The Tribune

By BARBARA WALKIN

barefootmarketing.net

FREEPORT regulators yesterday defended the decision to halt the demolition of the Port Lucaya Marina’s docks, the first phase in a $21.8m redevelopment project, because the new owner has yet to comply with required processes and procedures.

The controversy erupted after crews began removing the deteriorated docks on July 23, only to stop the next day after the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) issued a stop work order, prompting allegations that unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles were delaying a project many residents see as critical to revitalising Port Lucaya.

But Troy McIntosh, the GBPA deputy director and city manager, yesterday said the halt was not an attempt to block development but, rather, the enforcement of long-standing permit requirements designed to protect public safety and ensure legal compliance.

He said the developers first approached the GBPA months earlier seeking permission to demolish the marina's aging docks but, because the facility sits on land leased from the Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO), demolition could not legally proceed without written authorisation from the latter as landlord.

“Our responsibility as the regulator is to ensure all required documentation is in place before permits are issued,” Mr McIntosh said. He compared the process to a tenant making renovations to a rented apartment.

“If you’re renting an apartment, you can’t undertake major work without the landlord’s approval. The same principle applies here,” Mr McIntosh said. He added that GBPA staff spent weeks working with the applicants, exchanging e-mails, explaining requirements and offering guidance throughout the permitting process.

However, he said the critical documents confirming DEVCO’s approval never reached the Port Authority. “As of today, this office has not received the documentation from DEVCO authorising us to issue a demolition permit,” Mr McIntosh said.

He also rejected suggestions that verbal approval had been given. “No verbal authorisation was issued to anyone,” Mr McIntosh said. “At GBPA, permits are issued through documentation, not conversations.”

Questions arose after project representatives suggested they had permission to begin the work, but Mr McIntosh insisted that no demolition permit had ever been issued. “The application before us was for demolition,” he explained. “Without the required documentation from the landlord, we simply could not issue a permit.”

Mr McIntosh added that carrying out demolition without approval exposes both developers and the regulator to significant legal liability. "If work proceeds without the proper permits and something goes wrong, there are serious consequences. That’s why the process exists,” he said.

Since the stop order became public, criticism has surfaced on social media accusing the GBPA of slowing investment in Grand Bahama. Mr McIntosh strongly rejected those assertions. “We want development,” he said. “Our record speaks for itself.”

He pointed to the number of residential subdivisions, apartment complexes, commercial buildings and infrastructure projects currently under construction across Freeport.

“Our inspectors are conducting multiple inspections every day because development is happening,” Mr McIntosh said, describing the GBPA's development approval process as a “concierge service” where staff meet with developers early, explain requirements, review plans and help applicants navigate the approval process before construction begins.

“Our goal is to help projects move from cradle to grave, from concept to completion, in a safe and compliant manner,” he added, stressing that the GBPA’s building standards have existed since 1955 and are intended to protect both investors and the public.

“We don’t want to compromise the standards that have made Freeport what it is,” Mr McIntosh said.

Bahama Land Waterways and its principals, Peter Hunt and his business partner, Shmuel Herschkowitz, have maintained that they submitted extensive compliance documentation and believe the permitting process became unnecessarily complicated despite their efforts.

During a press conference held after the stop order, they argued they had worked in good faith with regulators and questioned why demolition was halted after months of discussions. They say the redevelopment represents a major private investment that will create jobs, modernise marina infrastructure, and stimulate economic activity in Port Lucaya.

The first phase of the redevelopment includes the demolition of deteriorated docks and the construction of 60 new concrete boat slips as part of the broader $21.8m multi-phase project.

But, despite the public disagreement, both GBPA and DEVCO insist they support the redevelopment. According to both organisations, the remaining hurdle is procedural rather than substantive.

GBPA says it cannot issue demolition permits until it receives written confirmation from DEVCO that the appropriate legal requirements under the lease have been satisfied.

DEVCO says it is simply awaiting documentation confirming the marina's new ownership and authorised representatives. Once those documents are submitted, both organisations say they are prepared to work with the developers to move the project forward.