(CNS): A planning application by one of the Dart Group of companies has been submitted to renovate the former Hyatt Regency Hotel. The property was acquired by Dart Realty from the previous owner, Embassy Investments Limited, in March 2016 when the local developer bought all of the land associated with the resort. But the bulk of the old 230-room Hyatt has stood derelict for almost two decades.

According to the planning notice, Dart proposes redeveloping the existing three 5-storey structures on the hotel site and the immediate surrounding area to provide a new hotel, retail and creative workspace, related amenities, gardens and a swimming pool, all on block 12D, parcel108.

A press release issued when Dart bought the site some seven years ago said that there were no definitive redevelopment plans at that point, but “in the coming months”, Dart would “study the site, explore options and master plan its integration into Camana Bay”.

Since then, the billionaire landowner became embroiled in a legal battle with the owners of the residential strata development of Britannia, which was built in conjunction with the original hotel. The owners in that condo community had access to all of the Hyatt amenities, including the beachside facilities, the golf course, tennis courts and spa.

The tennis courts were damaged during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 and later lost completely to the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. The main part of the hotel was destroyed by Ivan, but the suites on the beachside survived. Britannia owners still had access to the golf course and amenities at what became the Beach Suites for the next 12 years.

But when Dart acquired the property, the group closed the golf course and began denying owners access to the beachside hotel facilities, which was turned into Palm Heights in 2019. What followed has been a protracted courtroom battle between Dart and the 200-plus owners at Britannia.

In June 2021, the Grand Court found in favour of the Britannia owners, ruling that Dart had inherited an obligation to the owners with the acquisition and should therefore provide both beach and golf course access to them all.

However, Dart appealed, and just last month, the Court of Appeal overturned the Grand Court decision, ruling that Dart was not obligated to honour the access rights that the Britannia owners had acquired when they bought their condos. A few weeks later the planning application to begin developing the hotel site appeared on the Department of Planning’s website.

While the architectural plans have been posted, no other details about the project have been submitted. The application, however, appears to be the first phase of a larger development. Landowners within the relevant radius now have just one week to object to or submit concerns about the plans.