The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

WITH only several months to go before the targeted opening date, the $2.6 billion Baha Mar development is continuing to make “very good progress”, a senior executive telling Tribune Business he was “absolutely confident” the development would meet its December 2014 opening deadline.

Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of administration and external affairs, Robert Sands, said the project was moving on steadily.

“We are making very good progress. I’m satisfied with the progress,” he said of construction work being undertaken at the resort project on Cable Beach.

The $2.6 billion resort development is scheduled to open in December 2014 with a 1,000 room and 100,000 square foot Las Vegas-style casino hotel as its centrepiece, as well as a 700-room Grand Hyatt, a 300-room Mondarin and the 200-room Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
 “We are making very good progress. I am absolutely confident that we will have everything in place in time for our scheduled opening,” said Mr Sands.
 As to the amount of contracts awarded to Bahamians and the number of Bahamians employed to-date, Mr Sands said that updated figures in that regard should be available soon.

“I’m waiting for our monthly report to come in and then I will have a clearer indication of those figures very soon,” he said.

In a previous interview with Tribune Business late last year, Mr Sands said Baha Mar had awarded roughly $275 million worth of work, close to 70 per cent of its commitment pledge, to Bahamian contractors and approximately $160 million was still under negotiation.

Mr Sands also reiterated that he was confident that the necessary extra airlift will be in place to accommodate the mega resort as well as other Bahamian hotels.

Tourism and hotel industry stakeholders have estimated that a 400,000 seat increase in airlift capacity into the Bahamas will be needed for Baha Mar’s opening. “We’re continuing to work with private and public sector officials to make that happen,” said Mr Sands.