Minister Confirms: Grand Atlantic MOU Expired

February 26, 2016

The MOU in relation to the Grand Atlantic property has expired, Public Works Minister Craig Cannonier said this morning [Feb 26] in the House of Assembly.

Grand Atlantic was planned by the previous administration as a housing development, however only one unit sold in the first six months, and the Government announced it will be taken over by Caribbean-based MacLellan & Associates who plan to turn it into a condo hotel named the ‘Bermudiana Beach Resort.

The initial MOU was originally due to expire on August 14th 2014, and the developers were granted an extension, and then granted a second extension in 2014.

The Minister — who was answering a Parliamentary Question from MP Wayne Furbert, said, “The MOU has expired and the Bermuda Housing Corporation is seeking to now go out to RFI, request for information, for the property at Grand Atlantic in early March.

Asked when it expired, Minister Cannonier said, “It expired as of March 2015 and the Bermuda Housing Corporation has extended it since which, because it was believed that BBR were very close to closing in on a deal, so the Housing Corporation continued to extend them because it appeared that they were very close to a deal.”

Audio excerpts of the MPs discussing the Grand Atlantic MOU this morning:

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (56)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Triangle Drifter says:

    This PLP albatross smells more & more with each day.

  2. Ed Case says:

    Just one of the major disasters brought to you courtesy of the folks at PLP. Never ever forget what these people did to us.

    The worst thing ever to happen to Bermuda by far – the PLP. And yet there are folks who want them back in.

    Ain’t no cure for stupid.

    • mixitup says:

      PLP was the worse thing ever to happen to Bermuda? Really? Oh rite… the perspective of a white person, now I get it.

      • MJ says:

        Want the perspective of another white person? You’re an idiot.

        Must the race card be played ALL THE DAMN TIME? Next thing you’ll be accusing white people as the only ones who are/can be racist. Give it a rest.

      • Anbu says:

        Like Ed said. Aint no cure for stupid.

        • Raymond Ray says:

          Attention Progressive Labour Party Members:“Don’t let the guilt of poor choices weigh you down” :-(

          • blankman says:

            Mr Ray, “poor choices” as in voting for the PLP?

          • Never ODD Or eveN says:

            He said to 14,186 people……why do some of you INSIST on being so insulting?

            It comes off as condescending and it’s unnecessary.

      • Ed Case says:

        mixitup – the perpective of absolutely anyone with a reasonable intellect. Race not necessary.

        • mixitup says:

          Race is necessary – why? Because if you understood the Damage done to Black people and the damage that continues with institutionalized racism then you would have reworded your first statement differently, however, I won’t expect you to care about that..

          • Izzypop says:

            The excuse is kinda getting old now Many Black people are doing very well for themselves. So get over yourself.

          • Kiskadee says:

            wait wait wait wait wait – so let me get this straight – it was institutionalized racism that made the PLP put us in MASSIVE debt for the first time ever??? it was institutionalized racism that made one poor decision after another for the economy of this island???? and don’t try the old world recession thing – that didn’t put us in $2 BILLION of debt – the PLP did. alllll by themselves…. with gross governmental mismanagement. nothing racially institutional about that. give me a break!!!

      • Ann says:

        Please mixitup give us the name of one project the PLP did not make a mess of?????

      • GREEN ALIEN ALLAN says:

        racist are you?? I also agree with MJ so that is 3 whities

      • Widget says:

        @mixitup. It’s either your just refuse to beleive what happened to all of us over that fouteen year rule or your so dense light just bends right around you.

      • Scorpio says:

        And now for the perspective of a black person and swing voter. Your children and children’s children have a debt on their heads from 14 years of financial mismanagement courtesy of the PLP. Let me guess, you’re not really black if you don’t vote PLP?

        I don’t give a flying fig what color you are, if you’re not going to do right by the people of this island, you aint getting my vote.

      • aceboy says:

        Why do you think the MOU has expired? Probably because even at a knockdown price it isn’t a good deal.

        Correct.

        Can you imagine the level of mold in those units now? Sitting all shut up for a couple of years now? Nobody in their right mind would touch those units.

