On-street alfresco dining, a waterfront hotel and two marinas with space for visiting multi-million dollar yachts are among concepts featured in a new masterplan for St. George?s.

A grand vision of the future has been captured on a draft blueprint for the transformation of the town, presented in today?s for the first time, which would see Ordnance Island become a centrepiece visitor attraction.

The Town Square and Water Street would be enhanced as virtually traffic-free areas to allow on-street alfresco dining and cafes and create an unhurried, safe ambience for visitors to stroll around.

Penno?s Wharf is the favoured spot for hosting any future Panamax cruise ships and would feature a nearby waterfront hotel and new homes to improve the town?s gateway area making it a more visitor friendly experience.

Mayor E. Michael Jones claims money men have looked at the suggested project and concluded that it is viable.

Now residents are being told to prepare to put their thoughts and ideas into the mix for what is shaping up to be the biggest decision the town has faced in the past 100 years.

Mr. Jones said the bold concepts in the Corporation of St. George?s waterfront masterplan are not a fit accompli by any means, but a useful starting point for residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the town?s future to consider and offer suggestions.

He added: ?I must stress that this is not the final plan. We are gathering ideas and these are some of the ideas we can discuss.?

That opportunity is probably only a few weeks away. The Mayor intends to hold an inclusive public meeting aimed at garnering the views of others before any decisions are firmed up.

Today St. George?s marks the fifth anniversary of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and later this evening there will be the annual spectacle of the National Trust Walkabout with many historic buildings illuminated by candlelight.

But what lies ahead for the town is what excites Mr. Jones as he spoke of the need to enhance the town?s Old World charm to bring greater benefit and long term sustainability.

That?s why a bold plan is in the works that could bring a whole new ambience and attractiveness to the historic town.

A concept has been drawn up on paper and it includes a new-look Ordnance Island with two marinas on either side and a museum/heritage building on the quayside along with a restaurant/cafe and moorings for visiting luxury motor yachts.

Looking at the bigger picture, Mr. Jones can see the potential for St. George?s to have an attractive and interesting waterfront, enticing passing yacht owners to make Bermuda their favoured stopoff point, extending the hours of pedestrianisation along Water Street to provide an ambient, al fresco-style visitor experience, and a more attractive gateway into the town from Penno?s Wharf.

?We would like to extend the pedestrianise hours of Water Street so people find it convenient to put out tables and umbrellas so visitors can enjoy the ambience of al fresco dining,? he said.

And he views the future of Ordnance Island as central to how the town can capitalise on its natural charm.

?We have been talking about the marina idea for a long time. The difference now is that the Government is listening,? said Mr. Jones.

?Hamilton had all these competitions for ideas about how to develop its waterfront but no one mentioned St. George?s. What we?ve done is taken some of the things that Hamilton viewed would be useful and said ?Hey, that would be fine for us?.?

Current regulations restrict motor yachts from anchoring at the Island for longer than 21 days. That is something the Mayor would like to see altered, after all he notes it highly unlikely that the owners of a multimillion dollar yacht would be causing immigration problems by trying to do odd-jobs on the side while in Bermuda.

The passage of yachts south in the Winter and north in the Spring should also be seen as a something that can be utilised for the benefit of the town, according to Mr. Jones.

?We would hope we could have some of them stay for three months here rather than go all the way south.?

Penno?s Wharf is the most likely spot for Panamax ships to moor should they be able to enter the harbour, here too there are things that can be improved and a waterfront hotel is just one of the ideas pencilled in to the masterplan.

?There are opportunities to make it more attractive. It is no fun being a visitor and having trucks coming in and out with dust and rocks as happens now.?

A delay in getting computer-simulation data showing whether it is feasible for Panamax-size cruise ships to fit through the Town Cut and enter St George?s Harbour is one reason why the public open forum discussion has not yet taken place. The future of the derelict Club Med resort property, as had recently been reported, could see it become a boutique-style niche hotel with associated European villa-style residential units.

The Corporation is also investigating the possibility of a sewage treatment plant, likely to cost up to $5m, to provide fresh water for a future hotel complex and other parts of the town.