Just the Facts Part 2
- How much of the Island can be developed and how much already is?
By Georgia Law, only 35% of the land mass of Jekyll Island above mean high tide may be developed. As delineated in the 1996 Island Master Plan, officially the JIA has the ability to develop an additional 104 acres before this threshold is met.
- Is Jekyll Island a State Park, a resort, or a community?
The best answer is probably “All 3”. Jekyll Island was purchased by the State in 1947 to establish a State Park with beach access to insure that there would always be publicly accessible beach in Georgia. The State purchased Jekyll Island from the Jekyll Island Club for $675,000 after exercising its right of eminent domain to force the sale. At the time, the decision was politically controversial. After 2 years of operating within the State Parks system, The Jekyll Island State Park Authority was created to manage the island and guide its development as a resort destination. It does not operate as a part of the State Parks system, nor is any of its operational funding provided by the State Parks System or the Georgia General Assembly, as the Jekyll Island Authority is mandated to be a self sufficient agency. - Why did the State of Georgia purchase Jekyll Island?
In 1946, the State formed a Beach Park Commission to study the feasibility of acquiring one of Georgia’s barrier islands to serve as beach oriented state park. Headed by Revenue Commissioner M.E. Thompson, the study recommended the purchase of Jekyll Island as the only viable opportunity due the fact that the Jekyll Island Club had failed to re-open after WWII and that the island might be available. Upon his election as Governor in 1947, Thompson initiated the purchase of Jekyll. - How are tax dollars from the State of Georgia Spent on Jekyll?
The Jekyll Island Authority receives no tax dollars from the State of Georgia in support of its operations, and is by state statute required to be self-sufficient. Occasionally, the JIA does receive project specific funds from the State in the form of General Obligation Bonds or Revenue Bonds. - Why was the Jekyll Island Authority created?
After purchase by the State of Georgia in 1947, Jekyll operated for 3 years as a part of the State Parks Department. After the initiation of the construction of a causeway to the island, it was quickly realized that Jekyll could become a defining destination for tourism in the state. In order to be prepared for modern amenities, and speed the process of truly making the island available for all, the State moved to create the Jekyll Island State Park Authority. The purpose of the JIA was to be a bridge between State Government and the Private Sector, and create partnerships to establish a self-sufficient resort community within a natural or “state park” setting. The State and the JIA recognized early on that the management of Jekyll Island was a unique partnership between State Government and the Private Sector. In order for this to succeed, the JIA would take on the roll typically played by local governments and provide the municipal infrastructure required in the resort community, and that regular state funding support would be needed for a number of years until initial “build out” was completed. After that point, it was believed that the island would be self-sufficient and could begin paying the state back for its investment. - Is Jekyll Island Self Sufficient?
Operationally, the Jekyll Island Authority is self sufficient. Net profit from operations ranges annually from $500K to $1.5m. The JIA does struggle with the large capital investments needed to maintain the infrastructure, amenities, and historic resources under its care. Over the past ten years major improvements in these areas have only become possible due to partnerships with the private sector, support of non-profits and granting agencies, the addition of Jekyll Island projects to the Glynn County SPLOST program, and appropriations from the Georgia Legislature that required no additional debt service. - Why not just “spruce up” the hotels and Convention Center?
Our past history, and our current market surveys, tell us that this approach will not result in an outcome that will secure the economic sustainability of the Island. The “spruce” up approach has been recommended and attempted over the past 30 years, with short-term results that have not resulted in economic stability and growth. There were major efforts to rehabilitate a number of hotels and the convention center in 1979, the mid 1980s, and from 1997-1999. While these efforts resulted in short-term gains in visitation and revenue, it has only sustained the island operationally and has not allowed for capital investment in amenities and infrastructure.
Tags: jekyll island development, jekyll island revitalization, just the fact about jekyll island
