The building and launch ramp will be saved and the interior demolition is underway at Schooner Cove Marina in Nanoose Bay.
"We have a tentative plan, but right now we're just gutting the interior," said Daniel Galpin, Vancouver Island General Manager of owner Seacliff Properties. He said there isn't a lot of detail to tell the public yet, but that they will soon be putting out a public call for someone to open something like a pub, beer and wine store and/or a "country market."
He said people were happy they decided to keep the launch ramp, and there is a lot of interest in the project and improvements to the building, which is meant as the first step in a re-development of the area.
"We're taking it step by step," Galpin said of whether the hotel will be re-opened.
Vancouver-based Seacliff purchased Fairwinds, including Schooner Cove, for an undisclosed amount last July. Fairwinds includes a championship golf course, 700 homes and zoning approval for 2,100 more 750 acres of undeveloped land.
The total Fairwinds holdings covers about 900 acres, with a potential development value of $2.3 billion.
The original 33 acre Schooner Cove neighbourhood plan focuses on establishing a “mixed-use waterfront village with an extensive and publicly accessible waterfront,” according to Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) documents.
It includes 25,000 square feet of commercial area, with the marina, shops and services, pedestrian-oriented public spaces and up to 360 condominium units.
A full build-out, including a separate Lakes District residential plan, could more than double the population of Nanoose Bay.
“We expect to be in a position to provide the RDN with renovation plans for their review and ultimate approval shortly,” said Seacliff Managing Director Ian Porter in a Feb. 29 open letter.
The letter says they are working on re-branding and confirms, “The re-development of the waterfront area to include service commercial uses to support the existing and future residents of Fairwinds continues to move forward.”
Visit www.fairwinds.ca for more info.