Anguilla’s planning and economic development minister has called on the developers of Savannah Bay Resort and Marina Village to re-engage with the government after a year of silence.
The entire Cabinet remains eager to open dialogue and offer full support to the $150 million project as it moves forward, Kyle Hodge said during a Radio Anguilla interview on 6 June.
The minister revealed that despite the investors visiting the island during Festival Del Mar in April, they did not request a formal meeting with government officials.
He explained that his ministry has engaged with Anguilla’s other major investors, adding: “It is quite strange that they came to the island and have not met with government.”
Hodge said he contacted the technocrats in the Ministry of Economic Development and found that “for some reason, they have not been in contact with the investors for almost a year”.
He went on to request their phone number from the former premier Ellis Webster, who the minister said he believed was the main point of contact for the developer.
No contact
The minister’s efforts to reach out directly, including messages, have so far gone unanswered, along with efforts from the investment unit to contact their local attorneys.
“We are keen to support them as as they roll out their their design plans, or whatever stage they’re at, we’re keen to give them our full support,” Hodge said.
Hodge said he did not wish to give the impression of “doom and gloom” on the project, but said: “I’m speaking truth to power – I’m speaking what I know.”
He added: “If there was still interest, they would have already gotten in touch with the new administration.”
Hodge also noted the importance of adherence to land holding licences and development timelines, underlining that land cannot be held purely for speculation.
“I’ll continue to reach out, because I think it is important for Anguilla that we have a project of that size, especially in the east,” he said.
Anguilla Focus has also reached out to the developers and is awaiting a response.
Resort and marina
The developers of the Savannah Bay Resort and Marina Village – Phil McCabe and Kevin Stoneburner – published a masterplan for the 215-acre site in February 2022.
It included a marina, port facility, two hotels, villas, condominiums, commercial and retail buildings, roadways, parking, a beach club, a yacht club, planting, a pavilion and a promenade.
Just under two years later, in January 2024, they signed a memorandum of understanding with the government for the resort and marina build.
At the time, then premier Ellis Webster said it was the “perfect opportunity to develop the east part of Anguilla as it should be” and said the developers “have the community at heart”.
McCabe said their planners were “very sensitive to the island” when creating the plan which he said was thorough and complete, and added that they have “optimistic expectations”.
He added that a start date was not set but the whole project was anticipated to take 10 to 15 years to complete.
The masterplan as well as a video tour and images, which were previously available to be viewed on the development website, are now inaccessible.
Watch the MOU signing in full below:
