Prime Minister Perry G. Christie said at Baha Mar’s Topping Off event, Thursday, February 21, 2013 that The Bahamas is not divided when it comes to a positive development that will have an enduring impact on the lives of the people in our country.
The Prime Minister explained that history would show that all of the political parties that have been in power have supported the Baha Mar project because they believe in the potential benefits that the nation will accrue at the completion of the resort enclave.
Prime Minister Christie was speaking at the ceremony inside the active construction site, marking the completion of the final level – the 25th floor – of The Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, the iconic, tallest structure at the 1,000-acre resort.
“Many years ago, Sarkis Izmirlian invited me near the plant of the Nassau Beach Hotel in the back of the then Prime Minister’s Office near a pond and spoke about his vision and dream.
“He spoke about having people coming to the international airport and driving along a new highway that will rise and coming over a hill and then beholding Baha Mar,” the Prime Minister said.
“He described an integrated hotel plant of world-class brands that would impact our economy in a very positive, defining and lasting way.
“We signed an agreement; I lost an election, and this is the tested and proven democracy. A new prime minister came in and the vision continued,” Prime Minister Christie said.
“So today, I do not have to ask Dr. Hubert Minnis as to what he thinks; we think alike.”
The Prime Minister added, “Similarly, when I sat as the Leader of the Opposition with that hope, I knew then that I was at one with the former Prime Minister in speaking a feeling that we were moving towards securing our future.”
However, he also noted that as he sat as the Opposition Leader for the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction site, he prophesied that he would be Prime Minister for the actual opening of the resort enclave.
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe; Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis; Baha Mar Chairman and CEO, Sarkis Izmirlian; President, Baha Mar, Tom Dunlap; Archbishop Patrick Pinder of the Catholic Diocese of Nassau and music icon, actor and designer, Lenny Kravitz were all in attendance at the event.
Baha Mar is the largest single-phase luxury resort project in the history of the Caribbean, and the most substantial currently in development in the Western Hemisphere.
The US$3.5 billion development is slated to open in December 2014 and according to the resort’s management will create a grand experience of sophisticated luxury and leisure.
By Llonella Gilbert
Bahamas Information Services
