By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Mosko Group has received approval for its Rock Point “day trip” destination on New Providence’s north coast from the Government’s planning authorities.

The developer and its Vakis Ltd entity,  which also holds developments such as the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre, have been granted approval from the Town Planning Committee to proceed with the project on condition that the proposed zip lines are contained within their property.

Nearby residents had voiced concern over the zip line’s initial proposed placement in front of the public beach between Caves Village and Sandyport, and the Town Planning Committee determined this attraction should be contained within lots one to six of the owner’s property.

The project, which is intended to appeal to both Bahamians and tourists, is targeted for a site between Sandyport and Caves Village that is already owned by Vakis Ltd. It will be centred around the former residence of George Mosko, which featured in the James Bond movie, Thunderball.

The Town Planning Committee said it has received a revised proposal from the Mosko Group with the zip lines relocated, and has granted approval that is conditioned on it meeting any terms imposed by the civil design section of the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs. The Mosko Group may also have to fund the “realignment” of West Bay Street to secure Ministry of Works approval for the project.

Documents filed with the Town Planning Committee revealed the ministry’s civil design section has “no objection in principle” provided the developer addressed challenges with installing “a right-turn lane” off West Bay Street and covered all costs related to any required road, infrastructure and utility works.

To obtain preliminary site plan approval, and ensure the land use designation is rezoned from the present ‘residential’ status to ‘commercial’, Vakis Ltd will have to satisfy the conditions stipulated by the Ministry of Works earlier this year.

Responding to a request by the Department of Physical Planning for input on Rock Point’s “access and drainage”, Robert Mouzas, acting director of public works, replied that following meetings and talks with Lambert Knowles, civil engineer for Vakis Ltd, the civil design section “has no objection in principle subject to the following conditions which must be met.... to the satisfaction of the ministry”.

Setting out these conditions in a July 25, 2024, memorandum, Mr Mouzas wrote: “The section of existing road (West Bay Street) that abuts the proposed development site at Rock Point is unsuitable for accommodating road widening to include a right lane turn primarily due to the horizontal curve radius, rate of super-elevation and flooding issues along the edge of the pavement on the westbound lane.

“A suitable design and construction drawings, which may necessitate road realignment, must be submitted and approved according to the ministry’s design standards and specifications.” The existing West Bay Street bisects the Mosko/Vakis land, splitting it into two, so any realignment that moves this portion of West Bay Street further south could benefit the developer and increase its real estate values.

And Mr Mouzas, in a final stipulation, wrote: “The developer, Vakis Ltd, shall be responsible for all costs associated with but not limited to the civil engineering design, construction of any road and infrastructural works, utility diversions and relocations, land acquisition and environmental studies required for this project.”

Lambert Knowles, civil engineer for Vakis Ltd, said the project is expected to take approximately 18 months to construct and will create 50 to 100 jobs in the construction phase and over 50 full-time positions. He added that there will be “no delay” in beginning construction once the required approvals are granted.

Vakis Ltd’s application said it plans to “repurpose the existing buildings for restrooms, reception, kitchen and bar” areas, with the residence to be expanded by a further 2,000 square feet from 8,200 square feet to 10,200 square feet. The property was used as the fictitious residence of James Bond’s main enemy, Largo, in the 1965 film Thunderball, complete with live sharks swimming in the pool.