By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the Davis administration “has done its due diligence” prior to leasing a portion of Balmoral Island to Adrian Fox for part of his proposed $300m resort project.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Cooper said any party that may “feel aggrieved” by a decision the government makes is welcome to take legal action but he is “confident” the matter will be resolved and the development will move forward.

“The government has done its due diligence. The courts are available to anyone who may feel aggrieved by any decision the government makes. I’m confident that any concern will be settled and the project will move on,” said Mr Cooper.

“We’re excited about the fact that Bahamians are investing in tourism. We look forward to this project advancing and advancing quickly.”

Mr Cooper highlighted that current stopover and air arrival growth is constrained by room capacity and encouraged more Bahamians to invest in the tourism industry.

“I want to emphasise the point that our growth in stopovers and our growth in air arrivals is constrained by limited room capacity and no matter how you slice it, if your glass is almost full, as we have it over the course of last year, setting records this year, maintaining that record, you simply don’t have the capacity to achieve more,” said Mr Cooper.

“The reality is that people who want to help to enhance the growth in stopovers, I invite them to invest in tourism. Still, there’s not enough investment by Bahamians in the tourism infrastructure, and more can be done in this space and this would warm my heart to see Bahamians investing as we bring foreigners to do foreign direct investments in the tourism space.”

Mr Cooper, who is also Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, said he would like to see the country’s room inventory double from 15,000 to 30,000 over the next decade through attracting investors in large developments and boutique resorts such as a new fly fishing project slated for Crooked Island.

“We have roughly 15,000 rooms. I have said that I’d like to see that double over the next 10 years. I think that’s achievable. Every resort will count towards achieving that, resorts that are not fully operational now must come on stream, but certainly it takes time to develop a resort,” said Mr Cooper.

“I expect that we won’t achieve an additional 10,000 or 15,000 rooms immediately, but over time, this has to be the sustained strategy, and as we articulate our vision to the world in the islands where we want to see large resorts, we will do our best to direct them there, but in islands where we want the authenticity to remain, we also encourage small boutique resorts in places like Crooked Island, where we will see a small fly fishing resort come on stream real soon. I’m excited about the prospects and over time, I think we will make significant ground in this area.”

Damian Gomez KC told Tribune Business he has already written to the Attorney General’s Office to “flag” his concerns that the 21-year deal struck with Island Luck’s co-founder “literally expropriates property that belongs to me” as a result of a pre-existing lease interest he holds.

Having obtained Supreme Court permission to seize 50 percent of the shares in Blue Illusions, the failed dolphin attraction that previously operated on Balmoral Island, over $1.25m in unpaid legal bills, he said he was unaware that Mr Fox’s project had received the go-ahead until Thursday’s Heads of Agreement signing with the Davis administration.

Mr Gomez said neither the Government nor Mr Fox have sought to buy out his interest in the lease nor approached him over their plans for the island, also known as Blackbeard’s Cay, which lies off New Providence’s north coast opposite Sandals Royal Bahamian. The island is Crown Land, with the latter resort using the eastern portion via a lease deal with the Government.

“They didn’t buy it from me, nor did the Government give me notice of what they were doing,” Mr Gomez told Tribune Business of the Balmoral Island lease and resort deal with Mr Fox’s group. “I’ve written to the Attorney General’s Office to flag it and that may well lead to further litigation.

“I’m not sure what they’re trying to do. They also seem to want to sell [Blue Illusions] dolphins. I told them they cannot do that without paying me out.” Asked about his likely response, Mr Gomez added: “I’m just going to pursue the Attorney General’s Office. They really are the ones who have disturbed my interest.

“Without giving me notice, they have allowed him to remove property from the island, Adrian and other people. They took the dolphins and haven’t gotten in touch with me. My view of it is they have literally expropriated property that belongs to me.” Asked when he became aware of Mr Fox’s resort project, Mr Gomez replied: “I heard like everybody else when they announced this new project.”

Adrianna Fox, Mr Fox’s daughter, confirmed during Thursday’s Heads of Agreement signing that the $300m resort project includes the lease of a 16.35-acre site on Balmoral Island. Given the island’s size, that almost certainly includes at least a portion of the site that was previously used by Blue Illusions for its dolphin encounter and associated tourist amenities that was mainly targeted at cruise ship passengers.

Mr Fox himself later confirmed that the Balmoral Island portion involves “a lease from the Government for 21 years”. Mr Gomez, who said it may be possible for him to reach an agreement with the Island Luck co-founder, said he had first learned of the latter’s interest in the property late last year but, when he approached the Government for clarification, he was assured nothing was happening.

“I may be able to do a deal with him. He might want the dolphins. I’m not sure what the Government is planning to do,” the former Cabinet minister revealed to this newspaper. “We got a letter back which was misleading with regard to what was being announced. They denied they had entered into a lease with him.

“What happened this [last] week is completely inconsistent with that letter. Adrian has been in possession for months. I wrote to them to ask what was going on and they wrote me back to deny it. That was the Attorney General’s Office. He [Mr Fox] wouldn’t go and take possession of the thing unless they gave him permission to do so. I’ll do what I have to do.”