Castaways Resort & Spa will undertake a $70 million redevelopment that will see the resort totally rebuilt in stages.
The project is predicted to elevate the profile of Mission Beach and bring millions of dollars to the economy.
Owner of Castaways Resort and Spa James Neville-Smith today announced plans for a complete rebuild and expansion of the resort, which will more than triple its current capacity.
There will be 226 rooms, up from 48, housed in 126 new accommodation units.
Plans are to completely redevelop the entire property, which mean every asset above the ground, with the exception of the two pools, will go and be rebuilt.
The new resort will also have an underground carpark with 162 parks, three additional pools, multiple dining options and a state of the art conference facility.
Since purchasing the hotel in 2012, Mr Neville-Smith has invested in the hotel, spending $6 million to completely transform it in 2010.
Castaways have seen a significant growth from then on, and in 2015 purchased the Mackay’s property across the road, but the ever-increasing demand has prompted the expansion, which will be named The New Castaways.
These plans were a long time coming, and had been in the works since taking over the resort twelve years ago
About 400 jobs will be created during the construction phase.
An additional $8 million of employment from the business alone going into the community and will see 120 ongoing jobs to run the new Castaways.
If approved, the project will be done in stages and will be done with close community engagement to ensure all residents are kept informed on the project.
Work is expected to begin mid-2019, following the World Rafting Championships and is predicted to take two years to complete.
Mission Beach residents are urged to visit the website for information on the build at www.thenewcastaways.com.au and show support for the project by registering their name.
