The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government has agreed to build Cat Island’s new international airport, a Cabinet Minister yesterday promising the project was “a priority” and would not suffer any more “unnecessary delays”.

Khaalis Rolle, minister of state for investments, said the Government would be able to provide estimated construction start and completion dates for the New Bight airport once the necessary “technical” drawings were finished.

Mr Rolle said that while there were “preliminary sketches” of what the new terminal building and other airport facilities would look like, the detailed architectural and engineering drawings were now being worked on by the Ministry of Works.

An upgraded New Bight airport is vital to unlocking economic growth and development on Cat Island. The failure to make progress on an infrastructure project promised since 2008 has been the main obstacle to the PGA Village development, an investment billed as the ‘anchor project’ for the island.

The PGA project, being developed by the Cat Island Partners consortium, has suffered protracted delays due to lengthy discussions with the Government over the airport rebuilding - what the facility should look like; the standard it must be built to; and who will be responsible for its financing and construction.

It now appears that there is some progress, and answers.

“The Government has agreed to build the airport. We just agreed,” Mr Rolle told Tribune Business, when contacted by this newspaper yesterday.

This is likely welcome news to Cat Islanders, who have become increasingly frustrated and concerned over the pace and economic development on their island - or rather, the lack of it.

A letter sent to this newspaper yesterday by one Cat Island resident, requesting anonymity, said a Town Hall meeting was held on January 14, 2015, to allow persons to voice their fears.

“Our number one priority is the commencement of the rebuilding of the New Bight International Airport, which was pledged to us in 2008. This is important for economic growth as a whole, but also is the last item holding up a major development on our island,” the letter said.

“I, with help from a small constituency, wanted to make a public stand of support for this project that has long been promised, but seems it may be nearing the fate of so many other ‘proposed’ projects of our great nation.

“It has come to our attention that without the promised New Bight International Airport rejuvenation project, the proposed PGA Village may cease.”

Rusty Cagle, an investor in the Cat Island Partners consortium, confirmed to Tribune Business that the airport situation was the main obstacle to further progress on the PGA Village Development.

He did not comment further, but accepted written questions sent to him via e-mail, and promised to consult his investment partners on a response.

Meanwhile, the Cat Island letter writer said a petition seeking answers on the New Bight airport had swiftly attracted 450 signatures, with more arriving on a daily basis.

Detailing airline concerns over the condition of the New Bight runway, and the fact they may have to stop flying to Cat Island, the writer said: “The reality of this possibility is unimaginable for us as Cat Islanders, and as such this airport project is not only a necessity for the proposed PGA Bahamas development but for us as a community on the whole.

“From what I understand, the PGA Bahamas project urgently wants to proceed with their approved development, but cannot do so until they receive documentation stating a guaranteed start and completion date for the New Bight International Airport from our government.

“From what we were told at the Town Hall meeting, the main goal is having safe and reliable airline services, not who gets the construction job. ... If our government commits itself to the rejuvenation of our airport, this would allow the developers to focus on the primary goal, recommencing with construction of the PGA Bahamas project. I trust that our government will seek immediate resolution to bring closure to these long outstanding issues and allow for this economic stimulus to proceed.”

Mr Rolle, while emphasising that he did not speak for the Ministry of Works, told Tribune Business that the Government could not give ‘start’ and ‘completion’ dates for the airport until the technical drawings were completed.

“One of the delays in giving a concrete start and completion date is that drawings for the new airport have not been completed,” the Minister told Tribune Business.

“None of the detailed drawings has been completed as yet.”

Mr Rolle said the Ministry of Works was now liaising with the PGA Village developers’ architect, who had done some preliminary sketches of the airport - but not the detailed architect ure and engineering renderings.

Heath Shelton, Cat Island Partners’ president, runs EH Fortitude, a Georgia-based architecture firm that has done such drawings. Mr Shelton has not responded to Tribune Business phone messages seeking comment.

Mr Rolle said the Ministry of Works was now moving to get the necessary drawings done, adding that once this was completed the airport construction contract would go out to tender.

“It has to go through the process, but it is a priority,” Mr Rolle told Tribune Business of the New Bight airport, “and I don’t think there’s going to be any further unnecessary delays.”

Tribune Business was unable to reach Ministry of Works representatives, or Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for it and is Cat Island’s MP, for comment.

Meanwhile, Ezra Russell, the Cat Island resident who organised the Town Hall meeting, told Tribune Business yesterday that the Government was “now taking the lead” on Cat Island’s infrastructure.

He expressed scepticism over the PGA Village project, saying he understood the developers were still looking for financing. And he questioned why Cat Island Partners had chosen to wait for the Government on the airport, rather than put in and finance the necessary infrastructure themselves.

Cat Island Partners’ investors include Southworth Developments, the company that recently joined with homeowners to buy the Abaco Club at Winding Bay for $28 million.

The PGA Village project broke ground under the last Ingraham administration. Prime Minister Perry Christie subsequently described it thus: “The project envisages a luxury residential resort community, two to three low density hotels and a spa, a hotel golf course, a beach club, retail village, single family lots and condo units, and an equestrian centre.

“The developers have been granted franchises to provide their own utilities and to advance the funding to upgrade the New Bight airport. The development is to be granted as a PGA village pursuant to an agreement with the Professional Golfers Association of America, and there are many jobs involved in that.”