Planning and lands minister Kyle Hodge has said he is “keen to ensure” that Anguillians will get a “sizeable chunk” of work from the Port Nimara development project.
While he has not had any formal guarantee from the US contractor, he said he has had some “very frank discussions” about the need to provide employment opportunities locally.
Hodge gave the update during an interview on Radio Anguilla on 6 June about the multi-million dollar mega yacht marina at Gull Pond on the southwest coast.
Located between Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, on Maunday’s Bay and Altamer on Shoal Bay West, Port Nimara will feature 118 boat berths, a 62-room five-star hotel, and 18 beachfront villas.
The venture is being run by Swedish company SF Group in partnership with Anguilla’s Antillean Development and New York-based development group TEI Inc.
A press release from SF Group in January, said it is expected to generate 200 direct employment opportunities and about 500 jobs across hospitality, maritime, retail and support sectors.
Construction
Consigli, a construction management company based in Massachusetts, has been selected to oversee the development of the project.
During the radio interview, Hodge said the contractor will be “selecting some subcontractors and utilising as much labour locally as possible”.
“I’ve had some very frank discussions with him, because I am keen to ensure that our local labour force and even our local equipment operators, they get a sizeable chunk of work from that project,” he said.
He said he “pressed upon him” that equipment can be sourced locally “on the dime, on the fly”.
“I told him, once I’m aware of what he needs in advance, then I can make the necessary appeal publicly so that it can empower our local operators to go ahead and purchase equipment,” he said.
When Radio Anguilla host Keith Greaves suggested that Hodge put it in writing, he responded that he had already “spoken pretty candidly”.
Marina progress
During a government press conference on 26 May, Hodge said he is happy to see that work on the project, which began in January, is “well underway”.
“There will be lots of work ahead as it relates to the build out of that marina. You will see that the land is pretty much cleared off – there are several excavators now doing major work.”
He explained that the first phase is to build the marina component which will accommodate boats up to 260 feet long.
“We look forward to the to the many jobs that will be created throughout the economy,” he said, referencing construction workers and heavy equipment operators.
The January press release from SF Group said construction of the marina is expected to be completed in early 2027, while the beachfront villas and hotel will follow in early 2028.
Government officials and project stakeholders attended a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site at Gull Pond on 7 December, 2023, marking the official start of the development.
At the time it was dubbed the ‘Altamer Marina’ and the developer was named as Southwest Harbour.
