Resorts World Bimini is expected to move rapidly in constructing a luxury hotel and marina with 350 rooms within three months as a part of its second phase.
The announcement came yesterday at the groundbreaking ceremony where Prime Minister Perry Christie and a host of cabinet ministers joined Genting Group officials for the agreement signing at the site.
The addition is a part of a $150 million Resorts World Bimini development plan recently and will offer luxury accommodations with water views and will sit adjacent to the resorts newly opened casino.
Aside from the 350 rooms set to be completed by Christmas, resort officials also promise to have another 50 garden villa suites completed by the end of January.
Prime Minister Christie praised the Genting Group for moving so speedily in building top of the line hotels on a Family Island and expanding the country’s tourism industry to unimaginable levels.
“What is so significant about this is that it boggles the imagination when one tries to understand how 350 rooms would be here in three months from today,” he said.
“The Resorts World has indicated that they anticipate some 400,000 people annually by fast ferry to Bimini, in addition to which, the airport works that are being done will obviously lead to more air visitors and therefore making this a complete destination.”
That airport expansion to the South Bimini Airport will be from 5,400-feet to 6,000-feet to accommodate regional jets.
At the moment, the resort employs more than 450 people and according to officials, the expansion is expected to see that number grow to 800.
The construction is expected to create over 100 construction jobs and an additional 350 to Bahamians upon its completion.
Genting, the company out of Asia that owns the resort, has hotels in Europe, North America and Asia.
The company’s chairman Tan Sri KT Lim expressed gratitude to the prime minister and his government for allowing the company to give the island of Bimini a bigger name in the tourism industry.
“I’m very confident that we can deliver something that would add to tourism here,” he said.
“All this is possible Mr. Prime Minister because of your great support, for which I would like to thank you sincerely. That support of your government will drive us further to use Bimini as a transformation for the rest of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
The resort plans to support Bimini’s further development by spending some $2.7 million on various projects.
Before leaving the island, Prime Minister Christie presented the Genting chairman with a copy of Jones Communications latest book entitled “40 years of Independence.”
