Scrub Island Resort is the new name of the
Mainsail Resort Marina & Spa on Scrub Island, the first resort
development to be built from the ground up in the British Virgin
Islands in more than 15 years.
The resort will be
located on a 60-acre parcel of land connected by an isthmus to a
larger 170-acre piece of land that makes up Scrub Island, one mile
offshore from Beef Island on Tortola where the airport is
located.
Construction,
employment opportunities and environmental measures already are
underway with more than $22 million spent to date.
With an estimated
completion date of May 2008, the Scrub Island Resort will feature a
boutique hotel, a spa, a 65-slip marina, private residences, four
restaurants and bars, a natural stone amphitheater, an observatory
and a three-tiered pool with 15-foot waterfalls.
The resort will not
exceed more than 200 guests or residents at any given time; the
primary form of island transportation will be golf
carts.
Employees and staff
will be culled from the local population wherever possible,
including dive operators, fishing charter firms and transportation
vendors as well as more than 120 employees for general operation of
the resort.
Conservation of the
environment is a main priority for Scrub Island, whose developers
already have spent more than $600,000 on environmental impact
assessments, monitoring and mitigation measures.
Thousands of coral
pieces and half an acre of sea grass already have been
transplanted, and the north side of the island and all regions
other than the marina will experience no construction interaction
with the seashore, leaving approximately 90% of the seashore at
Scrub Island untouched.
Environmental
measures already in place include boat pump-out stations that do
not allow any direct flushing or emptying of tanks into the sea and
certification by international marina associations with stringent
standards.
Installation of a
state-of-the art sewage treatment plant with zero discharge into
the sea also is planned.
"We believe that
this project, once completed, will be one of the finest resorts in
Caribbean," said Joe Collier of Mainsail Hotels. "Although we had
many economic choices, the BVI was our first choice because we felt
the friendliness of the workforce, culture and the foresight of the
government."
Additional
details can be viewed at www.mainsailbvi.com.
To
contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].