An artist's impression of The Pointe development. The Pointe is owned by China Construction America, a subsidiary of China State Construction and Engineering Company.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday called for the country’s executive leadership to resign after it was revealed that developers of the $250m The Pointe resort had overstepped approved works and were issued a stop order from the Ministry of Works.
Mr Symonette accused Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis of being “complicit or reckless” as he questioned why construction at the luxury downtown development was not under greater scrutiny.
The Ministry of Works’ Buildings Control Division issued a stop order last week after a site visit revealed that construction had progressed further than the permits issued for ground preparation allowed, The Tribune was told.
“We have requested them to issue a stop order,” said Buildings Control Officer Craig Delancy. “The (permit application) process hasn’t been completed so we requested that they stop and make sure get all the approvals in place. The applications are in, but they haven’t gotten all the approvals. There will always be modifications and changes, the ground preparation was done but they appeared to have gone a little further.”
Mr Delancy added: “We’ve looked at some of their initial foundation works and drawings and piles. We had no objections to the piles drawing but we’re still asking them to get all the approvals in place.”
“It’s all pending,” he added, “there are other agencies involved so hopefully they will get things sorted out within the week or so.”
China Construction America (CCA), The Pointe’s developer, broke ground on the Bay Street development in August while engaged in a dispute with mega-resort Baha Mar over the stalled $3.5bn Cable Beach project.
In an interview with The Tribune on the sidelines of the event in August, Mr Christie said construction of The Pointe was not intended to start before Baha Mar was completed; however, the Cable Beach resort’s extensive delays had now forced both developments to overlap.
Scheduled for a 2017 launch, the Bay Street project is expected to provide 250 construction jobs for Bahamian workers, and some 500 jobs within the 200-room entertainment hotel, oceanfront residences and 80-slip marina. The development also boasts a 1,000-car garage, a bowling alley, and movie theatre.
Yesterday, Mr Symonette demanded an explanation from the government on whether officials allowed the developer carte blanche to build without following protocol.
“This project is so large the prime minister and the deputy prime minister should have been extra vigilant,” Mr Symonette said. “Either they didn’t care or they were reckless and they deserve to explain to the Bahamian people. They should not push this off to the Ministry of Works - here we have a man who is prime minister and the one who wants to be prime minister. They should have a firm grip on this project.
“In light of the whole debacle with Baha Mar and the things that you’re reading in the newspaper with the Chinese government involved with different things, officials at the Ministry of Works should have been extra vigilant that they did not go beyond the permits they had, we’re talking about a multi-story building which has some serious liabilities. This is the Bahamian people’s lives they’re gambling with.”
Mr Symonette added: “Why have they been allowed to go on this far? Whoever issues permits must have known that they didn’t have the requisite approvals, and heads should roll because it sends a hell of a statement.”
Baha Mar filed for bankruptcy in a US court on June 29, blaming CCA, its general contractor, for its construction delays. The project has stalled since then.
Comments
jus2cents 9 years ago
Good!
They should be held accountable and like the rest of us- and governed by the Rule Of Law!
The Governments under the table shenanigans have got to stop for the benefit of the nation's future.
Chinese are screwing up major projects all over the world, we must get this done properly, follow all the building rules & regulations to the max, and 'Learn' from the past mistakes.
realfreethinker 9 years ago
Who the hell is in charge of this country. One would think that after the Bahamar debacle the government would be paying attention to what the flipping chinese are doing. At least the MOW is awake WOW
paul_vincent_zecchino 9 years ago
The chicoms are establishing a beachhead adjacent to America under the guise of resort hotels.
Communist regimes do not change their spots, their goals remain constant.
asiseeit 9 years ago
The Tribune needs to look into weather the proposed marina will extend in front of Junkanoo Beach. Have the plans been made public. Do we know how far into the Harbour they plan to go? Have they done tide studies to see if the Marina and its breakwater will negatively impact the few public beaches to the west in the Harbour. Who did the studies, if they where done? How could the studies be done in the short time between the sale and the commencment of construction? I smell a rat and hope the Tribune and it's reporters can dig a bit deeper to find out what stinks!
TruthHurts 9 years ago
It's probably safe to say that nothing was done! The next thing we'll know is that all of our homes (Cable Beach) are washed out into the sea. Then, and only then you'll come to understand what caused it.
TruePeople 9 years ago
That's just it, Anyone who cares to look around gone see the Chinees dem screw up alot of construction projects internationally. A close to home example is the Airport they were to build in Guyana which is like a mirror image of what's going down for Bahamar.
Obviously our politicans aren't turning to the Chinese for good workman ship.... must be some of that ol' money under the table that gets EVERYTHING greenlighted here.
