(EDITOR’S NOTE: As an Androsian and Editor of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, I am deeply concerned that the sale of this historic property is being announced two days before the September 26 general election and no mention is made of how much it was sold for. I’ll comment further at the end of this article.”
NASSAU, Bahamas, September 14, 2021 — The Government announced today that Lighthouse Yacht Club and Marina Ltd, a 100% Bahamian owned and controlled consortium of hotel and marina developers and investors, has purchased the historic Lighthouse Club and Marina in Fresh Creek, Andros — expanding tourism, creating jobs and providing much needed economic prosperity for the people of Andros, according to a poorly written release on the Facebook page of the Bahamas Information Services (BIS).
“Owned by the Hotel Corporation and being the last remaining property in the Government’s hotel portfolio, Chairman of the Hotel Corporation, Michael R. Scott, Q.C., remarked how pleased he was that the sale of the Lighthouse was to an all-Bahamian company that was investing in the future of the country,” the release noted.
Mr. Scott was quoted as saying: “The Hotel Corporation went through a long and arduous approvals process and is delighted that Brian Hew’s dream has finally been realized. With his impeccable reputation as an internationally recognized resort developer and as a Bahamian, Mr. Hew is uniquely qualified to restore the Lighthouse to its former glory and see the development plan through to its completion. We congratulate Brian and his team on this great achievement. “
In addition to Hew, Chairman of Coconut Bay Ltd, which owns and operates the award winning Kamalame Cay in The Bahamas, the purchasing team also include Mr. Dana Wells, 45-year veteran at Graham Thompson, renowned for his expertise in matters of land law, residential projects and hotel developments.
According to the BIS release, “They bring together more than 75 years’ experience in hotel and marina development, management and operations to the table and a commitment to the economic development and success of Andros.”
The BIS release continued: “Named for the 1800s lighthouse that marked the entrance to the Fresh Creek Channel, the property’s original marina and yacht club was launched in 1952, and over the next decade, drew sailboats and guests from Nassau and around the world.
“Abandoned in 1961, The Lighthouse Club would be reclaimed by the jungle, a thicket of banana trees shooting up through the pool. Decades later, a small hotel of the same name would be erected on the site, though would never reclaim the property’s mid-century magic. In 2016 Hurricane Matthew destroyed what remained of the Club and Marina causing it to completely cease operations.”
The release added: “Scheduled to begin restoration in late 2021 and operations in 2022 — some 70 years after its original opening — the reimagined Lighthouse Yacht Club and Marina will employ some 70 to 100 employees during construction and 60-to-80 full-time employees when fully operational. The area will be transformed into a full-service marina and mixed-use luxury resort and residential development.
Mr. Brian Hew was quoted as saying: “With the relaunch of this historic Yacht Club and Marina, my hope is that Fresh Creek, Andros, will be once again be celebrated with a stylish hotel, and marina; one that builds on the history of the lighthouse and one that will revitalise this long-overlooked area of Andros, expanding tourism, creating jobs and providing economic prosperity for the people of Andros. I have lived in Andros for more than thirty years and am pleased to re-invest in the Island and its people.
Mr. Dana Wells was quoted as saying: “Economic investment and development in the family islands of The Bahamas is essential to the future success of our country. I am proud that the Lighthouse Yacht Club and Marina will play an important role in the expansion of family island boutique hotel and marina projects not just in Andros but across the family islands”.
Continuing, the release added: “The development of boutique hotels in the Family Islands has been a strategic goal of this Government, leaning away from the large, resort type tourism development that require mass tourism volume for its success.
“Boutique resorts with a mixed-use component offer the low-density travel experience for repeat visitors who make life-long connections and become vested in the Island and its people.”
Minister of Tourism & Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar was quoted as saying: “This is a great day for The Bahamas, for Andros and for the people of Fresh Creek. The relaunched Lighthouse Yacht Club and Marina will not only add another luxury boutique hotel and resort to the island but will be a driving force in the reestablishment of Andros as a yachting destination of choice for visitors coming and returning to The Bahamas.
“Congratulations are also in order for Kamalame Cay having been named last week by Travel + Leisure Magazine (Meredith Corporation’s (NYSE: MDP) as the #1 Resort in The Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas and #7 best Hotel in the World.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was so poorly written that I had to do some minor editing, but because it was posted on the Facebook page of the Bahamas Information Services (BIS), I assumed that the facts as stated were correct. I was born and grew up at Stanyard Creek, Andros, and my major concern about the sale of the property in question is that one of the principals involved is Brian Hew, “Chairman of Coconut Bay Ltd, which owns and operates the award-winning Kamalame Cay in The Bahamas,” as the release notes.
Kamalame Cay is on the Eastern Ridge of Stanyard Creek and is situated on property near where I used to fish and play when I was a boy. I left Andros to live in Nassau when I was 10 years old in 1952, and many years later after living in the United States for more than 20 years, I visited Stanyard Creek in the late 1990s and relatives still living at the time were clearly not pleased with the process by which Brian Hew acquired the Kamalame Cay.
Is the acquisition of the Lighthouse Club property following the same pattern? And why is Minister of Tourism & Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar making statements like this? “This is a great day for The Bahamas, for Andros and for the people of Fresh Creek.”
In my view, on DAY ONE after the PLP becomes the government of The Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis should stop the finalization of this “suspicious” transaction and have his new Minister of Tourism investigate the negotiations involved in this sale.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON BRIAN HEW
Here’s is some background information on Brian Hew published in THE ANGLING REPORT on January 1, 1998:
“First, though, suffice it to say, this area now has a world-class bonefishing operation. In fact, the new Kamalame Cay Resort that is opening early this year near Staniard Creek promises to be up there in amenities, quality and cost with the very best the Bahamas has to offer.
“The resort is the brainchild of a jovial former Jamaican citizen by the name of Brian Hew, who had a hugely successful tropical plant business in South Florida, which he got out of after experiencing huge losses during Hurricane Andrew. He then turned his attention to developing the neglected northern part of Andros Island, which has only recently emerged from the shadows of a sinister reputation for drug dealing and other criminal activity. The area was perfect for such things in the past because it is remote and very lightly populated. In fact, the entire island of Andros is about as large in land area as the rest of the Bahamas combined and yet has only about 8,000 inhabitants.”
