Old church at Morgan’s Point may be restored
Plans to redevelop a derelict church on Morgan’s Point have been submitted by developers looking to build multiple hotels in the area.The church, located on Constitution Road, is described in the Department of Planning application as “a piece of Bermuda’s military and religious history”.If approved, the developers would replace chaplain rooms with a rear balcony, a storage room, an accessibility ramp and an upstairs office.Once completed, the refurbished church will feature a main hall capable of seating 256 people and take up around 4,500sq ft.The application states that there would be on-site parking for up to 75 cars and 32 motorcycles, but noted that based on seating at the church, there would be 18 cycle spaces fewer than standard.Craig Christensen, of Morgan’s Point Ltd, said the idea to redevelop the church came from business partner Brian Duperreault and his wife Nancy, who felt it was important to have a church on the site.“They thought it would be great if we could sort of recapture the existing church,” Mr Christensen said.“The church right now is in a state of disrepair, but the Duperreaults wanted to make sure there was a place of worship on site.”He said that the developers are looking at the various structures on the property to see if they can be utilised or salvaged, but he would not delve into specifics saying any announcements would be made “in due course”.The Bermuda National Trust last month called for Sound View, a home built in the 1700s, to be protected and restored despite currently being in a state of disrepair. Mr Christensen at that time said the property is on a section set to be sold as “single-family plots” so it would be possible for some of the building to be restored if the right buyer came along.Mr Christensen, along with Mr Duperreault and business partner Nelson Hunt, formally acquired the Morgan’s Point property earlier this year. They gave up 37 acres at Southlands for the 80-acre brownfield land that formerly housed the US Naval Annex as part of a land swap with Government.They have announced plans to build three hotels, condominiums, restaurants and a spa on the property, along with other facilities.