The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A 73-room beach club located at Love Beach likely marks the next stage in the $510m real estate expansion being pursued by Sebas Bastian’s Brickell Management Group (BMG).

Documents filed with the Department of Physical Planning reveal that the property development firm, headed by the Island Luck chief, is already seeking site plan approval for a series of four storey buildings that will occupy four land parcels straddling both sides of West Bay Street in Love Beach Estates subdivision. The development if approved will be located immediately to the west of the Nirvana Beach Bar site.

The papers, which emerged as Mr Bastian and Brickell Management Group unveiled 14 separate real estate projects to Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and the media, involving a combined $510m and the creation of 3,290 total jobs, promised that the Sevyn Beach Club will provide “an enriching experience” for both residents and tourists alike.

Leonardo Godet, in a December 14, 2023, letter to Charles Zonicle, the Department of Physical Planning’s director, on Brickell’s behalf, wrote: “Our development is designed to contribute positively to the area and provide an enrich- ing experience for both residents and visitors. The Sevyn Beach development will consist of 70 rooms, basement parking and a pool area.

“The Sevyn Beach development aims to enhance the local area by providing high-quality accommodation options and dining facilities while addressing the need for parking infrastructure. The proposed 73-room establishment will cater to tourists and locals, offering a comfortable and welcoming environment for those seeking a beachside retreat.

“Additionally, the basement parking will alleviate potential traffic and park- ing concerns in the area, contributing to a more organised and efficient use of space. We are committed to ensuring that the Sevyn Beach development aligns with the existing vision for the Love Beach area and adheres to all relevant regulations and guidelines,” Mr Godet continued.

“We understand the importance of sustainable and responsible development, and are dedicated to incorporating environmentally-friendly practices into our project, including waste management and energy efficient measures.”

Ansel Watson, Brickell Management Group’s president, yesterday declined to comment further when contacted by Tribune Business as he did not want to go beyond the presentation given earlier by Mr Bastian. That presentation indicated the Sevyn Beach Club project will involve a $42m investment and create some 320 construction jobs.

However, the file shows that the Town Planning Committee elected on January 30, 2024, to defer a decision on the site plan approval application in favour of holding a February 29, 2024, public hearing and consultation “to obtain the views of nearby residents” on the proposed development. Love Beach residents have not always been amenable to developers, as the struggle over Jason Kinsale’s Passion Point showed.

Brickell has assembled, via acquisition, three separate land parcels for the Sevyn Beach Club. One of the sellers was Paje Realty Ltd, a company whose president, Paul Andy Gomez, is the former Bahamas ambassador to China and now this country’s high commissioner to the UK.

Other parcels were acquired from 53 Love Beach Corp, headed by its president and director, Giuseppe Zeno, and Barry and Deborah Moss, for $350,000 and $575,000, respectively. The Sevyn Beach Club is one of 14 projects that Mr Bastian and Brickell, who have already begun the $200m Venetian Village expansion, are planning to undertake. It will likely complement the Sevyn Hotel, planned for the Venetian Village site, and provide the beach access that location lacks.

They involve a mix of residential rental units; extended stay vacation rental units; a hotel; seaside residences; a sports club; a shopping plaza; housing near the University of The Bahamas; and commercial parks in western and central New Providence.

They are named Venetian West Rentals, Venetian Village Shoppes, Skyline Storage West, Westfield Commerce Park, University House, Aspara Sports Club, Skyline Storage Central,

Vilara Villas, Sevyn Residences, Brickell Square, Sevyn Beach, Sevyn Hotel, V’Orsay Residential, and the Venetian Village residences.

“The proposed development, Venetian Village, is situated in western New Providence in the vicinity of Old Fort Bay and encompasses approximately 68 acres. Venetian Village is a $200m capital expenditure for a mixed-use development featuring commercial, residential and recreational facilities to be constructed over two phases,” said the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), completed in October 2022 by Waypoint Consulting.

“Project components include commercial office and retail space; [a 75-room] condo hotel; residences including town homes and condos; open space and recreational facilities; tennis courts; utilities, roadways and parking.” Some 22 of the project’s 68 acres, accounting for almost one-third of the site, had already been cleared in anticipation of future development. It will be located opposite Charlotteville between the Old Fort Bay and town centre roundabouts.