The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Exuma’s February Point project is aiming to hire a further 120-140 persons when construction work ramps up within the next two months, its owners yesterday telling Tribune Business the project was “moving a little faster than we anticipated”.

Burton Rodgers, February Point’s vice-president of operations, said some 54 persons had been hired from the first job fair the developers held in March, with more employment opportunities set to be created imminently.

Construction tenders for three separate building projects at February Point are due to be released shortly, and Mr Rodgers estimated that “shovels will be in the ground” within 60 days.

And he revealed that while February Point was already attracting international buyer interest, with closing potential for six prospects estimated around 60-70 per cent, the developers planned to complete more work before “moving full blast to the market”.

“There’s a tonne of activity,” Mr Rodgers told Tribune Business of the current climate at February Point, following its acquisition earlier this year by the investor group assembled by John McGarvey.

“We’re going to send out bids very soon for our condo complex, also our penthouse complex and our amenities complex. That’s three different sets of buildings.”

The six-unit penthouse complex will be called ‘The Penthouses at February Point’, while the 25-strong condo complex will effectively be a condo hotel facility, with the units placed in a rental pool.

Mr Rodgers said the amenities/plaza area, which will feature a pool, sales office, bar and restaurant, would go out to construction tender “in the next few days” with the other two projects following swiftly behind it. Three other homes are also being built.

While unable to place a dollar value on the construction contracts, as the developers were still awaiting estimates on costs for an ‘underground garage’, which will feature 50-plus spaces under the condo complex, Mr Rodgers said the project would unleash further Bahamian employment opportunities.

Confirming that 54 persons had been hired from the first job fair in areas such as landscaping, maintenance and security, he told Tribune Business: “When the construction starts, we will hire maybe another 120-140.

“I’d say that in about two months we’ll start doing some clearing, all the surveyors will come in and we will put shovels in the ground in 45-60 days. People see that things are going, and that there are definitely jobs coming.”

“It’s moving a little faster than we anticipated,” Mr Rodgers added. “There’s a lot of people excited. We are already getting calls from international persons interested in purchasing lots and homes.

“We have right now six potential sales that, once we finalise everything, we have a 60-70 per cent chance of closing.

“We want to get everything cleaned up landscaping-wise before we move full blast out to the market.”

Mr Rodgers explained that in closing February Point’s purchase from Randy Hart and his family during the peak winter tourism season, the McGarvey investor group was able to attract the attention of Exuma’s regular boating and tourism visitors - something that bodes well for future business.

“We’ve seen an increase in people calling, wanting to do bookings, and people asking when we’re going to build a hotel,” he added.

“All of the smaller hotels did fairly well during the winter season, so for the coming season it’s looking very promising because of the buzz on the island.”

Mr Rodgers said discussions between the investor group and the Government over their Flamingo Bay joint venture were also progressing “extremely well”.

Once the initial construction is completed, the McGarvey-led team is planning to roll seamlessly into its marina and hotel developments.

A sporting complex, featuring an athletics track and soccer field, plus basketball gymnasium and Olympic-standard swimming pool, are among the facilities planned for Flamingo Bay.

The proposed boutique hotel, meanwhile, will be constructed on February Point property, and its size - between 50-75 units - will depend on whether the developers brand it themselves or bring in a five-star name.

The marina, meanwhile, is intended to be as large as Atlantis’s.