Work on the new Belmont Hotel and residential development is set to carry on until 2006, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Richard Halsey, the new owner of the Warwick property, is expected to submit detailed plans to Planning and the Department of Tourism outlining his vision for the site within the next two months.

His cousin Kevin Petty of Somers Management and Somers Realty, who is managing director of the project, said yesterday that the goal was to have the hotel opened by the summer of 2003. But work on the residential units should continue through to 2006, he said.

He said he would need to get a Special Development Order from Planning and Tourism because the site was zoned for tourism.

The golf course will be closed from January for between one year and 16 months for upgrading and improvement of the clubhouse.

Mr. Halsey, who bought the hotel in July this year for an undisclosed sum, intends to demolish it and rebuild another complete with additional residential units.

Kevin Petty: "We're still talking with Tourism and Planning and expect to get to them in the next two months."