Kingsmill Announces Ambitious New Changes

By Desiree Parker Friday, July 22, 2011

 

Kingsmill Resort unveiled a new long-term vision that will reshape the property into a destination for families, conferences and sports enthusiasts.

 

The vision is part of a master plan that would replace the seldom-used nine-hole Bray Links and create a 200-room hotel and conference center; a large new pool area with a lazy river, sand and a nearby mini-golf course; and a pond. Also included in the plan is a revamped marina area, an addition of a boardwalk and an upward expansion of the marina restaurant, as well as changes in the tennis area, the Resort Center and the sports club. Various rental and residential areas are also envisioned in different areas of resort-owned property.

“We want Kingsmill to be a destination within a destination,” said Kingsmill Resort and Spa Executive Director Robin Carson. “We want to expand the amenities so we have more to offer to keep people in the area longer.” Visitors can come and enjoy what the Historic Triangle has to offer, she said, “and then the family has a place to relax and enjoy.”

Starting on Thursday and continuing for several days, the resort has been sharing its new vision with various officials, community leaders, club members and Kingsmill homeowners and stakeholders during the initial stages of the planning process.

Carson said the changes are part of a long-term plan to be phased in gradually over seven to 10 years. “This is the plan for tomorrow, a compass for our long-term vision,” she said. The last time Kingsmill amended its original 1969 master plan was in 1983 and that change is still not complete, Carson said, so the new plan is just as flexible.

There is not yet a firm number for how much the plan or any part of it will cost, according to Carson. The first phase will be to create the large pool area, revamp the marina and renovate the sports club. The first phase is expected to be completed by May 2012.

To be located directly behind the Resort Center, the new pool area will feature a formal pool that will be heated and lighted. Next to this will be a large event lawn that will be half the length of a football field, and will hold about 400 seats.

On a stepped-down terrace, there will be a family pool and water area that will have sand, bubbling water to run through, a lazy river and a grill and kitchen area. Nearby will be a miniature golf course.

On the far side of the new pool area will be a 210-room hotel, which will feature at least 15,000 square-feet of meeting space (the Resort Center currently has about 16,000 square feet of meeting space and Kingsmill now has 425 rooms for overnight guests). It will connect to the Clubhouse through a covered hallway and feature a new golf pro shop. A construction date hasn’t been established yet for the hotel.

Some small river cottages will be constructed to the rear of the new areas that would be part of the resort’s rental properties.

The first phase of the plan will also include a renovation of the marina area. The marina will be shifted to maximize beach access, and the outdoor restaurant nearby will be redesigned, adding removable enclosures for year-round use, along with a second floor with handicap access.

A boardwalk along the water will one day connect the marina to the Resort Center.

Also part of the first phase will be a spruce-up for the sports club, with new landscaping and other minor changes to give the club a more relaxed, spa-like feel.

Re-crafting the tennis area is part of Kingsmill’s plan for some later date.  Currently, there are 15 courts; Carson says the plan will eliminate four of these to make room for tennis villas and an activity center that would help boost tennis business, possibly branding the concept as a tennis academy.

The lobby in the Resort Center is also slated for a change down the road. Carson says the plan is to make the area more open and bright, to have an open bar and restaurant area attached, and to open up the view to the new pool area in the rear.

The Clubhouse will also undergo a similar renovation.

Outside the immediate resort area, resort owner Xanterra picked up 19 acres off Route 60 that it plans to develop to create a sense of arrival for guests. The land will also be used for an employee compound and additional parking.

Carson also outlined some real estate development plans in the works, some of which are included under the former master plan and some of which will require a master plan amendment.

A strip of land around the 18th fairway has long been intended for residences, which will likely be moderately sized cottages. Kingsmill has done a tree survey, according to Carson, and most of the homes will be built nestled around these existing trees.
A second parcel off Mounts Bay Road is slated to have condos; this is also in the previous master plan.

Some new ideas include adding some homes around the Woods Course, around the four holes on the north side.

Also, near the 5th and 6th holes of the River Course, Kingsmill plans to build some townhomes.

Kingsmill is working on getting the word out about the proposed changes and getting feedback from club members and other stakeholders, as well as getting various county permits needed to start the first part of the plan.