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BY KEVA
LIGHTBOURNE,GUARDIAN STAFF REPORTER
With the signing of
a new five-year amended Heads of Agreement for the
Bimini Bay Development, the government has made a
commitment to upgrade the South Bimini airport to
bring it more in line with the Federal Aviation
Authority (FAA) regulations and standards.
This, according to
Prime Minister Perry Christie, is in fulfillment of
the contract the government will seek to upgrade the
roads in North Bimini to improve vehicular traffic and
access to the resort.
"Coupled with
the developers agreement to designate the development
a golf car community, we would have achieved a marked
improvement to the quality of life of those
individuals who reside and visit that island,"
Mr. Christie said during the signing ceremony held at
the Cabinet Office on Wednesday.
The on-again
off-again Bimini Bay Project, which has cleared a
number of environmental challenges is set to pump new
life into the island's economy.
Phase I of the
700-acre development will include $70 million in a
world class 410-room luxury hotel, a small casino,
restaurants, fitness centre, marina, docking
facilities, condominiums and other associated
amenities.
The government's
move to upgrade the Bimini airport, comes on the heels
of its announcement that Exuma and San Salvador
airports have been approved for night flights by the
FAA.
By law, for safety
reasons relating to availability of adequate ground
infrastructure and air traffic control facilities,
night-time flight activity at all Bahamian airports,
with the exception of Nassau and Freeport, is
presently restricted to the hours between sunrise and
sunset.
San Salvador is
actually outside Bahamian air traffic control
airspace, as it is presently configured. Other
airports in the country are being considered or are in
the process of being upgraded to international
standards and specifications.
In the case of
Bimini, Minister of Tourism and MP for West End and
Bimini Obie Wilchcombe said the island is now
re-establishing itself as a "gateway" to The
Bahamas.
"It is one of
the islands of The Bahamas that should never have
difficulty with a strong economy. It is 49 nautical
miles from Florida, at night you can see the lights of
Florida from Bimini. It provides the romantic setting
that our prime minister always talks about. Now, we
have to ensure that Bimini has new life in this our
third year as the Government of The Bahamas,"
Minister Wilchcombe said.
He went on to
thank, Bimini Bay Developer Gerardo Capo, whom he said
extended himself to not only assist the island with
the development, but proposed to work with the
government to ensure that new opportunities are
provided not only for those who would be employed at
the resort, but for the young island residents.
Minister Wilchcombe
also congratulated his cabinet colleague Minister of
Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts, who will ensure
that dredging on the harbour begins in short order.
Bimini was once
known as the "big game fishing capital of the
world."
According to
Minister Wilchcombe, the development "will go a
long way in moving Bimini to the high level that it
ought to have in our country."
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