to put on new roofs on the Jacuzzi style units which are up on the hill, and the buildings on the beach will get redone. They are all going to get new roofs and new interior designs, and that is all part of what the architects are working on right now.”
When asked about a possible timeframe for reopening, Smith said it was difficult to say.
“It’s all going to be based on the availability of materials once we have our plans finalized.”
He was also unable to provide the estimated cost of the undertaking.
“It hasn’t been nailed down yet, but it is in the tens of millions for sure,” he told BVI News.
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If you like your beach front property with toxic smoke on the side
Shaking head. Why you go there? Just say nice and be on your way. You first one at their restaurant when it opens.
You clearly have not been to West End or Long Bay over the past 5-6 days- the smoke is sometimes overwhelming, particularly this morning. We say we want resorts and businesses to reopen, but this trash issue/the ‘incinerator’ has not been addressed. How many cancer clusters do we need before something is done?
The investors must be wondering if they really want to invest tens of millions of dollars in an eco resort placed in the middle of the path of toxic smoke.
Not me..any restaurant down there you be lucky to taste your food for the smell.
This aint one of nature little secrets anymore..everybody knows about it…
Never mind the smoke.
You would have to be crazy to invest in the BVI.
The worlds most bureaucratic, racist, obstructionist, stupidly run country bar none.
“Nice” and “@ too nice”, I say let’s not discourage investment for the sake of environmental concerns!
No where in America is this the plan! Nor is this the plan anywhere globally!
Business investment is encouraged while environmental concerns are being worked on!
I say, let’s work on our environmental concerns, and in the mean time, encourage all investments to our country for the betterment of us all!
I’d agree with everything you said if Long Bay beach resort was not in the path of public dump fires that have been going on for years- don’t forget, hotel guests leave reviews that can make or break a resort.
Again, if I were planning such a large investment, I’d be reconsidering after the past week. Yesterday, the smoke was so thick at Long Bay, it could be seen to occlude objects only 25 feet away. Had I paid to be at an upscale beach resort and had to hole up in my air conditioned room because of a public fire that made my eyes and nose burn and went on for 8 or 10 hours, I would not review that hotel favorably.
This is not an ecological issue, it’s common sense capitalism.
Do you know how long it will take to rebuild this resort? You want to stop because of a trash fire now, and prevent economic development and jobs over a year from now? (At least!)
This is why BVI recovery is slowest in the Caribbean- STRUPES WHO DONT UNDERSTAND THE WORLD MAKING STRUPE COMMENTS WITH NO COMMON SENSE. let me guess, we shouldn’t rebuild any other resorts either because the roads are bad. Sounds stupid right? That’s because it is stupid- just like STRUPES who think a building can’t be constructed because of a fire elsewhere. If you knew anything about construction you’d know they will be done with this fire MONTHS before the construction is completed. Have fun with your decade-lomg recovery based upon STRUPE PEOPLE
O Wow was walking through that units just the other day, Awesome news Mr Smith, all the best with the new developments, hope to see it again one day?