Resort Status Report  •  Thursday, September 23, 2004

RESORTS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE FRANCES

Hutchinson Island (Stuart), Florida:

• Plantation Beach Club at Indian River Plantation

The staff of Plantation Beach Club is today preparing the resort for the potential arrival of another hurricane.  We are bringing the patio furniture and all of the pool furniture indoors, will put plywood back up on the Gardenia Room if needed.

The drying team is leaving the resort today, (and hopefully will not have to return next week). The catastrophe clean-up team is also scheduled to leave this weekend as their responsibilities have been completed.  More than 30 tons of demolition debris was removed from the property. Next week, we will be meeting with the design company and construction project manager to determine the scope of work and time involved in re-building the resort and affected units.   The tentative date to re-open the resort is estimated for mid-November, however this date is subject to change.

RESORTS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE CHARLEY

Ft. Myers Beach

• Seawatch On-the-Beach Resort

A meeting with the General Contractor took place on September 20th.  The General Contractor will begin work as soon as possible, and it is anticipated that they will complete their responsibilities in approximately 6 weeks. 

After extensive efforts, the resort has been deemed “dry.”  New drywall installation is slated to begin on Monday, September 27th.  A landscaper and an arborist have thoroughly evaluated the resort grounds, and are developing a plan of action for the landscape replacement. The tentative date to re-open the resort is estimated for November 13th, however, this date is subject to change.

Sanibel Island

General information

Clean-up efforts continue throughout the island.  A general contractor will be secured to provide restoration services.  One of the challenges regarding the removal of debris is the shortage of dumpsters and trucks available to haul the debris.  Weight restrictions on the Sanibel Causeway, and the requirement that hauling must occur only between 9pm and 5am contribute to the lack of available resources. 

• Casa Ybel Resort

The drying of the units is still underway.  Roofers are concentrating their efforts on the FGH buildings, and should complete the permanent temporary dry-in of those buildings by the end of the day Friday.  Additional trees throughout the property have been trimmed.  An arborist has completed an extensive evaluation of the resort grounds and will be meeting with the landscaper on Friday.  The condition of all drywall continues to be assessed, and any drywall or insulation that does not meet dryness standards will be removed from the building.  A re-opening date of January 7th has been tentatively established, however, this date is subject to change. 

• Hurricane House Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4

An arborist has completed an extensive inspection of the resort grounds, and will be meeting with out landscaper on Friday.  One leaking skylight will be repaired by the end of the day tomorrow.  Efforts to dry-out some units are still underway.  The tentative date to re-open the resort is projected for December 3rd, however this date is subject to change.

• Sanibel Cottages Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3

Our soft demolition crews have completed their furniture removal and storage responsibilities.  An arborist has completed a thorough evaluation of the resort grounds, and is scheduled to meet with our landscaper on Friday.   The tentative date to re-open is projected to be November 6th, however that date is subject to change.

• Shell Island Beach Club Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4

The removal of landscaping debris has been completed in the building 14 – 16 area.  Efforts to dry-in the main pool house and Building 15 slope roof are underway.  Demolition work and dry-out efforts are still being performed as needed.  Flat roofs are all slated for re-inspection to detect and repair possible additional leakage.  An arborist is scheduled to thoroughly evaluate the resort grounds and will be meeting with the landscaper on Friday.  The tentative date to re-open the resort is projected to be December 4th, however this date is subject to change

• Tortuga Beach Club Resort

We continue to wait for the electric company to run a permanent line through the channel which was bored under the driveway.  We are in the process of finalizing the furniture order with the designer.  The pool and spa have been drained and acid washed.  An arborist is scheduled to thoroughly evaluate the resort grounds and will be meeting with the landscaper on Friday.  The anticipated date to re-open the resort is tentatively set for November 5th, however this date is subject to change.

Captiva Island

• The Cottages at South Seas Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4

• Plantation Bay Villas at South Seas Resort

• Plantation Beach Club I at South Seas Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4

• Plantation Beach Club II at South Seas Resort

• Plantation Beach Club III at South Seas Resort

• Plantation House

• South Seas Club at South Seas Resort image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4

Information pertaining to all HGVC Managed Resort Properties

Progress is being made in the reconstruction of all the HGVC managed properties within South Seas Resort, despite the work interruptions and setbacks related to Hurricanes Frances and Ivan.

We are currently entertaining bids to upgrade the telephone, cable TV and internet cabling.  When the fiber-optic cable installation is completed within the South Seas Plantation Resort, our units will be equipped to attach to the “back bone cable”.  Television cable and phone jacks will be installed all bedrooms and living room.  The air conditioning contractor will be inspecting the equipment in the buildings where power has been restored so that the air conditioning can be turned on in the units.  Even though no furnishings and drywall in the unit, the air conditioning helps control the moisture.  Phone service continues to be intermittent at best, and only one extension in the Interval

Management Office is working (there is no fax or e-mail service at this time).  We have been in frequent contact with Board members, providing updates of our progress, and keeping them aware of the changing situations. 

We have scheduled budget meetings with each of the associations to take place over the next couple of months.  At that time the Board will have a better idea of 2004 operating expenses and will be preparing the 2005 budgets taking into consideration surplus from 2004.  We are meeting with the interior designer.

We have contacted the cabinet makers that installed the cabinets and countertops (many of those materials were deemed a loss and will need to be replaced).  An arborist has walked the grounds with the landscaper and will continue the evaluation of the property this week.

It is still too soon to know when the Resort will re-open for business, but anything prior to February, 2005 looks doubtful.  We will provide more information about anticipated openings, by association, as the reconstruction process continues.

• Plantation Beach Club:  The temporary dry-in has been completed.  Plantation Beach Club is still without electric power.  The parking lots have been cleared of the majority of the debris and the vegetation clean-up is almost complete.  While the grounds look barren, it doesn’t look as devastated…it looks like a winter northern day with trees with no leaves.

• South Seas Club:  The temporary dry-in has been completed.  The pool contractor has been notified that power has been restored, and will schedule the projects of draining, acid washing, and refilling the pool/spa, and thoroughly checking the pool equipment.

• Plantation House:  Engineers have determined entire Plantation House roof needs to be removed, even though a portion of it appeared to be in tact.  The environmental hygienist has inspected the resort, and Plantation House has been given the “seal of approval”. 

• Cottages at South Seas:  Engineers are still investigating the two tri-plexes that suffered the most damage to determine best course of action for reconstruction.  Temporary shoring was completed to allow the contractor to enter the unit to remove contents.  In the units that weren’t as damaged, a contractor has been hired to install scaffolding so they can remove any drywall or insulation that does not meet dryness standards.

• Plantation Bay Villas:  Engineers have determined the need to remove additional drywall.  The pool contractor has been notified that power was restored to the resort and will schedule the projects of draining, acid washing and refilling the spa, and thoroughly checking the pool equipment.