Thursday, May 8, 2025
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
Long Island residents are “tired of being tricked and fooled with white elephants”, the island’s MP asserted yesterday, as he challenged whether the $250m Calypso Cove cruise port will ever become reality.
Adrian Gibson, addressing the House of Assembly, argued that no visible progress had occurred since the development’s “fancy ground breaking” and Heads of Agreement signing more than two-and-a-half years ago to further undermine Long Island hopes of desperately-needed investment to drive an economic revival.
Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and also minister for tourism, investments and aviation, countered by seeking to reassure that the project - targeted at Long Island’s southern tip - is moving forward and is currently at the “environmental studies” stage as part of the process requited to obtain a certificate of environmental clearance (CED) from the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP).
And a Calypso Cove spokesman, contacted by Tribune Business, supplied this newspaper with photographs of construction equipment and land clearance machinery said to be arriving on Long Island in anticipation of the DEPP approvals being issued.
“Plant and machinery is starting to arrive on Long Island, and they have a principal present on Long Island,” they said of Calypso Cove’s developers. “They expect to commence the project shortly. They do have approval for path clearance for environmental work to be done, according to the rules, procedures and ordinance of DEPP. Most of the studies have been done, and they have to see if DEPP will request further studies.”
Mr Gibson, though, was far from convinced about whether the proposed cruise port will materialise at its chosen location close to the settlements of Gordon’s and Mortimer’s. Challenging whether land was granted or leased to the developers, Sherif Assal and Carlos Torres de Navarra, by the Government, he asked: “What happened to that project?
“We’ve seen nothing since that time. We had a nice, fancy ground breaking. I was there, and absolutely no development since that time. People were hopeful that some development was coming to Long Island and, from then to now, we’ve seen little to nothing. We’re tired of being tricked and fooled with white elephants. We need to see some real investment in Long Island.”
Mr Cooper then intervened, explaining: “In relation to the project he inquiries about, the project is going through environmental studies at this time.” However, Mr Gibson questioned why Calypso Cove received a signed Heads of Agreement from the Government if environmental studies had yet to start, or were incomplete, and it had not obtained all the necessary permits and approvals.
“I reiterate Long Island people are tired of being tricked and fooled, and told investment is coming to our island, and we never see this investment materialise,” the MP added. “Fancy ground breakings, no investment materialises year after year. This is ongoing. This is going to be the third year since the ground breaking in Long Island....
“How was it approved without environmental studies? That’s a very good question, St Anne’s (Adrian White). How was it approved without environmental studies? How? How?” Mr Cooper again intervened to argue that the Government’s investment approvals process has not changed in structure or procedure since the Opposition were in government under the Minnis administration.
Suggesting that the Heads of Agreement was tantamount merely to “an approval in principle”, and developers have to fulfill certain conditions before they take full effect, Mr Cooper added: “There is some confusion in the minds of members of the Opposition as to how that process works.
“There is approval in principle subject to doing certain things. The environmental approval does take time. It relies on the developer doing environmental studies” and the project ultimately proceeding to development stage depends on whether DEPP is satisfied and issues the relevant CEC. Mr Cooper also suggested concerns were being voiced as a result of “silly season” prior to a general election.
However, Mr Gibson asserted that “my position is clear”, and reiterated: “We’re three years in and you’re talking about environmental studies being done. Why have these studies not been done in three years? The people of Long Island are waiting for investment to materialise. Is it going to materialise or is it a white elephant?”
Calypso Cove told Tribune Business in October 2022 that it was committed to employing a workforce that is a minimum 80 percent Bahamian for a project where the total investment could exceed $500m. It added that the ultimate spend could easily double the announced $250m, which covered land acquisition costs and infrastructure build-out. Equipment, labour (wages) and construction materials costs would be what takes that to $500m.
