AUTHORITIES ARE PINNING their hopes on the Carlisle Bay area to give Bridgetown a major economic lift.
A new hotel bearing the Hyatt brand is already earmarked for Lower Bay Street. In addition, Government has been continuing discussions with Chinese officials in an effort to further develop the stretch of beachside real estate from the Pierhead to Upper Bay Street. The goal is to have five new hotels in the area.
Having successfully launched the redevelopment of the historic Sam Lord’s Castle property, the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTI) has been continuing work to make the Carlisle Bay Development a reality.
The state entity said Barbados was “positioning itself to capture a greater share of the US$280 billion meeting and incentive business by investing heavily in its facilities and room stock in and around its capital city, Bridgetown”.
“The investment of US$1 billion, which is in addition to current investments, will add 4 000 rooms to the island’s accommodation sector and enhance the shopping, dining and entertainment experience in Bridgetown, establishing it as a First World city by 2025,” it said.
“The Carlisle Bay Development, which covers over two kilometres of beachfront land owned by Government and the private sector will include: an iconic performing arts/conference facility, five new hotels (an additional 1 500 rooms), a marina, [and] entertainment facilities.”
Last year, officials from the BTI and Beijing Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding as part of plans to develop Carlisle Bay.
And four months ago, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart met with a Chinese delegation that included officials from the Geijing Group, who were here to discuss funding projects along Carlisle Bay.
Speaking last November at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sam Lord’s Castle project, BTI chief executive officer Stuart Layne said Barbados was seeking to attract $2 billion in tourism investment between 2015 and 2019.
“Over the last three years, BTI has turned its attention to tourism investment and development. In fact, we have been mandated by Government to deliver one new tourism project every year from 2015 to 2019 and beyond,” he said.
“We have taken this directive seriously, starting with the opening of Sandals Casuarina in January 2015, which was facilitated by the BTI. The Sands Hotel will come on stream in 2016 and phase two of Sandals Casuarina will be ready by 2017. In total, between 2015 and 2019, the sum of approximately US$1 billion will be invested in the tourism sector in Barbados.” (SC)
