The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

WHILE not giving a definite date, Baha Mar CEO Sarkis Izmirlian said the property will open “very soon”. However, he said, the resort cannot open its doors until the general contractor fulfils its commitment.

He stressed that it was up to the development’s general contractor “to decide how the next chapter will be written.”

Addressing the 2nd Annual Conclave of the Chamber of Commerce at the Melia Resort yesterday, Mr Izmirlian blamed Baha Mar’s most recent delay on the project’s lead contractor, but declined to give an exact date of when the $3.5 billion resort will open.

Baha Mar was initially set to open in December, but that was delayed to March 27 for a soft opening. However last month, the resort said it expected to open in early May.

“As you know, we have had to delay Baha Mar’s opening and as a result the people of The Bahamas have not yet felt the full economic benefit of Baha Mar. This will happen, but before it can our general contractor needs to meet its assurances so we are in a position to properly open this world-class destination resort. Indeed, this amazing property is supposed to be the symbol of international cooperation. It is now up to our general contractor to decide how this next chapter will be written,” Mr Izmirlian said.

“We sincerely hope they understand this and are realising the discontent, and concerns, about their performance from numerous quarters, including us as owners, the government of the Bahamas, and the people of The Bahamas. These concerns as well are beginning to be reflected in the press both here and internationally.

“With that said, Baha Mar will open soon and we will finally be able to show the world Baha Mar: our culture and how we care deeply, we have a generous spirit, we thrive as part of a team, we pay exacting attention to details, we create an emotional connection with our guests, and we are strongly committed to success.”

Earlier this week, Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said he has been “reliably informed” that Baha Mar will not open before June.

He was told this while participating in a private tour of the resort last week, he said. Mr Miller, who is the executive chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), said his understanding is that the resort may have a partial opening in June and a wider opening in August.

In announcing its most recent delay last month, Mr Izmirlian blamed the project’s lead contractor for the delay, saying the work had not met the resort’s “standards of excellence” and was unacceptable.