Construction of resort to resume soon

Construction of the Ettalong Beach Resort is expected to resume before July and be completed by the end of next year.

Announcing the schedule, the new developer, construction company Multiplex, confirmed it would finance the project and sell units, as well as build the resort.

On completion, it would maintain the building, taking responsibility for security and air-conditioning systems.

The complex will include 236 units, comprising a mixture of "studio", one- and two-bedroom furnished apartments and two penthouses.

It will also include restaurants, bars, gaming and sporting facilities, a health club, as well as an entertainment lounge, a business centre and conference rooms, accommodating the operation of the Ettalong Beach War Memorial Club.

Last week, Multiplex claimed it had sold 87 apartments "just days after coming on the market".

Negotiations were taking place with a United States-based company to purchase 50 units.

"We are delighted and excited to be involved with this dynamic project," said Multiplex's project development manager Mr Ben Bacon.

"Every effort is being made to produce a quality development for the Central Coast community and the thousands of visitors who will enjoy the facility each year."

Mr Bacon said 250 people would be employed during construction and another 230 employed for the resort's operation.

The resort would be operated as a "four-star serviced apartment hotel and an entertainment club".

The hotel would be managed by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts as part of its chain of 39 hotels and resorts in Australia and the Pacific.

It will be known as Outrigger Ettalong Beach Resort.

Outrigger has 29 hotels and resorts in Hawaii, one each at Fiji, Guam and the Marshall Islands, as well as seven in Queensland on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, at Port Douglas, Palm Cove and Cairns.

Apart from Ettalong, it plans to open another three resorts in Australia over the next two years.

Vice-president of Outrigger Australia, Mr David Lawrence, said Outrigger Ettalong Beach would match the standards of its other resorts.

"We are keen to see this special project take shape," he said.

Multiplex has hired Erina-based public relations firm Brilliant Logic to help market the development.

Ms Jenny Crouch of Brilliant Logic said unit owners would have the choice of having Outrigger service and let their apartments or managing their units independently.

She said the development would occur in three stages, with the resort being built as the first stage before the old club building was demolished in the second stage.

This would allow the Ettalong Beach Club to continue to trade over the construction period.

The third stage would be to build a new structure on the site of the demolished club building.

It had not been decided what form that would take, but commercial development was a possibility, she said.

Jonathan Reichard, press releases, December 17, January 7