BERMUDIAN businessmen are behind a proposed five-star hotel at Southlands, a 37-acre property along the South Shore in Warwick.The application before the Department of Planning insists that the project will not become a reality unless permission is given to relocate a portion of South Road underground.

The deal is also said to be contingent on the owners receiving a green light to "improve" the cliff face through "a variety of coastal systems ranging from submerged boulder revetments to reinforced concrete armoured facing".

They are also seeking an included option to build permanent residences on the resort should they choose at a future date.

Principals behind Southlands Resort Development, Southlands Resort Development Limited, have applied for a Special Development Order to fast-track the project. Should they succeed, the property will boast 269 guest suites and potentially, 42 three-bedroom residences. A separate application has been made to place 250 staff apartments on Quarry Lane in Warwick.

McIntosh Alliance International Hotel Development Inc. president Bruce McIntosh, who works to create luxury resorts around the world, said it would be impossible to market Southlands as an upscale property in its current state.

He insisted that operators would be put off because South Road divides the proposed resort from its beach.

"The Bermudian stakeholders saw Southlands as an opportunity to revive Bermuda's tourism product line with a new 21st century resort, one that meets the challenges of today's discerning marketplace and attracts incremental induced demand tourism to the island," he wrote to Planning. "This is accomplished by designing and building a second-to-none resort for the future, which will be operated by (Jumeirah) the world's leading resort management company, for the benefit of all Bermuda.

"It became apparent that in order to attract a five-star resort operator in today's marketplace there must be a clear connectivity between the beach and the rest of the resort. Potential five-star operators did not consider a tunnel or a bridge sufficient."

Hotel operator Jumeirah, has stated it will create an overseas training programme for Bermudians at its operations in Dubai, should the bid prove successful.

The Southlands Resort would sit only a stone's throw away from another luxury resort now under Planning consideration, the Grand Atlantic Resort and Residences. A five-star beach hotel and spa, its plans include fractional and residential apartments as well as a number of seafront villas.

The resort is earmarked for the old Ritz-Carlton site, a 13.1 acre plot bordering Astwood Walk, the Warwick Gas Station and Dunscome Road. The project's backers, Atlantic Development, have also applied for a Special Development Order.

Plans for the Southlands Resort allow accommodation for nearly 800 guests. Anticipated are 269 suites — 187 one-bedroom suites ranging from 600 to 1,100 square feet, 62 two-bedroom suites at 1,500 square feet and 20 three-bedroom suites ranging from 2,150 to 2,950 square feet. In addition, 42 residential, three-bedroom units ranging in size from 2,150 to 2,950 square feet, have been applied for.

The 37-acre Southlands property is zoned a mix of tourism, woodland, agricultural and green space.

Planning permission was first given to place a hotel at Southlands in 1993.

The Development Applications Board gave the Willowbank Foundation the green light to build a self-catering tourist complex of 21 housekeeping units and also 40 housing units for the elderly. The complex was never completed.

"Southlands was owned by James Morgan who added to the main house and established intricate gardens in the quarries that existed prior to his purchasing the property," Botelho Wood Architects said in highlighting the property's cultural importance.

"Morgan was an influential person and his activities in Bermuda are documented.

"The proposed Southlands Resort includes the Morgan homestead as a club and museum to highlight features of the property and its former owner. The long-neglected quarry gardens and water features will be reinstated and integrated into the resort as unique amenities. The Morgan tomb will be restored and preserved. Southlands Resort will enhance part of Bermuda's cultural heritage and make it more accessible."

The architects added that special efforts are needed to transform Southlands into a world-class resort. Echoing Mr. McIntosh, they argued that the diversion of South Road is paramount to the plan.

"The Southlands property is a very special place with history, unique quarry gardens and vegetation and an ideal topography sloping down from a ridge line along the northern boundary to a combination of beach and rugged cliffs on South Shore," the architects stated in the Planning application.

"At approximately 37 acres, it is a prime site for a major resort. (However) South Road bisects the property in a manner that leaves too little land on the south side to develop as a viable resort and dislocates the larger, northern portion of the site from the waterfront. Both of these impediments are addressed by the proposed South Road diversion which moves the road further north and partially covers it with landscaped canopies."

From above, the site will appear as a continuous piece of waterfront property.

According to the architects: "Eliminating the disruption of the road and permitting uninterrupted pedestrian access across the site is crucial for a comprehensive, viable, high-class development. The road diversion transforms the property and makes such a development possible."

Work will be completed in two phases. The first will see the diversion and relocation of South Road, the construction of 63 suites, reception and banquet areas and meeting rooms, bars, restaurants and other amenities and shoreline protection. Phase two will involve completion of the road and conclusion of the resort — a further 262 suites, the main reception for the resort, a spa, additional banquet and ballrooms, an executive conference centre and further amenities.

"As previously noted, the diversion of South Road is crucial to the viability of the project and for this reason considerable design effort has been expended by the full design and technical consultant team to make sure that existing conditions are improved for all traffic on public and private roads. The owner will pay for all work associated with the road diversion and placing services underground," the architects said in the application.

The plans involve relocating all of South Road which falls within the limits of the Southlands Resort Development property, underground. The existing road consists of two ten-foot lanes with a total width of 20 feet. The proposed road will consist of three 12-foot lanes with a total width of 36 feet. The third lane has been introduced to enable resort access. Bus lay-bys and shelters will also be incorporated.

Consultants Entrech Limited designed the new road and deemed structural work to the shoreline essential.

"Shoreline erosion, particularly as it relates to the cliff face, is fairly extensive and significant (typical for the South Shore) and poses a potential structural integrity threat to the cliff face. The primary agent that leads to this erosion is storm wave action. If left unchecked, there is no reason to suppose that the level of erosion will not decrease."

Southlands to be bulldozed