RAV Bahamas, parent company of the Bimini Bay Resort & Marina, has invested $2 million in infrastructure to accommodate Balearia Ferry Group’s Bahamas Express ferry service between Bimini and South Florida.
The partnership is predicting that the increased access from Bimini’s prime tourist market will double visitor arrivals.
Improvements are being made at the Alice Town Government Dock, and to accommodate the larger Pinar del Rio ferry, the utility lines between North and South Bimini, with hard rock areas in the channel dredged. In the meantime, the partners are using a smaller Maverick ferry to start servicing North Bimini immediately.
The Maverick ferry will operate three times per week, and once the new Resorts World casino is opened in the Spring the service will be expanded.
The partners also plan to meet with the Government and the Ministry of Works to discuss the creation of a master plan for Alice Town and the government dock, which may include a new Customs building and an expanded visitor welcome centre and marketplace.
The new Maverick Ferry will temporarily dock until the landing site at Alice Townis finished, with local vendors still havingh access to its passengers.
RAV Bahamas’ Bimini development includes the $250 million Rockwell Island build-out, featuring beachfront estate homes. Ground was broken for the first phase of construction last April.
In September last year, RAV Bahamas clinched a deal with gaming heavyweight, Genting Malaysia Berhad, to develop a $24 million, 10,000 square foot luxury boutique casino at Bimini Bay. To be known as ‘Resort World Bimini’, the facility will feature full-scale table games, slots and sports betting. RAV and Resorts World Bimini said they have agreed to fund a beautification plan for Alice Town that includes re-surfacing of the main road, creation of pedestrian walkways and landscaping.
The joint venture group will also assist in undertaking further upgrades to the airport in South Bimini to provide for increased flights and an improved arrival and departure experience.
Comments
BiminiHomeowner 11 years, 2 months ago
Pretty alarming to state that a master-plan for the Alice Town government dock still needs to be created. Shouldn't that have been done years ago, before they started, and then stopped, work on the dock?
These developers have a long-history of doing work without the proper permits, making grand promises that are never realized, and they've done incredible damage to the reputation of this island.
For some mysterious reason, the press now seems to not question anything they say. You seem to just print whatever outrageous claims the developers make, and never follow up later to report how wrong the claims were in the first place.
BiminiHomeowner 10 years, 11 months ago
I wish the Tribune would do a follow up on this story. The government dock on North Bimini is a MESS. Very little work has been done since this article, and NOTHING has been done for several months.
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