The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE $4m worth of renovations underway at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort are on schedule to meet the property’s self-imposed October deadline, with the resort’s construction manager saying even a potential cost overrun would not impede its progress towards that goal.

James Wilson, Sandals’ construction project manager, said things are going “reasonably well” in the resort’s attempts to complete renovations within the next six weeks. He said barring any “unforeseen” circumstances, the resort stands poised to re-open its doors to guests in mid-October.

Mr Wilson’s statements came during a media tour of the Cable Beach property yesterday morning. The renovations are, according to Sandals, the main reason why over 600 employees were made redundant at the resort last month, notwithstanding the resort’s tempestuous relations with the union representing line staff.

Previously, Mr Wilson had maintained that the noise of construction work around the pool areas and the ungainly images and by products of the construction work would be so disruptive that guests could not be expected to remain in the vicinity while repairs take place.

As The Tribune and others toured the property, various workers could be seen hard at work performing various tasks, such as power hosing one pool floor, replacing carpets on numerous floors, and renovating at least one pool deck area.

Mr Wilson said some workers work “well into the night” to complete renovations in the quickest possible time, with some taking night shifts to further expedite the process.

“We have another six weeks to go from today, so things are going reasonably well so far,” Mr Wilson added. “No major problems. We found issues along the way, but we’re dealing with those. The guys have been very good at overcoming those.

“…Unless something unforeseen comes up, yeah we’re okay for opening during mid-October.”

When asked if the repair works were still coinciding with the original budget of $4m, Mr Wilson said: “When you’re renovating something you’ll always find unforeseen situations which usually end up costing you more money. So it’s not unusual for any renovation to be going over budget. So right now everything’s sort of going more or less as planned, costs, schedules, that sort of stuff.

“But I am finding things as we go along. When you come across something that you know needs to be fixed now it’s your opportunity to fix it, you bite the bullet and get it fixed. It costs a little bit more money but it’s worth it in the long run. So more or less we’re on track, but invariably we’re probably spending more money than we originally budgeted for.”

On August 15, Sandals announced that more than 600 workers had been made redundant as the property closed for repairs. The resort has repeatedly argued that the closure was essential for it to be able to carry out the renovations in time for the winter season.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BMAWU) have blasted the move as union busting, pointing to a job fair last month during which persons - including but not limited to those among the 600 plus employees that were terminated - were invited to apply for jobs with Sandals Royal Bahamian.