McAlpine ditches NDP on Prospect Reef Dev.
“At the moment the Prospect Reef Development Plan is on hold,” he said at a press conference yesterday November 25, 2014 as he reminded reporters that his NDP government had gone through a process where “we had selected a company to continue the development but the company has not taken up that offer at the moment they are still waiting and to determine when to move forward.”
He further stated, “We are of course reviewing options to come to some decision very soon as to other directions.”
Premier Smith could not say if the government will have to be a bidding process. “I can’t tell you what will happen right now. The persons were looking at that they are not interested, they have not agreed to anything so we’ll just have to review that and work out future options,” he said.
These were the words of Premier Smith back on November 12, 2013, “The government is pleased that the selection is made and I am even more pleased to say that we are now in the process of finalizing the project development agreement.” He had blamed the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) for doing nothing for the project when they had taken office.
At that time he was unable to say what the direct cost for the project was but had said that McAlpine’s selection hinged on the monies they had proposed to put into the project. “…essentially, because of the proposal they made based on what they expect to put into the project in terms of finances and in terms of the structures and in terms of roads…,” Premier Smith said a year ago.
It was revealed at the press conference that McAlpine’s selection was made on October 24, 2013. The investment was deemed as very important to the National Democratic Party (NDP) government. According to Premier Smith, the proposal for the development of Prospect Reef has been on the table during the NDP’s time in office from 2003 – 2007.
He had further said McAlpine was hoping to develop the project over a three-year period to include villas, hotel suites, recreational and conference facilities, branded condominiums, office spaces and restaurants, among other things.
The UK company was among five that had submitted proposals. Premier said Government had decided to pursue two of the proposals, which resulted in McAlpine emerging the successful one.
A year ago the Premier had noted that the plan to develop Prospect Reef was never a small idea and the aim was to further enhance the local tourism industry. “In fact it was a significant undertaking based on a larger vision for the future of our tourism industry but after we left office this project wasn’t given priority and nothing materialized from this opportunity,” Premier Smith had stated.
But were these the very challenges that the VIP had seen while in power as it relates to the Prospect Reef Development Project that which resulted in the Premier on October 12, 2013 blaming them for not doing anything.
A year ago Premier Smith attempted to throw their weight on the VIP when he said that after the polls that time the VIP did nothing to develop the idea. In direct words he had said, “When my administration served from 2003-2007, on February 11, 2005, we concluded the agreement to purchase the resort from the Cripps Family for the purpose of establishing a world-class hospitality training centre and a full-service business hotel.”
“Back then, the decision to purchase Prospect Reef and transform it into a world-class hospitality training centre was not a small idea. In fact, it was a significant undertaking based on a larger vision for the future of our tourism industry. After we left office, this project was given no priority and nothing materialised from this opportunity. But, here we are once again set to transform this resort into a world-class four or five hotel facility to improve our tourism offering. And, we are ready to begin moving forward with this important project,” according to Premier Smith a year ago.
Is the VIP still to be blamed or is the NDP Government now seeing the light of day and will the blame game continue?
28 Responses to “ McAlpine ditches NDP on Prospect Reef Dev.”
So from February 11, 2005 to August 20, 2007, the NDP did NOTHING to make their so called "important project" a priority. N O T H I N G!
So tell us again how this whole mess became the VIP's fault? The government has no business being in the hotel industry and competing with our own hoteliers! It was a bad idea from conception. This is not Russia where everything is state owned and operated. This is the BVI, a free and supposedly democratic society!
Sell the place, get our money back and stop trying to cast blame for your own mistakes and failure to put your plans in motion when you had the opportunity. You've done NOTHING with it in the three years you've been in power! It has languished for nearly 9 years now. Get it gone, Lord knows knows the treasury needs the money!
This investment co. not the right one at this time so until....we trust