Developer pays tribute to Baha Mar workers

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian and former president Tom Dunlap yesterday paid homage to the resort’s former 2,000 employees, promising to “search every possible option to resolve the pains we find Baha Mar in and to get it back under sail”.

Mr Izmirlian and Mr Dunlap, in a joint paid advertisement, said notwithstanding “all that has happened” to the resort in the last year to impede its highly anticipated opening, they are still optimistic of a “positive outcome” which they said will be the “foundation that we will all step forward from when called upon”.

The two men also called for Baha Mar’s former employees not to lose the “Baha Mar faith” and not to let anyone “dampen the ‘blue spirit’ that fuels us no matter what we find ourselves doing this day”.

The comments came in a joint statement recognising Easter Sunday as the one-year anniversary of the scheduled grand opening of Baha Mar and the subsequent “unveiling of one of the greatest resort projects ever seen”.

Baha Mar was originally supposed to open in December 2014; however, the resort subsequently set a soft opening for March 27, 2015. After that date was delayed days before the planned opening, Baha Mar officials said they were aiming for an early May opening.

On June 29, however Baha Mar and 14 of its affiliated companies filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court, blaming the resort’s contractor, China Construction America (CCA) for the construction delays that caused it to miss its previous opening deadlines.

The government subsequently filed a winding up petition in the Supreme Court for the appointment of provisional liquidators to speed up completion of the stalled resort.

In October, Baha Mar’s joint provisional liquidators, Bahamas-based KRyS Global and UK-based AlixPartners, announced that more than 2,000 Baha Mar employees were made redundant from the resort. The joint provisional liquidators said the layoffs were due to the financial insolvency of the $3.5bn resort.

The layoffs affected approximately 1,440 non-active employees and approximately 580 active employees, including members of management and staff. The layoffs did not affect the Melià Nassau Beach Resort however.

Nonetheless, in yesterday’s statement, both Mr Izmirlian and Mr Dunlap said that a year later and “in the face of adversity”, they still “proudly see the elements of the Baha Mar vision still sprouting”.

“For those 300 plus among us that still navigate the ship daily at Baha Mar, we see the creativity, the loyalty, the professionalism,” the statement said. “For those 2,000 trained and equipped colleagues waiting on the sidelines to be called back to the game, we see dedication, belief, faith, commitment and pride.

“You inspire us to search every possible option to resolve the pains we find Baha Mar in and to get it back under sail. You are our friends, our colleagues, and together let’s keep the Baha Mar faith. Let’s not let those that frown upon us, or fail to respect what we accomplished, dampen the ‘blue spirit’ that fuels us no matter what we find ourselves doing this day.

“Our dream of an open Baha Mar is still our dream. Let’s hold it firm and let our collective faith in a positive outcome remain the foundation that we all step forward from when called upon.”

On Monday, Baha Mar’s receivers, Deloitte & Touche (Bahamas) launched a formal sales process for the stalled resort project by hiring a Canadian-headquarted real estate firm to market it to potential purchasers.

Raymond Winder, Deloitte & Touche (Bahamas) managing partner, told Tribune Business that the move to engage Colliers International was a “very important step” towards resolving the problems plaguing the Cable Beach property.

Mr Winder also expressed hope that the move would give Bahamians “the sense there’s light at the end of the tunnel” over Baha Mar, and the negative impact its failure has had on job creation, economic growth and business/investor confidence.

Comments

SP says...

**... Baha Mar is more than welcomed, But not the be all, end all savor of the Bahamas ...**

BAHA Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian continued interest and commitment to complete his project despite all the nonsense endured is indeed very good news.

Unquestionably no one understands the project better, knows all the players, which buttons to press when and deserves it more than Sarkis! All right thinking Bahamians are wishing him success and GOD speed.

However, fact is, although opening of Baha Mar would be positive to our economy, it is actually more of an undeniable revealing revelation of the abject failure of successive governments in managing the countries development to keep pace with population growth.

*Case in point*, Baha Mar even at full operational capacity would not produce sufficient jobs to absorb the 2016 graduating class. Which translates to no "real change" in unemployment statistics!

Cuba negotiated and approved the construction of 30 new hotels, and 110 U.S. daily flights in matter of months, compared to Bahamas struggling to get a single new hotel operational over a 15 year period.

http://www.travelweek.ca/news/gaviota-g…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne…

Nowhere is there the slightest mention of Obie Wilchcombs pie in the sky "dual destination" dumb goat promise!

Our country has undoubtedly, beyond all question, been poorly, totally incompetently managed by selfish, heartless, self serving individuals.

The Baha Mar fiasco and Cuba's unprecedented rapid resurgence are simply undeniable "proof of the pudding"!


Posted 24 March 2016, 9:59 a.m. Suggest removal

Honestman says...

The race has begun and The Bahamas has been "left on the starting blocks".

Posted 24 March 2016, 1:06 p.m. Suggest removal

Yallserious says...

While I don't disagree with the totality of your point, comparing Cuba's current government and financial structure to The Bahamas is an apples and orange comparison.

Yes, Cuba approved the construction of 30 new hotels, however, to use the verb "negotiate" is specious, at best. Negotiation implied a mutual assent between two more parties. Cuba still is, and in the future will be, a Communist/Socialist regime. The fact is, their negotiation simply boils down to the Government telling the contractors what to do. There is no argument about wages, the Government dictates that; there are no unions to deal (unlike the Bahamas); and no Senate and Parliament hearings to determine who gets what contracts;...all things that retard the process here in The Bahamas. So, yes, it would be easier for the approval of a construction when compared to us...So I think we do have to put some perspective here.

However, to your larger and more salient point, yes, for decades we have allowed ourselves to be managed by self serving individuals who only care about themselves. That is the issue that we voters have to deal with on election day. Who do we think will serve our interest better? Frankly, I don't have faith in either party (with apologies to all, the DNA is not even in the discussion).

Posted 24 March 2016, 3:10 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Well buddy looks like the PLP will get 5 more. Don't hold your breath Izzie. You know the PLP hates your white, rich ass. But oh do they love CCA.....

Posted 24 March 2016, 11:38 a.m. Suggest removal

Honestman says...

They love anyone who will "feather their nest". Chinese, Numbers Boys, wealthy Canadian degenerates - it don't matter.

Posted 24 March 2016, 1:08 p.m. Suggest removal

oujamaflip says...

If you are in the market to buy Bahamar, you would have known about the opportunity a long ago. A realtor at this late stage is just PR puffery to make it seem that the liquidators are making progress. Nonsense. Why not do something really useful and deal with the $192 million claim against CCA. Oh, but that would upset your employers, the Chinese, so it's better just to tell us you appointed an agent. Nice Job! What is it that we are paying you for?

Posted 24 March 2016, 2:06 p.m. Suggest removal

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