The Chinese OBVIOUSLY see themselves as the new BOSS IN TOWN. According to their sensibility, they dun buy out dis 3rdworld gov't, and soontime they can ease in and replace what ever was there now or there previously with themselves going forward.
Why it is when poor people build 'illegally' they get bulldozed and burnt down. When Chinese build illegally...... PLP dem gone carry round some dimsum to the construction site and kiss ass.
And where Freddy is bout foreigner dis ting dat ting cus a swear China is as foreign as it gets. It's like he only dislike BLACK FOREIGNERS. My Lord, and PLP dem is say dey is the poor black peoples party?
Stupid is as stupid....
TalRussell 9 years ago
Good Lord Jesus, you Comrades are something puzzling. Baha Mar stops construction and its all the prime minister's fault.
Now, the reds former DPM Brent says not only to put a halt to The Pointe's construction, although upon further onsite inspection, the MOW found no construction infractions, but has the bullocks demand the PM's immediate resignation.
Why would you want stop something, if there were no faults found to halt construction?
Here's a thought. Maybe the former DPM and his team of red party blogger should be asking, why the building permits take so damn long for approval, not only for The Pointe, but at just about every other construction site in Nassau.
Just maybe the entire PLP government should call the reds bluff to resign. Resign, then turn over Baha Mar and La Pointe to Minnis and Loretta and wait to see how well they do at it?
Seems clear to all, like the Chinese played by all the rules on La Pointe. Not sure any of us even know the approval rules of the MOW, or any other government department.
Didn't the former red DPM run out ideas when he served under Papa Hubert?
TruePeople 9 years ago
I'll be looking for that bluff call. Remember to suggest it to dem nah
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
That's ridiculous, just because you believe the permit takes a long time, it doesn't give you the right to do as you please. You cannot pick and choose to follow the laws that YOU think make sense. What kind of society would we have? That big shiny structure NEEDS TO GO!!
asiseeit 9 years ago
Tal, it is very interesting when a Bahamian wants to build a marina they have to wait years for approvals and jump through hoops constantly. These Chinese just bought the place a couple months ago and they have all the permits and approvals faster than you can say Perry Gladstone Christie. Who is this government working for, All Bahamians, or just PLP Bahamians and the Chinese? The sip sip is that the points Marina will extend in front of Junkanoo Beach, and they will be putting breakwaters in the sea there as well. This could very well destroy Junkanoo Beach, therefore I am asking questions that need to be answered by the powers that be. Is that fair or not?
TalRussell 9 years ago
Comrade Asiseit, couldn't agree with you more but this is NOT the point the former red party's DPM is making. I think we can all agree, no sitting DPM would have seen any of his family enterprises waiting in long lines for MOW permits. Probably, still the case today, with or without carrying da the handle of being a former DPM.
Keep laughing but that bamboo constructed Baha Mar 'dock' was built with "connections" in mind. Where that bamboo 'dock' will reach is go'in be left to lots we's best guesses.
TruePeople 9 years ago
PLP strategy: side-step the real issue and attempt to change the topic....
the PLP is more in the RED CHINA dan ya so called 'red bloggers' but wid dem PLP Rose colour glasses, no wonder you ein seein tings in HD let alone technicolour
paul_vincent_zecchino 9 years ago
Americans have noticed that Junkanoo Beach is no longer quite so easily accessible, thanks to the chicom spy base, er, sorry, resort going up.
Sickened 9 years ago
The Chinese (at least the big boys in China Construction) are Bahamians now. Check them when they go through immigration and flash that Bahamian passport. These guys are going to be voting in our next election. Of course they won't be toting line like you or I, but they will be placing their X next to PLP.
birdiestrachan 9 years ago
The officials at the Ministry of works are responsible.. and they are doing their jobs, that is why the project has been stopped. the PM nor the DPM are engineers or architects, Mr: Symonette knows better. And so should ever thinking Bahamian Mr; Symonett has you all for fools. "Mr: small things"
Sickened 9 years ago
You are right Birdie, the officials at the Ministry are doing their jobs and let this project move forward without approval, all under orders from the PLP's self proclaimed God... Perry Gladstone Carey. If the boss tells you to clean the toilet... you clean the toilet.
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
I don't expect Brave Davis to monitor every detail at the ministry, but I do expect him to have some clue of the milestones for large projects and to track them regularly. One of those milestones should be, are all permits approved for the Pointe?. Didn't he just have a teachable moment the other day at BAMSI?
realfreethinker 9 years ago
Wow Birdie has appeared. Where have you been these pass few days. We have all been awaiting your " insightful" posts Hmmmmm
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
Look at that DANG photo! THAT IS NOT HISTORIC NASSAU!! What is Perry Christie doing???
