Lake Lanier Islands $200 millon renovation is an ongoing project that many lake residents and visitors are watching closely. This article recently appeared in the Gwinnett Business Journal, and it outlines the man and the ideas behind the renovation:
Family Ties
by Christopher Lancette
Fond memories inspire Virgil Williams to re-shape Lake Lanier Islands Resort
For Gwinnett County business magnate Virgil Williams, the $200 million renovation of Lake Lanier Islands Resort is not just another real estate project. It's a bit more personal; it's about a special bond between his family and the land.
"It started back when we were first introduced to Lake Lanier in the late 1950s or 1960," the Suwanee resident remembers. "We were among the first people to experience the lake when it was being filled up. There were still trees and stumps showing. My wife and I were avid boaters then. Later on, we bought a lot on the lake, and over the years, we kept moving closer and closer to it."
More than 40 years after his first ride on the water, Williams is thinking big.
As managing member of LLI Management Company, the firm that bought the lease interest in the resort's hotel and businesses in 2005, he unveiled his conceptual plans for the 1,100-acre resort's future development last month.
From there, they will be able to fill their days using electric cars, Segways and bicycles to travel around the island - hitting the links, fishing, riding horses, and relaxing at the yacht club. Scenic paths, viewing stations and gardens will dot their journeys. They may even be able to take in a concert at a 4,000-seat amphitheater, and say "I do" at a new wedding chapel.
Working with many of his family members on various components of the effort, Williams envisions changes that will affect not just the resort but the community.
"This is a significant project," he says. "The resort currently has more than 700 employees. We're talking about in the thousands. In terms of job creation, economic investment, sales tax revenue and all the other business that occurs as a result of the park in some fashion, we're looking at a mammoth economic engine. It's a lot bigger than people realize."
Making it clear he has not yet calculated specific economic impact figures, Williams suggests the scope of the project may ultimately be in the magnitude of the Kia plant - the Kia Motors Corporation's automotive assembly that's heading to West Point, Ga. (State officials announcing that news last March said the deal would bring a $1.2 billion investment to the state while creating 2,600 jobs.)
The new resort complex will be good for Gwinnett, too, according to John D. Gibb, Gwinnett County representative for the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority Board of Directors.
"I think from a Gwinnett County standpoint, the future plans for Lake Lanier Islands Resort will bring tourism money into the area," he says. "With the new proposed Resort Village, the number of visitors will increase with the addition of restaurants and shopping. Gwinnett County residents will now have a premier attraction right in their own backyard, especially for people who enjoy boating. As a resident of Gwinnett and a boater, I will be able to use Lake Lanier Islands Resort a lot more, not having to drive to another location to enjoy nice shopping, restaurants and the trails."
The result may lead to chances for other generations of Georgians to fall in love with the lake - sharing family experiences like the past and future moments Williams will always cherish.
"This is a great challenge," he says. "It's an opportunity to make a difference in the state and the region. It's also an opportunity for me to work with my family. I haven't been able to do that as extensively as I liked over the years, and that is a personal motivation for me."
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