        Nobody in their right mind would have built them to begin with, but we all know that.

    • WOW says:

      Ding ding ding Ed Case. The worst thing ever to happen to Bermuda!!! Boggles my mind how there are some people who want them back in.

    • Sadly says:

      I knew from the get-go that it would be a bust. The PLP has ruined this island more times than I can count. Unfortunately a large majority of people are too blinded to see that. They fail to realize that the PLP play right into their stupid mindset.

    • Raymond Ray says:

      Attention Progressive Labour Party Members:“Don’t let the guilt of poor choices weigh you down” :-(

      • blankman says:

        Mr Ray, “poor choices”? You mean voting for the PLP?

    • Make a new plan Stan says:

      Name calling is the least effective way of getting your point across to someone that disagrees with you. You may feel bolstered by the number of likes you receive but for every “like” there are two or more people that are outraged and do not comment.

      Calling someone stupid because perhaps in their constituency the PLP candidate seemed to be the better choice is very condescending and is very much in line with the old fashioned way some people have historically been treated by some other people. It perpetuates something that, according to comments here, is supposedly a myth.

      It would be more effective to inform rather than criticize……you have no idea how off putting name calling is because if you did you wouldn’t be so rash.

  3. Cow Polly says:

    Remove the top two floors of the buildings and make them into self contained cottage colony rentals. Oh and for gods sake paint them with some Bermuda colors!!!!!

  4. Brech says:

    PLP sure wasted Governments Money AGAIN… on this project.. and you wonder why Bermuda has no money… People need to tune in and pay attention on where the money went and why Bermuda is suffering…

  5. serengeti says:

    Didn’t Zane say he would buy it for cost? Let him put his money where his mouth is.

    • Izzypop says:

      He can make it into a rest home for seniors.

    • Zevon says:

      I’m sure he will be saying we “misunderstood” the offer. It was just another mindless noise from Bermuda’s richest village idiot.

  6. archy says:

    It was a waste of money and contributed to the crash in house prices by putting too much low cost housing on the market. But also, and here’s the kicker – there was meant to be a hotel next to it. Remember the original deal?

    • Double S says:

      The sign is still up down there outlining the 100 room 3 star hotel promised by the PLP. Oh how fast the platinum period became the plutonium period.

      Don’t forget how most of the BHC board resigned after the PLP overturned their decision not to build this monstrosity. But once again the PLP were the smartest ones in the room and went against the expertise of people who actually understand real estate dynamics.

      This is the end product of such Ministerial arrogance and of course $40mn+ of tax payers monies.

      And who in their right mind would shell out $700,000 for a 3 bedroom apartment, with no elevators to the top floor, no closet space and no yard? Even with the 100% finance scheme a buyer would have paying more than $4k a month in mortgage payments.

      And yet Jahmal Simmons has the nerve to go on TV recently and claim these were mean to be low cost housing. Even back when they were constructed the PLP administration at the time said these were meant for young professionals with higher incomes.

      There is not one iota of shame throughout that whole political organization.

  7. Terry says:

    Sigh…………..

  8. history says:

    Thanks to the past racists policies of the UBP/OBA – that are STILL with us today (albeit not as overt)

    The worst thing that has happened to us by far – thanks UBP/OBA

    Our children still inherit their mess
    And folks put them back in under OBA (the wolf in sheep clothing)

    Never – ever forget what these people did to us

    We are still argueng today about race – years later- it still is relevant that is why every conversation on these threads end with it

    • MJ says:

      What, pray tell, did “these people” do to you? You are clearly one of “these people” who tries to blame everyone and everything instead of taking charge of your own life and getting on with it – you know, like my black boss does.

    • Uhh says:

      I’m sorry are you blaming the OBA for something that the PLP did? Is that what you’re saying? I have a hard time understanding ignorance and stupidity.

  9. Triangle Drifter says:

    A flagpole should be erected roadside of that mess. From that flagpole a PLP flag should be flown so that those with short & selective memorys do not forget who is responsible for that huge folly.

