The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A PROMINENT local entrepreneur called on the government to release the full business plan for Blackbeard’s Cay saying the move would serve the public interest as details revealed so far do not add up – at a time when the country cannot afford a failed project.

Urging the government to seriously investigate the terms and conditions of the multi-million dollar deal, businessman Al Collie said he is concerned that the development is still “shrouded in secrecy.”

Initially, The Tribune was told the development aimed to create the equivalent of an alternative Atlantis Marina Village, with a number of retail, restaurant and tour/excursion activities on offer, all designed to keep Carnival Cruise Line’s passengers – thousands of them a day, it was said – on the island for the duration of their visit.

This sparked outrage from Bay Street merchants, who said such a project would effectively strangle the historic downtown shopping district.

But the developers then gave assurances that they would only transport a few hundred visitors a day from the cruise ships – a suggestion Mr Collie says doesn’t make good business sense.

He questioned how the developers expect to make money after investing $5 million, and hiring as many or more workers than the daily visitors it expects to attract.

“I am very concerned,” Mr Collie said. “And the government must take the opportunity to look into what (developer Samir) Andrawos has planned for Blackbeard’s Cay.

“He should make public a business plan. . . I don’t think the plans for Blackbeard’s Cay can work – not with 200 to 300 employees,” he said.

With several islands throughout the Bahamas now being leased for similar functions, Mr Collie called on the government to look closely at whether any of those projects have lived up to expectations before approving this latest project.

“All of those promised to do certain things. Let’s look and see if those developers did what they should have and said they would do.

“When the cruise ships come to Nassau they will have their own plans and rarely intend to use local entities.

“I have seen it happen over and over where these islands are leased to cruise ships. They don’t employ Bahamians and they use their own people from the cruise ship to do it,” Mr Collie said.

He also called on the government to remain sensitive to downtown business owners who have for months voiced concern over the development.

Animal rights activists have also hit out at the plans for a dolphin enclosure at Blackbeard’s Cay, saying the government should not approve another marine mammal facility due to the detrimental affects on the animals.