separate company so its sale to a South Shore resort can proceed.

An application was published in local newspapers this week announcing that Belmont Hotel Property Limited was to be incorporated.

And Belmont Hotel and Golf Club general manager Gordon Slatford explained that this was a necessary move for the sale of the property to the Elbow Beach Hotel to go ahead.

He said the Warwick property had to be separated from the other assets owned by the company Forte Bermuda Limited which includes a number of overseas hotels.

The new company was being incorporated in order to assume ownership.

Mr. Slatford added that he was still hopeful that the sale would be wrapped up by the end of the month.

Presently the sale is in the hands of the lawyers for both sides and considered to be on schedule.

The Warwick property has been on the market since last September.

Little has been revealed about Elbow Beach's plans for the property except that Australian golf star Greg Norman's firm has already completed a survey of the 18 hole golf course.

And money is set to be into the course immediately with the aim of increasing its yardage beyond the 6,000 yard mark.

But there is no news yet on what Elbow Beach intends to do with the 151-room hotel on the site.