09/17 - So how does affordability fit on Jekyll?

The Florida Times-Union
September 17, 2007
By Brandon Larrabee
The Times-Union


ATLANTA - Decades ago, Jekyll Island was a playground for some of the wealthiest people in the world. The site of the current Jekyll Island Club Hotel was the center of social life.

Those representing a substantial portion of the world's wealth would gather there every night.

That was before the 1950s, when a period of abandonment by the barons who had overseen the island prompted the state to acquire Jekyll and turn it into a state park.

In one of the great ironies of the island's history, the General Assembly soon passed a law requiring Jekyll's accommodations to be affordable for Georgians of average means.

But some see that tradition endangered as the authority that oversees Jekyll moves toward choosing a private partner for a major redevelopment effort, and as developers begin to move in on hotel properties that are set to be revitalized.

"This island has a long-standing tradition of being affordable," said David Egan, who with his wife, Mindy, leads the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island.

Egan and others see the coming revitalization as little more than an excuse to overhaul the island and turn it back into a playground for the wealthy.

Ben Porter, Jekyll Island Authority board chairman, said there is nothing to those fears.

"Our criteria is that we want a full range of hotel accommodations, from upscale to modest price," Porter said.

One of the question yet to be answered, though, is where the accommodations for lower- and middle-income Georgians will be when the overhaul is complete.

Porter didn't deny suggestions that hotels along the beach likely will be pricey, while more affordable places to stay could be a bit farther inland.

"It's unrealistic to believe that a big room facing the ocean is going to be a cheap room," Porter said.

He also defended the authority's position that it wanted hotels on the island that would appeal to "all Georgians" - a phrase that has come under fire from some opponents of upscale hotels who say that is a code word for bringing in high-priced accommodations.

"We have a responsibility to meet the needs of a broad range of economic levels," Porter said.

But Egan said the higher rates aren't necessary.

"We can have affordability and high-quality in a beachfront setting," he said. "That's a fact."

Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, said the authority is thinking more along the lines of what a private resort might do.

"It's a state park, and it's there so that Georgians can enjoy that beautiful environment that is not available to a lot of people," he said. "It sounds to me like someone is confusing private property with public property. It's not their goal to make huge profits."

Chapman also questioned why the authority had given an abatement to a developer set to build a potentially pricey facility on the site of the Buccaneer hotel.

"The real troubling part is that it doesn't appear that anything, essentially, is given in return," Chapman said.

Affordable rates could be one way of justifying the abatement, he said.

For some of those who visit Jekyll, low rates are one appeal, if not the only reason they go.

"If it were more expensive, it would prohibit us from staying more than just a few days," said Babs McDonald, an Athens resident who spends a week on the island with her husband almost every year. She said they have done so for almost 15 years.

And the affordability issue might not be limited solely to hotels, Egan said. The request for proposals issued by the Jekyll Island Authority opens the door for the private partner to assume control of at least some of the revenue-producing facilities, like golf courses.

"It wouldn't take long to see $100 golf rounds replace $35 golf rounds," Egan said.

Porter, though, said the revenue-generating facilities would only be turned over on a case-by-case basis, and if the private partner or developer has an idea for improving the facilities.

"We won't turn the island over to a private developer or group of developers and walk away," he said.

brandon.larrabee@morris.com,
(404) 589-8424


This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/091707/geo_200152211.shtml.