TruePeople 9 years ago
Its a Huge mirror for the Sun. Get ya stunna shades ready
paul_vincent_zecchino 9 years ago
Thank you for saying it. This looks so out place next to the British Colonial, it looks more like some chicom spy base you'd see in Peking.
Just doesn't fit with the look of downtown.
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
I really cry for my country, look at the building, this is not downtown Hong Kong
All4One 9 years ago
Agreed. It does have the look of a low-rise version of those monstrosities in Hong Kong. Quite jarring...
TheMadHatter 9 years ago
I disagree with those above mentioning similarities to Hong Kong. We need Hong Kong here. We need 10 times or 50 times as many developments just like this one - and we need them yesterday.
People won't stop popping out puppies in the delivery room at PMH - and so we need to make jobs for them when they grow up.
TheMadHatter
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
I'm not opposed to responsible development but we don't need monstrous shiny glass structures in historic Nassau. That's a slap in the face. I can't think of any major city that throws away the character of their historical sites, they have committees in place that stipulate down to the colour paint that can be used on their buildings
I can just see the brain dead decision makers around the table talking about how wonderful this is and we'll have the Riviera right here in Nassau. Well, the Bahamian people don't want the Riviera here, they want to visit it in France where it belongs. In our country, we want the down home Bahamas that WE love.
Look at Atlantis, for God's sake even look at Bahamar, they "FIT", they respect us.
TheMadHatter 9 years ago
You have a point - somewhat - but perhaps you missed the funny video that those two cruise people did about a month ago on downtown Nassau? Showing the garbage, stray dogs, bums, broken stuff, closed shops, and general CRAP everywhere? If this is our history (and you know it's been this way for a long time) - then perhaps we need to get rid of that history and forget we ever had it. Obviously it is not a good working model because unemployment is so high. Try something new.
I wonder if the United States offered to accept us as the 51st state of the USA, and offered to pay for the referendum costs for a national vote to decide - what percentage of Bahamians would vote for us to become a state?
We are practically a state now. Everything we consume comes from there (and china) - we make next to nothing - and Bahamians love to travel over there every time they find an extra $500 in their pocket.
However, due to the training of the mind from the early PLP days - which still sticks with us today - I would bet that the YES vote would be less than 35%.
Bahamians have simply been trained to love a life that sucks. They just love it and really don't want change. Many have actually been trained to believe that this is the "better" life. It's better in the Bahamas, or It just Keeps Getting Better. Wow. This forum is just a place for us to complain just to see our tongues flopping. Nothing more.
TheMadHatter
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
Garbage is not my history. I remember a downtown where you couldn't even carry a beer bottle, if you were cursing you were thrown off of Bay. That is the history I remember. I am not saying work doesn't have to be done. There's more than enough. But this ain't it. In my mind this is a developer who made no effort to understand the Bahamas or the culture.
I guess they'll soon think its quaint for Bahamians to carry tourists for tours downtown in rickshaws
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
If I'm a tourist visiting a tropical Caribbean island, that is the LAST thing I expect to see as I enter the port
jackbnimble 9 years ago
When you play with puppy, it lick ya mouth. When you play with big dog, it bite ya!
John 9 years ago
Damn, I had already pre-booked a suite for thePointe's Grand Opening..guess its back to Bah Mar! again
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years ago
Utterly disgusting inappropriate architecture.......but plenty of glass is needed for all of the latest eaves dropping technology that Red China will build into the The Pointe in order to listen in on and video everything that goes on across the street at the U.S. embassy. Uncle Sam can't be too pleased about this foolishness!
paul_vincent_zecchino 9 years ago
Agree, this looks like a spook site, similar to the chicom spy base at Bejucal, Cuba.
They know exactly what they're doing.
A pleasure to read your posts on this subject. Everything they do, it's never what it seems to be, always about something else.
TheMadHatter 9 years ago
Excellent point; and while I have no doubt they would love to do that - I simply believe it is no longer technologically possible. The US Embassy certainly is aware of the development (even before the ground-breaking) - and if this was a concern they would have simply sent someone to meet with Cabinet (one reason why utterances in Cabinet cannot be spoken out of the room [this is in our Constitution] ) - and said "This needs to stop or we will reduce your entry stamps at the airport to be only 48 hours except for medical or other emergency reasons." They did this back in the early 80's and it had an impressive effect.
It is sad what is happening to our country - but it is not only because of the Chinese - it is also partly our fault for refusing to have any real manufacturing in this country - except that of babies.