The developers also pledged that Calypso Cove, which was billed as a “six star” independent cruise terminal and stopover tourism destination, will not be operated as a private island location that excludes Bahamians. Instead, it would rely heavily on Long Island’s people and authentic experiences to differentiate it from rivals. Some 120 construction posts, as well as contractors, will be needed once building starts.
Between 750,000 to one million cruise passengers are forecast to visit annually once Calypso Cove is completed. And, while the developers have requested a Crown Land grant for 500 acres, along with a 50-acre seabed lease, the former deal will not be activated until “specific performance thresholds” have been met. The developers must invest a minimum $100m before any Crown Land grant or purchase is considered.
Mr Gibson, meanwhile, yesterday also slammed the continued commercial bank exodus from a Family Islands physical presence as “disgraceful” given the impact it is having on businesses and the wider community. “We cannot have major islands being unbanked,” he said.
Complaining about early bank closures in Nassau, with some branches shutting as early as 2pm, the Long Island MP added: “How can people possibly get business done like that? They need to extend those hours and, frankly, I think we need to bite the bullet and undertake necessary legislative reforms.”
Not pausing, Mr Gibson continued: “We need to deal with some of the businesses around town that continue to enforce silly minimum purchase requirements on debit and credit cards. We need to look into that and ensure businesses are not allowed to get away with doing that.”
The Long Island MP also slammed irregular and inconsistent mailboat service to Long Island, which has resulted in food stores suffering loss as fruits and vegetables spoil from taking too long to arrive. And he called on the Government’s consumer affairs unit to investigate why mail boats were charging residents and businesses more than the permitted tariff on freight, suggesting the route be handed to a new operator.
And Mr Gibson labelled as “highway robbery” the $248 Nassau-Long Island freight charge that one of his constituents incurred to bring in three TVs from the US, comparing this to the $80 charge to ship them from Florida to the Bahamian capital and the fact the TVs themselves cost just $350.
Comments
Baha10 says...
This proposed Cruise Port is to be constructed directly on the “primary” spawning location for Nassau Grouper fin the entire Southern Bahamas … wonder how that will be ignored, explained, justified and/or negated in these Environmental Reports?!?
Posted 8 May 2025, 7:17 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Oh boy. I listened to the Minister of National Security explain how he knows nothing about fire fighting he just listens to the experts. Five years in, broken down fire trucks, small fires that balloon unnecessarily to millions in damage and an under resourced fire brigade. It seems like the entire cabinet is filled with people who've forgotten that a ministerial post is an oversight role. How can you four years in throw up your hands and say, well dont blame me, I don't know what they do. You havent read one article on best practice for the thing you accepted responsibility for? It's not nuclear fusion.
Your point of a cruise development on a grouper spawning site (I'm assuming you know, we'll know by tomorrow) is more of the same. Its complete craziness.
Posted 8 May 2025, 7:33 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Another island sold to the cruise lines and then scratching our heads why tourism numbers have less impact? What are we doing???
Posted 8 May 2025, 7:29 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Read the story ....... This is a cruise port, not a cay.
If it does come to fruition, we would push for the resort to be fully integrated into the Long Island economy and society. We cannot have another enclave developed in this country. We have too many existing today that do not benefit our best national interests.
Posted 10 May 2025, 7:30 a.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Long Island's **"still"** House-seated MP Comrade Adrian Gibson, addressing the House of Assembly (HOA), argued that it's like this’, **and should really be** about the central government providing funding to teach the out island's sheep and goats to swim amongst the tourists'. -- And, of which as we shall soon come to see; **it isn't.** -- Yes?
Posted 8 May 2025, 7:36 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
It's far more than Long Island that has been tricked & fooled by the New Day PLP.
Check the PLP strongholds of Andros & MICAL, just to name a few.
Even other favoured Family Islands are still living on promises such as GB, Eleuthera & Exuma.
But, it ain't long now (2026).
Posted 10 May 2025, 7:25 a.m. Suggest removal
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