Hundreds of jobs are now on the horizon for Biminites as resort and gaming giant Resorts World Genting is now brining its world class facilities to The Bahamas to the tune of $24 million.
The company, which is now in partnership with Rav Bahamas, announced at the Office of the Prime Minister this past Friday that it would build a new luxury boutique casino at the Bimini Bay Resort by year’s end.
Senior government officials expect the development to significantly boost that island’s economy and lead to full employment.
When the world economy fell flat almost five years ago, many Family Islanders migrated to other islands in search of job opportunities.
Biminities were among the numbers.
And now scattered across the country, a great number of them have reluctantly spent the last four plus years away from home.
But with Resorts World Genting – one of the world’s premier resort and casino operators – setting up shop on the island, those Biminites can now return home.
“Emphasis,” Prime Minister Perry Christie said, “will be placed on ensuring that the people . . . actually get in the development itself by being active participants.”
Mr. Christie said his government will ensure this happens “by working proactively with the developers to recruit and train Biminites with a view to ensuring that they are able to remain home and return home and have a sustained source of employment as a result of the multiplier impacts that this development will bring about.”
Further, Prime Minister Christie said he is confident that the new development will make The Bahamas a lot more attractive in the international tourism market.
He insisted the public treasury would also benefit from additional revenues.
But in order to properly accommodate the world-class facility, Minister of Tourism and West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe said infrastructural upgrades are inevitable.
Those upgrades include a new ferry operation and expanding the existing airport runway.
“These upgrades are not necessarily going to take place over the next four months, but maybe over the next year or year-and-a-half,” said Mr. Wilchcombe.
“The truth is we have to think about the size of the craft that will be coming into Bimini. But again all that we are doing is to ensure that Bimini becomes a prize in The Bahamas as it is. It is a gem now, but we have to make sure that Bimini maintains its quaintness as well.”
He continued, “So everything is going to be measured. But we are going to make sure that we provide the modern infrastructure that’s needed.”
“Genting is always looking for opportunities,” said Resorts World Genting President Dana Leibovitz.
“This project has been in the making for the last 10 years. With the new administration and the new prime minister it has become very clear that this is a great opportunity for us. But more than that, it was the magic of Bimini that brought us here,” he said.
Rav Bahamas Board Chairman Geraldo Capo said this new venture will mean more than just jobs and an economic boost for Bimini, but it will also bring more business to the country.
“The success of Bimini in the market place will be a success for the entire country. The success will not only happen because of the employment of Biminites or all the people it will draw from other islands, but it will be because we will be looked at with a magnifying glass from the rest of the world,” Mr. Capo said.
“There will be many people and investors in the same field as us who will want to copy what we are doing in Bimini or do the same thing in many other islands. So, I think our success is going to be the success of the entire country,” he said.
The project is expected to be complete by December, Mr. Capo said, with an official opening date to be announced soon.
