The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The deputy prime minister yesterday hailed Sterling Global’s multi-million dollar Hurricane Hole redevelopment for “uplifting Paradise Island” and the wider Bahamian tourism product.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for Sawyer’s Fresh Market, which will serve as the food store for the Paradise Landing community that Sterling Global is developing as well as visiting boaters, Chester Cooper praised the latter’s work in developing the site into a major marina destination and for involving Bahamian-owned companies. 

Also the minister with responsibility for tourism, aviation and investments, Mr Cooper said: “This isn’t just a supermarket we are launching today. I think this is significant part for the tourism product.

“I’m delighted that the investors for Sawyer’s and Sterling [Global] saw this for what it could be and not for what it was, and they had a vision. It’s a big dream that’s being realised here today and they’ve put big money into it and, as a result of doing so, it has uplifted Paradise Island.” 

Alongside Sawyer’s Fresh Market, Paradise Landing will feature a restaurant, bars, a clinic and pharmacy in addition to other retail spaces as part of the former Hurricane Hole’s second phase development. The project already features a 700 Wines and Spirits store, as well as the newly-opened Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina. Office space and residences are also involved in a community billed as Paradise Island’s equivalent of downtown Nassau.

David Kosoy, Sterling Global’s chairman and chief executive, said: “This property was built with 100 percent Bahamian labour and we employed hundreds of people at any one time.

“We’ve got two more big restaurants coming, we have more high-rise condominiums coming at the end here, all in due course. The lease has been signed there. We’ve got medical centres coming here to serve the island. We have pharmacies, we have hairdressers. We have everything to service the islands and the boats.” 

Mr Cooper, meanwhile, added of Sawyer’s Market’s inclusion: “This is a proud day because this is a domestic investment, and it’s a Bahamian entity driving this development. It’s more than a supermarket that we’re celebrating today; it’s an investment of $7.5m and 10,000-plus square feet of shopping space. So this is a great day for Paradise Island, this is a great day for The Bahamas, a great day for investments, of course, and the tourism product.” 

The deputy prime minister reiterated that the Bahamian tourism industry is rebounding faster than any Caribbean rivals, and predicted that this nation will receive more than 5m cruise passengers for 2022. “Each day you look at the Nassau Cruise Port you can see five or six ships in the harbour,” Mr Cooper added.