PORT ANTONIO — In an effort to develop the Port Antonio area of Jamaica, Sandals has announced that it will be investing US$100 million into the reconstruction of Dragon Bay Resort.

According to Travel Weekly, Sandals first acquired the property back in 2002 and it has remained closed since then. Sandals CEO Adam Stewart confirmed that the hotel will not be a Beaches or Sandals, but rather a “brand new concept.”

The new 157-suite resort is anticipated to debut in 2019.

In December 2016, Sandals first announced a joint collaboration with the Jamaican government to develop Port Antonio, an area where airlift has long been an issue. But as Travel Weekly reports, an expansion of the North Coast Highway from Portland to Ocho Rio has been completed, and plans have been announced by the government to expand the runway at Ian Fleming International Airport, both of which will pave the way for further development in Port Antonio.