Reimagined as a beachside resort, the place plans a ribbon-cutting Tuesday. It’s come a long way since a burned-out, closed restaurant sat there.

The charred wreckage was cleared with help from the county Industrial Development Agency. The developers — married couple Kevin Cullen and Christian Edie, along with Gene and Matt Tundo of Tundo Construction — got to work. A year later, the transformation is stunning.

A brand new restaurant and event space, called Drift, is joined by 10 villas that all feature balconies. Around a sandy bend, an outdoor hot tub and sauna await. A cabana-style outdoor bar sits on the beach.

Kevin Cullen offered a tour of the property Friday morning. Lake Erie was as capricious and scenic as usual, heavy rain and dark gray clouds broken by clearing skies. Canada geese observed the tour from the opposite bank of Walnut Creek’s outlet to the lake, on the west side of the property.

Guest residences on the beach at Hideaway Bay Resort are nearly complete.

The property is about 90% complete, and workers were finishing interiors on Friday. Drift was a loud and busy work site, with at least eight people on the job and engaged in activity.

“Just a couple units are rented (in June). We’re looking to be at full capacity by July 1,” Cullen said. A “soft opening” of the property to the public is set for Friday, June 14.

Cullen and Edie first happened upon Hideaway Bay in 2012 while paddleboarding the lake. They instantly fell in love.

“It’s an incredible coastline, this little tucked-in bay with the creek on the west side,” Cullen said. “It’s a place you don’t want to leave. … We’ve spent a lot of different time on coasts around the world, and this is one of my favorites.”

He was finishing a degree in urban planning and had an eye on starting a recreation business. Hideaway Bay was the perfect spot.

Kevin Cullen, a co-owner of Hideaway Bay Resort, stands on the property Friday.

“It was a blessing to submit a proposal” when the county put out a Request For Proposals on redevelopment of the site in 2020, Cullen said. Four years later, his dream is very close to reality.

Walking around the property, Cullen pointed out the beach cabana. “Toes in the sand, barefoot luxury,” he said. “We had this place rocking Memorial Day,” when a beach party was held.

“We’ve spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and we tried to replicate that style of being right on the water,” Cullen said. In a nod to Lake Erie winters, the cabana will be removed every fall and rebuilt in the following spring.

The guest residences feature upstairs lofts and electric fireplaces, with queen beds and pull-out couches for sleeping.

Out behind the spa and hot tub, there’s a great spot on the creek for boat launches — the village of Silver Creek has one directly across the creek. Cullen currently uses the village’s launch for his paddleboarding, kayaking and kiteboarding business. However, he will move to the resort side of the creek and the watercraft will be another attraction for guests.

Circling back to the front of the property, Cullen mentioned that Drift will be open to the public around July 1, with no resort reservations necessary.

He added that half of the resort beach is open for public use, and will feature a pergola with couches and cabanas that can be rented. The other half of the beach is intended for resort guests.

With various construction and resort workers seeking his attention, Cullen bid farewell as the sun broke through the clouds over Lake Erie.