The former Davis Island Grill in Edgecomb is undergoing a major transformation. It is being completely overhauled and transformed into a banquet and function hall.

T & W Management is doing the renovation and is planning to have the new facility up and running by the first of March.

Tony Casella and his partner Wayne Wright, co-owners of T & W Management, bought the building that housed the restaurant, the little mall and the land behind it across the Eddy road on Route 1, and building rights to “The View,” a section of the resort that contains features homes for sale and rent. T & W management is the exclusive rental agency at the resort.

A new rental office has been built on land next to the little mall, and five homes were built and sold in The View last year. More are in the works.

Casella said that when they took ownership of the restaurant building they considered reopening the restaurant, and looked around for someone to rent the space and run it. But people in the area were hesitant. “People in the restaurant business were very leery about spending money on another restaurant here,” he said.

And according to Casella, there was a need for a large function center in the area. So when it became apparent that another restaurant wasn't going to fly, the decision was made to do away with the restaurant and transform the interior of the building into a function facility.

Resort manager Tracy Miller Clark thinks it's going to be a boon to the area. “They are designing the building to be one of the nicest event and banquet facilities in Midcoast Maine,” she said.

Casella said that the main focus for the facility will be weddings and receptions, but that it will be available for other functions and events that will require banquet facilities.

The new business will be called Water's Edge Banquet and Function Facility and will be set up for catering parties of 75 to 150 people. The room downstairs that housed the former David Island Grill restaurant is being completely renovated and will seat 150 to 175 people when finished.

Walls have come down and the large bar that was in the bar room has been removed. A smaller bar is being built, and the full restaurant kitchen is being transformed into an area that will be strictly for catering, with all new equipment. The new kitchen was designed by caterers and will be set up with enough holding cabinets for 200 meals. There is also a 10 by 10-foot cooler for refrigeration, and a 1,000 dish dishwasher.

There will be another room upstairs that will seat 100 people, complete with a small bar area, and last but not least, an open air rooftop deck large enough for 50 that will look out over the Wiscasset bridge and harbor.

Also in the plans is a new 48 room hotel, which will be built in the area across the Eddy Road from the facility. Casella and Wright are in the process of obtaining the permits and final approvals from the town of Edgecomb.

Casella said the business should be up and running by March 1.