PROFILES ON
JEKYLL ISLAND NEW LOOK PAYS OFF ON HISTORIC ISLAND By SARAH LUNDGREN
PROFILES | The Brunswick News
A former winter retreat for turn-of-the20th-century industrialists and financiers, Jekyll Island has been on a multimillion dollar path of revitalization for several years. At the center of it is a new convention center that was opened in 2012, with adjacent hotels under construction and preparations being made to begin construction on the Beach Village retail area. Other hotels have been built or renovated. While the 20th century millionaires’ “cottages” remain a throwback to another time that serve as a central draw for the island state park, some of its hotels and facilities had become trapped in an unwanted time warp. “The island became distressed and ‘tired,’ which perpetuated the decline in visitation,” says Jones Hooks, executive director of the Jekyll Island Authority that operates the park. “This harsh reality became apparent with a series of hotel bankruptcies and closings from 2002 to 2006. The reason for the decline was clear – there had not been any significant investment on the island since the renovation and opening of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in 1987.”
Because the island receives no money from the state and relies heavily on its visitors for revenue, something had to be done. “Already we are seeing visitation improve,” Hooks says. “As more guests return or discover Jekyll Island, they are impressed by the new infrastructure, including the convention center, Great Dunes Park, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the many historic district improvements and the miles of new and rehabilitated bike paths. They, in turn, will spread the word, as well as become repeat visitors, and the trend in visitation is now on the rise.” The new Jekyll Island Convention Center continues to attract more conventions each year. Work on an adjacent $41 million, 200-room Westin hotel began this past May. Lodgings like the former Oceanside Inn and Suites, now becoming the Holiday Inn Resort, and the Beachview Hotel, are getting make-overs. “As more resources become available as visitation continues to increase, we will start attacking the long list of other projects, which include more public works, like the golf course improvements and the amphitheater, as well as more historic preservation and conservation projects,” Hooks says.
Amber Swal of Gainesville, Fla., and her dog Darby visit the Jekyll Island beach at Great Dunes Park.
PROFILES The Brunswick News / Saturday, March 29, 2014 5