Minister On St. George’s Marina Development

“A key component of this revitalization in the Town of St. George for the residents and visitors alike will be the development of a new Marina on Ordnance Island,” Acting Minister of Public Works Wayne Furbert said.

Speaking in the House of Assembly, the Minister said, “I rise to provide this Honourable House with an update on the St. George’s Marina Development Project.

“A key component of this revitalization in the Town of St. George for the residents and visitors alike will be the development of a new Marina on Ordnance Island. This new development is being undertaken by private developers: St George’s Marina Development Limited in conjunction with the Corporation of St. George in a private public partnership.

“With the upgrades to the Ordnance Island dock, Ordnance Island will now have the ability to berth yachts up to the superyacht class as well as cruise ships.

“To ensure this project comes to fruition the Ministry of Public works has committed $1.5M to the refurbishment of the wharf for this fiscal year.

“Work on the new wharf is slated to take place in February of 2022 following the tendering process. The work is estimated to take some four months to complete – with the Wharf ready in May of 2022.

The Minister added, “With the opening of the St. Regis Hotel in May, the planned re-opening of the St. George’s Club in the second quarter of 2022, and the new Marina scheduled for completion in May of next year – these developments are expected to provide a further economic boost into our historic Town and be of great benefit to all Bermudians and residents alike.”

The Minister’s full statement follows below:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to provide this Honourable House with an update on the St. George’s Marina Development Project.

Mr. Speaker, last week Honourable Members heard mentioned in the Speech from the Throne that the Legislature will consider – in due course – a Strategic Plan for the Town of St. George which will include consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will represent the best means by which to raise the fortunes of the Old Town in the wake of the renewal opportunity presented by the new St. Regis Hotel and the St. George’s Club that is currently undergoing renovations.

A key component of this revitalization in the Town of St. George for the residents and visitors alike will be the development of a new Marina on Ordnance Island. This new development is being undertaken by private developers: St George’s Marina Development Limited [“the Developer”] in conjunction with the Corporation of St. George in a private public partnership.

With the upgrades to the Ordnance Island dock, Ordnance Island will now have the ability to berth yachts up to the superyacht class as well as cruise ships.

The arrangement will see the Corporation leasing land to the Developer for 21 years less a day – and a sharing of the gross proceeds of the marina revenue.

The new marina will boast:

• i. Improved and designated dock areas for visiting yachts;

• ii. A newly replaced and repaired dock on the South side of Ordnance Island;

• iii. 650 linear feet of visiting dockage for smaller yachts;

• iv. 10 “stern to berths” for superyachts with mooring systems;

• v. Marina reception, lounge, food & beverage and internet café;

• vi. Duty free fuel dock; and,

• vii. The Installation of sewage pumping services

Mr. Speaker, in order for these infrastructure developments to fully function, the wharf at Ordnance Island, constructed many decades ago, needs to be replaced.

With the assistance of the Department of Works and Engineering, the Corporation of St. George engaged the services of Structural Engineers Brunel Ltd who performed an initially inspection of the wharf March 2021. Brunel estimated the refurbishment costs at $2.2M.

However after a more detailed survey was performed, it was determined that the piles were so deteriorated that they could not be reused as originally hoped – with the replacement cost estimate increasing to $2.7M.

Mr. Speaker, to ensure this project comes to fruition the Ministry of Public works has committed $1.5M to the refurbishment of the wharf for this fiscal year. Additional funding will be sourced from the Corporation of St. George, who have the ability to make up the difference using the UNESCO World Heritage Fund which is to be used to develop and promote the World Heritage Site. With funding secured, the replacement of the wharf is now poised to take place.

Mr. Speaker, work on the new wharf is slated to take place in February of 2022 following the tendering process. The work is estimated to take some four [4] months to complete – with the Wharf ready in May of 2022.

In addition to the wharf upgrades, the Marina infrastructure undertaken by St. George’s Marina Development Limited is currently underway and is slated to be completed in conjunction with the wharf. These works include internal renovations of the former terminal building on Ordnance Island and a Welcome Centre complete with shower facilities and laundry facilities. The space will be redesigned for an improved décor and to create an outdoor lounge area.

Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the St. Regis Hotel in May, the planned re-opening of the St. George’s Club in the second quarter of 2022, and the new Marina scheduled for completion in May of next year – these developments are expected to provide a further economic boost into our historic Town and be of great benefit to all Bermudians and residents alike.

Thank you Mr. Speaker

#BermudaPolitics #StGeorges

Category: All, News