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Concordia Eco Resort: Work Underway; Partial Reopening to Happen Soon

The view from Concordia Eco Resort toward Ram Head
The view from Concordia toward Ram Head

Well folks, we have great news to share with you all today. Concordia Eco Resort has sold, it’s been undergoing repairs and it should reopen partially very soon. All such great news!

Concordia Eco Resort: A Quick History

So as you may or may not know, Concordia was an eco resort that was located past Coral Bay and out near Salt Pond. Like many places, it was heavily damaged during Hurricane Irma back in 2017. Unfortunately the resort pretty much sat in shambles for over two years.

Well a few months back, there were rumblings around the island that the resort had finally sold and that the new owner had begun cleaning the place up. We took a ride out there last month and took a few pics quick pics for you.

Concordia Eco Resort work underway

Concordia Eco Resort work underway

We learned that the new owner is Frank Chapman. We’ve played phone tag for a good month now and finally connected yesterday afternoon. Frank updated me on several things, and I think you will all be pleased.

For starters, he said he was in discussions to buy Concordia in the summer of 2017, well before hurricanes Irma and Maria blew through. That obviously derailed the purchase for a bit, but ultimately Frank did not give up on the property. The purchase finally went through last year, so those island rumblings were in fact true!

What Are the New Owner’s Plans for Concordia Eco Resort?

Frank is currently operating under an “as built” permit, he told us, which means that he is rebuilding Concordia exactly how it was. “We’re not doing anything different,” he told me Wednesday. He is essentially cleaning it up.

Concordia had 25 platform tents, eight rooms down below and near the pool/reception/restaurant area, and 12 rooms in condo-like buildings. The eight rooms have already been refurbished and completed. He expects those to reopen later this month. Check out a few pics he recently shared on social media:

Concordia Eco Resort bedroom Concordia Eco Resort bathroom Concordia Eco Resort kitchen

Looking pretty good!

The tent area is still be cleaned up and repairs have yet to begin over there. Frank did say, however, that workers recycled a good amount of lumber from the tent area, using it to create 200 feet of deck in another area of the resort. The resort will continue to be eco friendly and will be rebuilt to exceed today’s building standards, he said.

When asked when the resort would open in its entirety, Frank said it would likely be awhile. Work on the tents is expected to begin within a month. All of the restaurant equipment disappeared, he said, so that whole area needs a great deal of attention before it can reopen. So it will take time, but it will be worth the wait in my opinion.

Who Is Concordia Eco Resort’s New Owner, Frank Chapman?

For those of you curious about who Frank Chapman is and why he would be interested in such a project, Frank told us he is a government attorney with experience rehabbing spots just like this. He purchased the Heart Six Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and brought that back to life several years ago. It was at that ranch that someone first mentioned to Frank how Concordia was up for sale. So he and his wife Ann took a look at it and had a deal to buy it in the summer of 2017. The hurricanes happened and set them back a bit, but here we are today. Work is happening, and that makes me happy. I’m sure it makes many of you happy too.

A really messed up property doesn’t scare me,” Frank said Wednesday. “Most people wouldn’t want to do it. To me, it’s just a natural thing to fix it up.”

For those of you who are repeat Concordia guests, you will be happy to know that the first employee hired on a full time basis worked at the eco resort prior to the storms. So unlike some places that get rebuilt, Concordia will have the same look, feel and many of the same employees when it reopens fully. All great news in my book.

And lastly, Frank wants everyone to know that he is environmentally conscious and “gets it” as he said.

“You have to coexist in nature and try not to negatively affect what’s happening around you,” he said. “There’s so many things we can do to make this sustainable tourism good for the local community and good for the people who come and stay with us. The point is, we get it. We understand the responsibility of Concordia and what it stands for.”

We will keep you posted on all of this. In the meantime, have a great day everyone! More “news” about reopening tomorrow!

31 thoughts on “Concordia Eco Resort: Work Underway; Partial Reopening to Happen Soon”

  1. SO HAPPY TO HEAR!! We were repeat visitors to Mayo Bay Campground & very heartbroken by its destruction. Love St John’s hiking & swimming & kayaking & all the wonderful people we met❤️ THANKS TO FRANK☮️⭐️‍♀️

  2. So happy to hear this. I was a volunteer with All Hands and Hearts and spent a total of 9 weeks helping to clean and rebuild in the USVI’s. Five of those weeks were spent on St John. I have a massive soft spot in my heart FOREVER for the beautiful island and it’s people. Would love to help with the rebuild of Concordia. I’m not a person of great wealth but I am one of great purpose. That purpose is to help others and show kindness to those that need an extra hand.
    Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your mission.

  3. We have never stayed there. Are any of your places on the main level or do they all have alot of steps to get to? And bless your heart for bringing this place back to life.

  4. This news along with the work being done at Cinnamon Bay is great to hear. Need to bring back a mix of visitors to STJ

  5. Such great news for St John and especially for Coral Bay!! Thanks for the updates! We will be there next week for 2 weeks, looking forward to see the progress over the past year!

  6. Wow! I cried when I saw the photos of Concordia right after the storm. My family and I have spent many vacations in the eco-tents and Concordia holds a special place in our hearts. I thought it was gone forever and am thrilled that we will be able to stay there again one day! Thank you for this update!

  7. Robert,
    Wow! I just read the reviews. Let’s hope and pray, they do the right thing at Concordia. Stanley and his staff were always concerned with quality and customer service.

  8. When one reads the reviews of Heart Six Ranch, one can only pray that the natural friendliness of our island people will overcome the service problems at that ranch. Nothing that I read made me want to spend a single moment there!
    MaryLou, Easton, MD

  9. Stayed there twice, in summer no less. Inexpensive and yes no AC in the summer can wear you down. We split our time between Concordia and Gallows Point

  10. Hi, I am a repeat customer and am interested in updates, the last on his site were in Jan, it is now August! So glad, and hope you are up and running, please let me know! I was married there and it is a wonderful, magical place.

  11. I am so happy to read the updates here from Mr. Chapman’s purchase. We have been there 12 times and enjoyed every one of them. I hope he buys insurance. Looking forward to one more stay at our ginger old age. Bon chance!

  12. Checking back on May 6, 2021…we would love a vaca in early 2022 do you have email or phone info to share?
    Truly want to come back…limping if I have to.

  13. It’s been many years since we stayed at Concordia and filmed environmental documentaries at MAHO while working with VIERS. Is there any info on Mr. Selengut, the vision behind Maho and Concordia? He helped our program and made it successful until IRMA, etc. I wish the new owners great success and look forward to returning.

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