The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Ex-Cabinet Minister Tennyson Wells is heading the second Bahamian group seeking to obtain a casino licence from the Government, Tribune Business can reveal, with their sights set on the one attached to the South Ocean Resort.

Sources close to developments confirmed to Tribune Business that Mr Wells, together with an Atlanta-based group, was in talks with the Christie administration about “pulling” the licence from South Ocean to their proposed “amusement park and casino” project in the Coral Harbour area.

One well-informed contact, speaking to Tribune Business on condition of anonymity, said of Mr Wells: “He has a group in Atlanta that he says will back him, and he wants to pull the licence and use it at Coral Harbour for some kind of combination of amusement park and casino.”

Mr Wells declined to comment when contacted by Tribune Business on the matter, saying: “I can’t say anything. I have no comment whatsoever. I don’t know what’s happening.”

However, Prime Minister Perry Christie effectively identified Mr Wells in the House of Assembly on Monday night, revealing that a Bahamian group headed by “a former MP” was seeking the last casino licence for New Providence.

And, a day earlier, Mr Christie had said: “For New Providence there is only one other casino licence available, and that’s South Ocean. That in itself is a major acquisition.

“I have told the people of South Ocean that the Government will only hold that license in place but for so long, because we have another application involving a Bahamian group that is talking about getting that license and using it elsewhere in New Providence.”

Again, a reference to the plans Mr Wells and his group have for their amusement park/casino development. The former MP and Cabinet Minister has numerous investments in the vicinity, including the former Bacardi manufacturing plant and his South Seas real estate development.

Khaalis Rolle, minister of state for investments, also declined to comment on Mr Wells’ group and their proposed project, but reiterated the Prime Minister’s comments in terms of how eager the Government is for some development to occur at South Ocean.

That property has been closed for almost a decade now, having been shut in early 2004, and Mr Rolle said the Christie administration was “very keen” for it to be redeveloped.

“It’s just part of our overall strategy of getting every project that has potential up and running, and we’ve been working very hard at that,” Mr Rolle said.

“I have a major one that will be announced soon as a result of our direct efforts, bringing people to the table, partners to the table. Something will happen.”

The Minister added that “it’s very important” South Ocean be revived, telling Tribune Business: “We see that as having some development potential.

“During the first PLP administration that was one of the projects that was touted as having high potential to contribute to the economy.”

To-date, the only action by South Ocean’s current owner, the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP), has been to commission Greg Norman’s real estate arm, Southern Cross, to develop a masterplan for the property’s redevelopment.

This exercise is currently being undertaken in conjunction with EDSA, a Florida-based planning company, but the Government is clearly looking for more concrete moves to re-open South Ocean, and create jobs and economic activity.