THE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR Port Ferdinand is taking shape, with the first phase nearing completion and the second officially under way.
A visit to the St Peter project by a MIDWEEK NATION team on Monday showed ongoing construction on a second set of residences bordering the lagoon.
Project manager with JADA, Rene Dulieu, said Phase 1, which included excavation, the building of the 14-foot-deep lagoon and the construction of the first six buildings comprising 32 two-, three- and four-bedroom units, was scheduled to be completed “within three or four months”.
He said ground had been broken on Phase 2, which included constructing two more buildings.
As for the third phase of the project – yet to begin – Dulieu said that comprised of the final six buildings. In total it will feature 86 residences.
The swing bridge linking of St Peter and St Lucy is operational, the project manager said. The marina also includes broadband Internet service throughout the property.
Work was reported in the Press to have begun in 2009 and was scheduled to be completed by 2015. The construction was expected to bring in close to $1 billion in foreign exchange and to employ about 500 people.
The 16-acre luxury marina development has not been without its share of delays and controversies. Public opinion has been divided for and against the construction with some people saying it did not take the surrounding area into consideration and excluded the local fishing community.
Others said the construction was responsible for beach erosion in the area and caused problems for food vendors due to dust.
There were also complaints of blocked beach access and of the landscape of Barbados being deformed and the island being over-developed.
On the other hand, some members of the public have welcomed the project and the jobs it created. They said it brought a much-needed level of progress to the island and would boast tourism.
As for the bridge, most of the comments were favourable although some motorists expressed concern regarding the two small roundabouts on either side of the bridge in relation to large vehicles.
Several attempts were made to contact Port Ferdinand’s development manager Tania Wardle for further updates but they were all unsuccessful. (CA)
