Early 2009 will see the start of construction work on the proposed new Park Hyatt hotel outside St. George's, replacing the derelict Club Med resort which is due to be imploded at the end of August.

And when the new hotel and resort is completed, projected to be in the spring of 2011, it should prove a timely boost to the East End town's fortunes — and not before time. Concern continues to mount about the impact the loss of cruise ships in the town will have in coming years.

That revenue stream is due to dwindle as smaller ships are phased out to be replaced by larger vessels that can only be berthed at Dockyard.

A new upscale hotel, which will also feature fractional and residential units and a redesigned golf course, has been on the drawing board since last summer.

But will the public golf course, controversially closed early this year, remain a public asset once it has been redesigned by golfing legend Nick Faldo as part of the Bazarian International resort plan?

Will the implosion of the monolithic Club Med building bring health risks to nearby residents or damage properties?

And what of the concern that the trucking away of rubble from the site through the narrow streets of St. George's will cause vibration damage to homes and buildings?

Former St. George's Mayor E. Michael Jones runs the visitor centre in town and is the on-Island voice of luxury hotel developer Bazarian International.

Tackling the golf course question first, he replies: "One-hundred and fifty percent it is going to remain a public course."

Referring to the Park Hyatt (St. George's) Resort Act 2008 currently passing through Parliament, he adds: "The Bill covers both the beach and the golf course, which will be available for the public to use at their pleasure — no restrictions — the beach and the golf course will be available. No one has to worry about that."

It is anticipated the redesigned golf course will be longer than the old course.

Mr. Jones also wants residents to understand why it is necessary for the new hotel resort to be more spread out that the compact Club Med building.

There will be approximately 100 traditional hotel rooms together with 140 to 150 fractional/residential condo units.

"I want the public to remember that the footprint of the current hotel is very small because it was build upwards, but very few hotels are built like that today," he said.

"The new hotel is going to be spread out. There will be clusters of units with walkways.

"It will be more Bermudian in style, similar to a cottage colony. There may be some infringement in areas with trees in them."

It will be necessary for the development to have its own back-of-house infrastructure, such as space and routes for delivery trucks, a cycle livery operation, and a reverse osmosis plant and a sewage treatment facility to create potable water for use on the golf course.

"We're also looking at working with the town with its facility for sewage and fresh water supplies. There is a desire for us to take some of the sewage and treat it rather than it being pumped out into the ocean," said Mr. Jones.

Regarding the implosion of the old Club Med building, he said: "It is an implosion, not an explosion. The only thing that will rise is dust.

"All the asbestos will have been removed, and all the surfaces where the asbestos has been removed are being sealed.

"I want to reassure all residents nearby that their roofs and gutters will be sealed so that no dust goes into their water tanks, also air conditioning units will be sealed so dust does not get into their homes."

Logistics for the removal of the resulting debris after the destruction of Club Med is still being worked out to take account of concerns.

Mr. Jones said: "There is every opportunity to control the size of the vehicles that will be carrying the rubble, deciding the routes they will travel and the speed they will be allowed to travel at.

"There have been, and continue to be, discussions about how this is going to be managed."

And Mr. Jones, who runs Café Latte in the heart of St. George's, said he was available seven days a week to personally answer the questions and concerns of anyone who contacts him regarding the demolition of the old hotel and the development of its replacement.

"I encourage people to call me or come and see me. I may be able to answer their concerns on the spot," he said.

It is anticipated Bazarian will take over custody of the site around the end of this year of the beginning of 2009, with construction likely to begin around the end of the first quarter of next year heading towards a spring 2011 opening.

While financial and property markets are currently experiencing rocky conditions, Mr. Jones believes by 2011 it will be a different climate.

"The (US) elections will be out of the way; the economy always suffers in an election year. I assume the financial crisis will either be over or better managed," he said.

Looking to the longer term future of St. George's, Mr. Jones recognises that the end of regular cruise ship arrivals is a watershed, but not necessarily a bad thing if it creates new opportunities. "For decades we have accommodated cruise ship passengers, but the town has not benefited in terms of growth or stability. The time has come to look at other opportunities," said Mr. Jones.

While the mass cruise ship market is now turning to larger ships of the type that only Dockyard will be able to accommodate in Bermuda, Mr. Jones sees some possibilities ahead.

"I'd like to think we might be able to nurture some opportunity with the niche cruise ships. We have to look at casinos and shopping opportunities onboard that are currently required to be closed while in dock. The Premier has said there is an opportunity to look at casinos and shops being open onboard. That may open opportunities for (niche) ships that haven't looked to come here before to reconsider."

Small, niche market ships tend to be upscale ventures with richer passengers, however they do not operate back-to-back destination visits so would likely only make sporadic trips to the Island.

Speaking as a former mayor of the town, Mr. Jones said he also believed the town can work to fill its cruise ship void by looking again at redeveloping its waterfront. "We have not taken full advantage of our World Heritage Site status. This is an opportunity to look at the waterfront and the sewage treatment, water supply, streets, parking, transportation and ask 'who are we trying to entice to the town'."

The advent of a fast ferry service linking St. George's directly with Dockyard in a 40-minute trip has attracted not just tourists but regular commutes amongst residents, flowing in both directions.

He envisions St. George's orb of influence attracting residents from Tucker's Town, Hamilton Parish and Smith's to visit the East End town once it has been revamped and renovated with its easier parking and its relaxed, compact, pedestrian-friendly town centre rather than head to the crowded, bustling hive of Hamilton.

And circling back to the proposed Park Hyatt development, Mr. Jones said it was important to remember that the many fractional units will increase the residential population of the town, spending any number of weeks each year as temporary residents patronising local shops and restaurants.

And that will be complemented further by the re-opening of the redesigned golf course to attract more visitors to the town, adding to a renaissance of St. George's. Without a doubt big changes await the town in the coming few years. Some are already underway.

A feeling of disenchantment with the Chamber of Commerce has lead to a number of businesses in the town setting up their own marketing group to direct energy towards initiatives to improve some aspects of the town from a retail and business standpoint.

But what Mr. Jones would like is those in charge of the real decision-making in the town to clearly put forward their vision for the town's future to be shared with all residents so that the road-map for the future can be seen and the current and future policies understood.

"I'd like for the town to have a plan, a vision, which can be shared with the restaurants and the business community.

"That has been lacking. I'm hoping that plan will come forward. We want to know what is the policy? What can the business community plan for?" he said.

"We are looking for leadership for the business community and the town, on things like how we should expect to be staffing in the future.

"The town fathers, whoever is running the show, should bring something forward because we need to know."

As he relaxes in his coffee shop/visitor centre, happy to dispense humour, advice and local knowledge along with the odd coffee and banana bread to countless tourists who drop by seeking information on everything from bus timetables to the construction of Bermudian roofs, Mr. Jones reflects on why he loves St. George's so much.

"You can take your camera out there in the morning and get this incredible light bouncing off the building like nowhere else in Bermuda. There are the alleys, courtyards and gardens."

But his train of thought is broken as another visitor enters and is instantly greeted like a much-valued old friend.

There could be many more such visitors if he, Bazarian International, Government and Park Hyatt pull off what has seemed impossible for more than two decades — a new and prosperous East End hotel resort.