THERE has been talk since the signing of the Grand Lucayan deal weighing up exactly how much of a benefit this is to Grand Bahama.

The truth is, a lot of that will remain unknown until it is all in place. The proof is in the pudding, after all.

But there have also been questions about whether this will be enough for Grand Bahama – and the answer to that one is very simple. No, it won’t.

One single deal and one single resort is not going to be enough to revitalise the whole island all on its own. And nobody – except perhaps some of the more enthusiastic single-party cheerleaders – is pretending otherwise.

This deal, if it all comes to pass, can be a catalyst, but it is not going to be enough to carry the whole island’s regeneration all on its lonesome.

You can use all the descriptions you like – game-changer, landmark, historic – but there is no magic wand in a single deal.

We do not say this to diminish the impact of the deal – far from it. Rather, to make the most of the deal, this has to be the starting line for Grand Bahama’s regeneration, not the finishing line.

Take some of the issues raised – starting with the airport. The Grand Bahama airport was needing redevelopment anyway – and having a significant tourist destination taking shape is only going to underscore that need.

Then there is the workforce – does Grand Bahama have enough people?

As attorney Kirk Antoni notes today, he feels that Freeport needs to double its population of 45,000 to be viable.

He also highlights concerns with an overreliance on the cruise industry. It is a valid concern. We have seen time and again how spending by cruise passengers is far lower than stopover guests, for example, and an increasing tendency for cruise lines to have their own islands too, making it even less likely that some of that spending will end up in the pockets of local cab drivers, straw workers, tour operators and so on.

Indeed, in this column in the past, we have argued that Grand Bahama has the opportunity to grow in ways unrelated to tourism – as a shipping hub, for example, in this uncertain world of ever-changing tariffs, but also as a destination for tech businesses that can operate distantly from clients or other companies that can take advantage of the Freeport environment.

That could take some broad thinking. If you are going to double the workforce in Grand Bahama, it is a fair question to ask how many of those will be Bahamian. Will the workers come back from New Providence to fill that need, or will we entice the best workers from elsewhere to meet that demand?

Much of this comes down to questions that should have been asked anyway – deal or no deal on the Grand Lucayan. Ultimately, what is the vision for Grand Bahama?

The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president, Dillon Knowles, is looking for the same thing, calling for a unified strategy for the island’s future, “not a tourism vision, not a maritime vision, but a vision for all of GB”.

He called for all parties to work together in the creation of that vision.

As we take a breath in the wake of the Grand Lucayan deal – while taking note that this is the third time around for a deal for the resort and that more information is still needed – this is the perfect moment to hope for success, and to consider how to use that springboard to make the next leap forward.

We all hope Freeport regains its magic – but it will take hard work and more than one deal to get there.

Now’s the time for that work to start.