Last Update :7/26/2011

Kingsmill Reinvented - Special from Richmond Times Dispatch

Kingsmill reinvented

By Bill O'Donovan

JAMES CITY – Kingsmill will rejuvenate and expand its iconic resort under an ambitious masterplan designed to draw more people here and keep them longer.

Pockets of unused terrain will be filled in while still preserving the vast greenspace that defines Kingsmill.

Drawings reminiscent of those 42 years ago were unveiled Friday, but the new version expands the resort with bold plans to exploit the river setting like never before:

* New marina and restaurant.

* Family swimming complex.

* New 210-room hotel.

* Second conference center.

* Restaurants along Route 60.

* Homesites on Woods Course.

* Condos on the River Course.

* Cottages along the river.

* More walkable accessibility.

* Renovated main building.

* Redesigned tennis center.

* Reconfigured pool setting.

Gary Raymond, vice president with Winding Road Development Co. of Scottsdale, gave no cost estimate but the masterplan could easily run into the tens of millions over the years.

By next May, the first projects will encompass a new restaurant at the marina, a swimming pool complex, and redesign of the fitness center.

An extended walkway along the river will connect the new hotel and conference center to the new marina and restaurant. “In over 2,000 acres of land, there is no way to actually get to the river other than at the marina.”

Local officials praised the concept and Xanterra for envisioning it. Sen. Tommy Norment asked if the design company had taken into consideration the absorption rate of new hotel rooms and whether any marketing revenue was built in.

Robin Carson, general manager of the resort, said there was no defined plan but added, “We’re trying to create critical mass that gets people to extend their stay by an extra day. This gives us something to market and to message, so that everyone benefits.”

The timeline for many projects remains fluid. Management is applying for various county permits to amend the planned unit development document.

Marina – First up, the outdoor restaurant will be razed to develop a larger, year-round restaurant extending to a second story, with 85 seats under roof. The restaurant today is limited by weather and season. The deck will be expanded for more tables as well. The site will still be accessible by car, but by the river walkway as well. Roads leading to the boat ramp will be narrowed, and the beach will be expanded for volleyball and other activities. The marina may get an additional dock to handle more transient and resident boats, if dredging allows. Raymond characterized that as a “future project.”

Swimming – Next to break ground, three new pools will displace the exisiting pool. They will have a lazy river ride and a sandy beach with palm trees, as well as a snack bar. To make way, the Bray Links 9-hole Course will disappear in favor of mini-golf elsewhere. “Our new pool facilities will have the bells and whistles that keep kids happily enterained, while the new hotel and conference facilities will make doing business at Kingsmill more seamless than ever before,” said Gordon Taylor, vice president of Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Hotel – 210 rooms will eventually be built in four stories in a rectangular building along the 18th fairway and pond, where visitors can see the final shots of approaching golfers. The allusion was to a future pro tour event, replacing the LPGA and PGA tours. A new restaurant and lounge are planned, as well as a new golf pro shop. The hotel will link to the existing conference center by covered walkway.

New Conference Center – Com­prising 15,000 square feet, it will rise three stories in a similar rectangle. It will double existing space and open Kingsmill up to significant new business. Carson, said, “We’re woefully short of meetings space, especially for trade shows.” A pier will be built below the new Conference Center for bigger ships, handling dinner cruises and the like.

Existing Conference Center – It will be redesigned with a more friendly lobby. Moody’s lounge upstairs will be opened up for more natural light and to take advantage of “some of the best views of the whole resort,” Raymond said. A large lawn behind the main building will be designed for tented wedding receptions and outdoor events.

Frontage – To raise the profile of the resort, up to 60,000 square feet of new shops and restaurants are envisioned along the main entrance on Route 60, “to bring the resort to the road,” Raymond said. Half of the available 18 acres will be reserved for maintenance and employee parking, where they will be shuttled. This is the site of the original boat tarmac, next to the brewery.

Homesites – Raymond alluded to reports in the Gazette that the Woods Course might be scrapped for houses. “Not quite,” he quipped. Instead, four golf holes will be repositioned to open up 95 lots. “If you really want to protect the Woods Course, then building homes along it will prevent it from going away.”

River Course ––18 condos are planned on land that separates the first and second holes from the eighth and ninth. In addition, homes are planned along the fifth and sixth holes near Harrop’s Glen, and the nearby boat/RV tarmac will be transormed into a cul de sac of houses. More dramatic are nearly three dozen homesites bordering the 16th and 17th holes of the River Course, as well as a hole on the Plantation Course.

Cottages – There was room for 85 at 2,400 square feet each, but Philip Anschutz, whose development company owns Xanterra, walked the property and insisted on preserving the trees, so the number was reduced to 33. Five smaller cottages in the spirit of the cabins at Augusta National are planned on the site of the golf putting green, which will be moved.

Tennis – The 15 courts have “very little utilization,” which will change by developing destination packages that include lessons and the other Kingsmill amenities.

Golf Club – It will remain largely the same for now except that the restaurant will be reconfigured for more casual dining. The Sports Center in the existing Conference Center will be upgraded.

More – Kingsmill residents will get to attend the briefing at 2 and 7 p.m. Monday, July 25, at the main ballroom of Kingsmill Resort. Seating is limited. The renderings are on display in the ballroom.

[ More News ]