The Tribune

By Morgan Adderley

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

“The end of an era” was how some onlookers described yesterday’s structural demolition of the former Crystal Palace Resort and Casino.

The blasts began precisely at 7.30am, with the three towers and old casino structures coming down in quick succession.

The last major demolition in New Providence occurred 25 years ago, when the Montagu Beach Hotel was demolished on April 23, 1993.

Yesterday morning, crowds gathered at vantage points including Go Slow Bend on West Bay Street and the Baha Mar Grand Hyatt parking lot to beyond to watch the iconic hotel fall.

Cheers and shouts erupted at the end, with some onlookers exclaiming, “It gone! It gone!”

In July, Tribune Business reported the demolition of the resort and casino was a key part of Baha Mar’s expansion plans beyond the May opening of the Rosewood hotel.

Lenovo Construction was contracted by Perfect Luck Ltd to carry out the structural demolition. Allison North Jones, Lenovo Construction public relations consultant, spoke with reporters yesterday shortly after the buildings were demolished.

“Lenovo Construction was contracted with Perfect Luck, who owns the property under Crystal Palace, to do a planned demolition of the three towers that were Crystal Palace,” Ms Jones said.

“And we brought in experts from all over the country and world to go ahead and proceed with the planned demolition in the safest and most effective way possible.”

When asked what was done to ensure environmental and public safety, Ms Jones said Lenovo worked with governmental and environmental entities to conduct safety inspections and receive requisite permits and approvals “so that everyone was assured of the utmost safety and efficient demolition during today’s planned demolition.”

“We are extremely grateful for the governmental entities that did various walk-throughs, safety inspections (and) approvals, that allowed us to make sure that this was done in the safest and most effective way, also preserving the local environment of Cable Beach and making sure we were mitigating any of those challenges that could have (arisen).

“If you…look at some of the buildings, you’ll see there’s a geotextile fabric that was wrapped around some of the buildings that are in business currently.

“A lot of those floors…did not have any guests in them in preparation for this planned demolition and we also wrapped the buildings with extra fabric to protect them from any environmental dust, particles, things like that getting in the building.”

Ms Jones estimated guests would be able to return to those areas yesterday morning, once safety inspections were finished, and some clean-up was done around the demolition site, hotel properties, and surrounding businesses.

Shortly after 10am yesterday, Lenovo released a statement announcing that the demolition was a success.

Director Rondon Williams said: “The entire Lenovo Construction team is pleased to confirm that the planned induced collapse of the three towers of the former Crystal Palace was completed successfully.

“We are grateful to the Bahamian government, and the various law enforcement agencies who worked on the preparation, planning and safe execution of the demolition of the Crystal Palace property earlier today.”

Senior Project Manager John Moretto added: “At this time, we are very happy to report, that various safety inspections have been completed immediately following the structural demolition, and as anticipated the demolition was successful and there were no negative impacts for the surrounding businesses, infrastructure, or Cable Beach.”

In July, Baha Mar President Graeme Davis told Tribune Business it hoped to “clear the site” by Christmas to make way for family-friendly amenities such as pools and water-based features - ambitions it has harboured since Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) was selected as Baha Mar’s new owner.

Listing the developer’s plans, Mr Davis said: “We have some additional restaurants we have to finish; the opening of a steakhouse; the opening of a restaurant by the pier and beach, and demolition of the Crystal Palace to create some additional family amenities, which we will share at a future moment.”

The beachfront hotel first opened as the Cable Beach Casino in 1983. It was later rebranded as the Crystal Palace in 1988 under the ownership of Carnival Cruise Lines.