Designs for the highly anticipated St Regis hotel in the East End are now before the Department of Planning.

Building the 122-key St George’s resort is expected to take three years, as part of the development’s first phase.

Assuming that a licence is granted, it will include a casino — along with a restaurant, back-of-house facilities, and two residential buildings containing a total of 28 condominiums.

Meanwhile, a redevelopment of St George’s golf course, which has been closed for years, is listed as phase two.

The third phase includes five residential buildings, bringing the seven residential complexes to a total of 98 apartments with a range of two, three and four-bedroom units.

The application, which can be viewed at the department’s offices in the Dame Lois Browne-Evans building, states that the proposed hotel will front directly on to the south and west sides of Barry Road, near St Catherine Beach in Gates Bay.

Guest rooms will range from 600 square feet up to 3,000sq ft.

A reception area will stand in the centre of the complex, while bars, restaurants, function rooms and back of house facilities will occupy the south. Hotel rooms will be placed at the development’s north end.

Amenity buildings will be two to four storeys high, while hotel accommodation will be arrayed across a four or five-storey building.

Plans include a three-meal restaurant, seating 75 customers, as well as a bar with a further 32 seats, and a poolside grill on a terrace overlooking the beach and guest pool. Spa facilities will be incorporated into the Fort Albert site.

The hotel’s main buildings are set to be erected to the southwestern side of Barry Road. However, the plans show the road itself being realigned to the rear of the hotel.

The documents note that an earlier draft had the hotel closer to the beach, but the development was moved back.

An Environmental Impact Report included in the application states: “With regard to the potential impact of the hotel on St Catherine Beach, its historical connotations mean that encroachments on to it are undesirable.”

In particular, the hotel’s deck would have encroached, according to the original proposal.

The development got moved farther west and south, beyond the existing road, in response to comments received during the scoping exercise. The move back from the beach will “significantly reduce the overbearing effect on the beach that they may have had”.

Public access to the beach — an area of concern for residents — will be maintained, with the public able to walk to the beach using a path on the northern side of the hotel, near the base of Fort St Catherine hill.

Noting the stipulation included in contracts between the Bermuda Government and the hotel developer requiring public access to the beach, the EIR states: “The developer has provided public parking and a beach access walkway to the north of the hotel.

“The parking area will provide 13 motorcycle spaces with car spaces available in the hotel parking areas.

“There are no indications that access to any part of the beach will be prevented. The formalising of beach access arrangements will provide reassurance that public access is available.”

The Desarrollos Group, the developer behind the $150 million project, was formally granted a 262-year lease for the St George’s property earlier this year after more than two years of discussions. However the Opposition have questioned the level of public consultation.

Planning documents were submitted on Monday, and advertised yesterday.