Investors Get Support:
By Tameka Lundy -
Nassau, Bahamas:

Not everyone is enamoured with the idea of having some of the biggest names in golf collaborate on a huge, scenic project to the island’s southwest that would potentially drive many millions of dollars into the Bahamian economy and spur heightened commerce and development in the area.

And they’ve made no secret of their opposition to proposed road changes and alterations in traditional coastal access.

But just as passionate as the cautions have been against some of the changes that are planned to accommodate the Albany Beach and Golf Resort and the new South Ocean Resort proposed for nearby, are vehement appeals for the projects to proceed.

The Albany project would be sprawled over 565-acres of land to accommodate a hotel, upscale residential dwellings, marina and golf course. The project has the backing of three of the top names in golf; Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Tavistock Group, a global private investment company founded 30 years ago by investor Joe Lewis.

Neighbour to the Albany and South Ocean sites, Pericles Maillis told the Bahama Journal that although he and his family held a very much different view more than a decade ago when it came to the controversial Clifton property, that has changed.

He made that very clear when he attended the recent town meetings that were held.

"We voted to support this project. We knew development would come some day; it could have been factories, it could have been housing, it could have been Bahamian, linear, disorganized, badly planned roadside development," he said.

"We praise God that we are going to have Tiger Woods for the future, wellbeing, employment, industry, commerce and money that this project will bring, replacing what should have happened at Clifton because we had guilt that we, economically, held back the island of New Providence for the sake of the long term social stability and long term recreational infrastructure for the public."

Many years ago, Mr. Maillis and others who were vocally opposed to a proposed gated community for hundreds of acres of land near to the Albany and South Ocean projects, succeeded in convincing the government not to proceed with the Clifton development. They raised strong concerns about beach access, potential environmental degradation and access to slave ruins and artifacts.

The Clifton land is currently being turned into a heritage park for the Bahamian people.

The Maillis family owns a large piece of coastline land in the South Ocean area, which it intends to hold onto, despite all the plans that are being made to turn adjacent property into resort havens for middle and upper class clientele.

Mr. Maillis said his family made the decision that it would not oppose the projects merely for the sake of fighting.

"This island, because of one hundred years of urban drift, has built its population; 60,000 children in the education system, they are not going to work in factories…" he said.

"Everybody wants their children to have good jobs in financial sectors, to be entrepreneurs. But this island needs economic engines. We look forward to a time when we will have infrastructure and developments and the same amenities in out islands to where we will start the reverse migration, to recolonise and reclaim the out island where we have hundreds of miles of beaches. But for right now we need economic engines."

Although there is an agreement in principle, the formal agreement for the South Ocean Resort has yet to be signed.

The Heads of Agreement for the Albany resort was signed under the former Christie administration ten months ago.

An independent economic study has projected that the Albany resort community would generate over 1,000 jobs during the peak construction period and support over 1,100 permanent, full time jobs when it is completed.

That’s exactly the kind of economic injection to which the President of the Adelaide Association Juletta Ingraham, is looking forward. Adelaide is one of the original slave villages that remains on the island of New Providence.

Under the signed agreement, the Albany developers have committed to re-nourishing the beaches in Adelaide and creating a native seafood site.

"We welcome the Albany project; we welcome what they propose to do in Adelaide," she said.

"Adelaide needs employment; we need a whole lot of things. For years, Adelaide has been overlooked, so when we heard what Albany was doing for Adelaide, we welcomed it."

However many others have been vocal with their opposition to the proposed creation of a new road that would shut off a portion of a major thoroughfare and change traditional vistas.

Albany Managing Director Christopher Annand has sought to convince Bahamians that the benefits of the $1.3 billion project far outweigh any perceived perils.

31 August 2007