MonkeeDoo 9 years ago
From BBC Mr Lindsay, director of tiling company Moderna Contracts Ltd, said: "I was walking down the road and saw a photographer taking photos and asked, 'what's happening?'
"The photographer asked me 'have you seen that car? The owner won't be happy.'
"I said: 'I am the owner. Crikey, that's awful.'"
The wing mirror, panels and Jaguar badge had all melted, Mr Lindsay said.
"You can't believe something like this would happen," he added. "They've got to do something about it.
"It could be dangerous. Imagine if the sun reflected on the wrong part of the body.
"On the windscreen, there was a note from the construction company saying 'your car's buckled, could you give us a call?'"
In a joint statement, developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf said: "We are aware of concerns regarding the light reflecting from 20 Fenchurch Street and are looking into the matter.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2015…
Regardless 9 years ago
Once the word " Productivity" rings as rap does then we may have a future,
ThisIsOurs 9 years ago
Life has a balance though. Productivity is great but it should be balanced. If productivity is the end all, we might gain the reputation of say.... Chinese sweat factories. That aside, we can't seem to lay claim to any positive descriptors, honesty, ethics, accountability, consistency, timeliness, integrity etc...
juju 9 years ago
You watch....the Chinamen will pay off the Ministry of Works (or whoever it takes,) and the nasty, distasteful project will proceed as if nothing happened. Brent Symonette shouldn't be the only "watchdog" to this disastrous project in the heart of our town.
wasturrup8493 9 years ago
So let me get this straight, these guys went ahead and continued construction without having the permits needed or prerequisite approval for them. I agree with Mr. Symonette, heads should be rolling, 38 to be exact. Everyone fell off on this one man for real. Mr. Christie and Davis have put together one of the worst terms that I have seen any party put out since we started choosing our leaders. If you ask me, we should call a bye-election and oust these clowns in a landslide to the opposition and give them 90 days probation before we boot them too. Not a good look for the leaders at all man. Not a good look. Get it together people. What we do in this country should never be for us but to build a future for the generations to come after us. Prov. 13:22 "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."
Please, on behalf of my fellow citizens, get it right. Who knows some other Bahamians who feel how I feel might not be able to keep our peace any longer and give you leaders the boot before five years is up.
TalRussell 9 years ago
Oh Comrades how much tears of joy y'all red shirt bloggers does brungs to the eyes Tribune readers with your echoing how excluding The Point, da Ministry of Works are otherwise efficient with the issuing of construction permits. Thanks cuz we all needed hears such positive news about any government department.
jaysmi 9 years ago
I see this more as “Chinese Bashing “than “Bashing the Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie and his Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis! Despite Western thoughts and concerns, China is no longer a ‘Communist’ country. This is totally evident in its rapidly burgeoning economy as it (China) has now displaced All European countries in its economic growth, and is second only to the United States in natural resources and productivity. The fact that they (the Chinese)are “sharing their wealth’ with developed and developing countries, i.e. making investment ventures and procuring properties abroad is by no means a communist ploy! It is indeed however, a purely ‘Capitalist Procedure’ that the U.S. has done in earnest prior to WWII and henceforth! It does however; seem to me that the United States and its Western allies are becoming increasingly seemingly more ‘Jealous’ of that countries’ recent good fortune! This is evident in last week’s provocation by the United States, as a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer sailed near disputed islands China has built up in the South China Sea! This to me was a case of intimidation and ‘Outright Bullying’! (Keep in mind that even though China has over three times the population[one+billion] of the United States, the United States military budget is almost FIVE TIMES GREATER than that of Chinas! (U.S.=$671billion vs. China= $137Billion) The Chinese government in summation, is pumping ‘Billons’ of dollars into the Bahamas and helping to create hundreds if not thousands of jobs for Bahamian people. In that respect, I will advise the citizens of the Bahamas not to be so harsh in its criticism of your Prime Minister and his Deputy P.M., in their efforts in continuing to modernize and help expand the infrastructure of your country! Above that, I Implore you to Please not emulate the prejudicial views of the many Americans here in the States and in Europe in regards to China’s newly gained influence! It’s China’s time to shine now, and within 25 years it will be Africa’s! Peace! John H 'Jay' Smith.
jaysmi 9 years ago
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2015…
berryj 8 years, 6 months ago
Mr Symonette accused Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis of being “complicit or reckless” as he questioned why construction at the luxury downtown development was not under greater scrutiny. Have a look on http://www.simonsholidays.in/internatio…">thailand packages from Delhi which you will sure like and want to book it.
Sign in to comment
OpenID