Part of the major Harbor View Hotel & Resort renovation and construction included stripping down cottages and rebuilding them with a new foundation system.

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Williams Building Co. is underway in the second phase of a multimillion-dollar renovation and construction project for Harbor View Hotel & Resort and The Kelley House, both in Edgartown, Mass., and expects the entire project to be completed by May 2010. “Scout [Real Estate] Capital is the new owner and their goal is to provide a first-class resort that keeps up with the latest amenities,” Williams Building President Tim Williams says.

Phase I of the $77 million project, which was completed in May 2007, focused on redesigning and redecorating Harbor View’s common areas, five guest suites, new landscaping and adding new resort programs and amenities for the hotel, which is more than a century old. Phase II, with a completion date in May 2008, entails reconstructing the hotel’s Luce and Collins cottages, which total 7,690 square feet, and remodeling the 5,167-square-foot Huxford Cottage.

Williams says the Luce and Collins cottages were stripped down to their bare frames and will be rebuilt with a new foundation system.

“The challenge is to maintain the historic character,” he says. “[For example] we are trying to maintain the trim details and recreating what was there before.

“Another challenge is carpentry,” he continues. “Our area is blessed with a good supply of skilled carpenters, who are able to do the same details as was done 100 years ago. We also have depth in trades in other areas, such as plumbing, electrical and HVAC mechanics.”

Phase II began in November and is expected to be completed in May, in time for the summer season, which is the busiest for the resort. “It’s critical for the owner to start [making a profit] on his investment and as a general contractor; we have to make sure that happens,” Williams says.

The tight schedule “requires double shifts and working Saturdays and Sundays,” he says. “Specifications demand a five-star level of quality in terms of workmanship and specifications: everything from top shelf paneling, walnut and tile flooring, custom cabinetry, trim details, sound transmission and first rate mechanical systems.” All suites also come with interior and exterior showers, and features such as high-speed Internet and environmentally friendly lighting, he adds.

Next Steps
In Phase III, expected to start this summer, the company will complete the Harbor View Hotel campus improvements by removing three existing structures and building eight new cottages consistent with the architectural requirements of the area.

A total of 56 units in approximately 58,000 square feet of living space will be completed by May 2009.     

“Because of the volume of building space and logistical constraints of island construction, we have determined that these buildings will be done in modular construction,” Williams says.

“That will allow us to complete 40,000 square feet [of new development] in an eight-month window.”

To meet the expedited schedule, the company will divide the schedule into two independent paths and complete the two developments on concurrent schedules with double crews, he says. Construction will begin in Maine in June 2008, and segments will be shipped to Martha’s Vineyard on barges from August to December.

About 30 percent of construction will be completed off island, Williams estimates. “We will provide logistics for the subcontractors to have vehicles on the island, house the workers, feed the workers, and double up on typical onsite management to handle the logistics of the shipping and supervision,” he says.

Phase IV is anticipated to begin September 2009. The Kelley House, which is located in downtown Edgartown within walking distance of the Harbor View Hotel’s main campus, will be renovated and reconstructed.

The Kelley House includes its three cottages, The Kelley House building and Kelley Street building.

About 51,000 square feet of residential and commercial space will be delivered by May 2010, Williams says.  

Modular off-island construction will also be used for 23 residential units in six buildings, he adds.

Resorts’ History
Harbor View Hotel & Resort was built in 1891 and overlooks Edgartown Harbor, Starbuck’s Neck, Chappaquiddick Island and Edgartown Lighthouse.

The resort was built as an attempt to make Edgartown — which became the Vineyard’s wealthiest town during the 1830s and 1840s because of the whaling industry — a resort destination.

It was recently voted “The Best Hotel on the Vineyard” by Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and Cape Cod Magazine.

The Kelley House was opened in 1742 and served as a tavern. “Through the Revolutionary War and the whaling era, the Kelley House flourished, offering generations of weary soldiers a respite from the rigors of life at sea,” the resort says.

The resorts were last renovated in the 1970s and 1980s, but its architectural requirements needed updating, Williams says. “The renovations and the investment in the two resorts will improve the historic district overall,” he adds. “[The owners] want to make downtown attractive and the construction team to committed to fulfill that.”