  10. Truth is killin' me... says:

    Sound familiar? Another country seeing the light after a reign of terror!

    http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JLP-wins-tight-race-in-polls-marked-by-low-voter-turnout——-_52927

    • SMH says:

      ..and you think it’s a good idea for Bermuda to emulate Jamaica. Their dollar is worthless and their crime is rife. Says a lot about you and your values

    • mixitup says:

      You know nothing about Jamaica Politics nor do you care, so quit with the copy and pasting…

  11. Joe says:

    The platinum period of the last government bankrupted us all

  12. ALVIN WILLIAMS says:

    Sell it to Bermudians now that the bogyman voice by the OBA when it was the opposition claiming that the housing was going to fall into the sea. Just one more year than we will be able to get rid of this anti-Bermudian OBA government.

    • Time saver says:

      They did try to sell them to Bermudians. That was apparently the reason for building them.

      Why do you think the MOU has expired? Probably because even at a knockdown price it isn’t a good deal.

      Doubt many of the new Bermudians would risk buying one of these. Maybe they will and you could buy one too. Then you’d have Bermudian neighbours.

    • Zevon says:

      So Alvin. A question. Was building Grand Atlantic:
      A) a good use of money
      B) an extremely bad use of money
      C) you don’t care because all you know is that you hate all white people and foreigners.

      • wahoo says:

        You need to wait while he calls a friend….may take a while

    • blankman says:

      “Seell it to Bermudians”?? They tried. Didn’t work.

      • Ringmaster says:

        Come on guys, give Alvin a break. Grand Atlantic was a success. It must have been. In fact so successful that in the Budget reply David Burt said the next PLP Government will build studios and one bedroom apartments. Or am I missing something?

  13. somuchless says:

    Hanbury could buy them with the 1000 dollar a day salary he makes and house all the visitors he brings to the island. Remember tourism is up because of him. (Pinch me)

  14. Takbir Karriem Sharrieff says:

    There is one thing that is guaranteed from this last O.B.A. Government being in Power .It is in its final death throes and will soon be sent to the garbage dump where it belongs.The polls will be full from now on,peoples eyes are open,The former U.B.P.Government went the way of the Dumping Ground,and now its sibling ,the O.B.A.is heading in the same direction fast.The P.L.P.is the Peoples Labour Party and can weather every storm in a teacup that they raise against us.Power to the People The Struggle continues.See you at the Polls.Peace.

  15. MB says:

    Just waiting for St George’s to expire and Morgan’s next …
    They all come here and enticed by the beauty and properties,
    and happy to blow stuff up, but when it comes
    to sticking a shovel in the ground
    they’re outa here. Why?
    There’s no money to be made in the Bermuda hotel model.
    Politics, red tape, unions has plenty play in it-but so does high costs and poor marketing of Bermuda as a brand. The BTA
    needs to define our brand and end goals
    before they will ever have any success. Govt needs to
    listen to what developers want.
    The best chance for this now is a new look at condos, in the successful Harbour View model and high $100s/200sK pricing, with 100% financing as the banks are not lending.

  16. PT says:

    Not good

  17. blankman says:

    Meanwhile, in his reply to the Budget Mr Burt says that the PLP want to do it all over again except this time with bachelor apartments.

  18. obasellouts says:

    bye bye oba/UBP

  19. nok says:

    I can’t wait to pop get back in power!

  20. James Rego says:

    Ask Michael Weeks (Mr. We have hundreds of people lined up ready to buy), would be buy one and move his family into it? If not, why not?

    Don’t forget we the people had to pay the one and only investor to move out so the entire complex could be sold to MacLellan & Associates who it now appears, have thrown in the towel. Thanks PLP.

  21. James Rego says:

    And why hasn’t their supporters on here at least vouched for the PLP making such a great decision, instead of whipping out the race card trying to deflect and shift blame on whites and or the OBA.

  22. Triangle Drifter says:

    A gross total for what this PLP waste of money has cost the taxpayer would be interesting inclusive of not only the building costs but all of the costs since in maintenance, failed marketing, legal, administration & whoever else has been paid for one service or another over this debacle.