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BREAKING
NEW GROUND
BY STAN
BISHOP
The
island’s tourism product is expected to be boosted with
a major touristic development scheduled to be opened in Soufriere
in the next two years.
That was the message emanating from founder of The M Group,
Pascal Mahvi, last Friday as he addressed an elaborate reception
to mark the groundbreaking ceremony for The Jalousie Enclave
on the resort’s premises.
“Reaching this groundbreaking milestone was not easy
but full of challenges and unavoidable delays. But we have
persevered and I’m thrilled to announce today that we
anticipate a soft opening on December 5, 2010, providing some
250 permanent and highly-coveted jobs, this despite the crises.
The byproducts of any development are the much-needed jobs,”
Mahvi said.
The Jalousie Enclave will be comprised of an environmentally-friendly
residential community-styled ambience in the Val des Pitons.
Located on the Jalousie Bay, it will be the first “green”
residential community in the world offering buyers the opportunity
to acquire property in a designated World Heritage Site.
Set within a 196-acre awe-inspiring aura, The Jalousie Enclave
will include a limited collection of 21 two-bedroom or three-bedroom
villas and 52 estates that will be built to suit the highest
international conservation standards.
It will also include a clubhouse area and world-class spa;
landscaping surrounding the luxury villas and single family
residences; open spaces including walkways, botanical gardens,
and lake area; site gardening; and overall road enhancements.
To crown it all off, two fine dining restaurants, a lake and
seven new PGA golf clubs and courses will add to the aesthetics
of the pristine rainforest locale that overlooks the Caribbean
Sea.
A proposed US$21 million is expected to be raised by the Mahvi
Group and other private sector interests to be used for advancing
the infrastructural and social transformation of communities
throughout the island, especially Soufriere, Mahvi stated.
He indicated that that figure is expected to increase to US$100
million.
In his brief remarks, Prime Minister Stephenson King said
that in light of St. Lucia’s heavy dependence on tourism
and direct foreign investment, support to serious investors
must be extended.
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“When
in the midst of all of this (financial crisis), investors
like Pascal who came to St. Lucia more that fifteen years
ago and saw the need and the vision and demonstrated that
confidence through his action at Jalousie (Plantation) and
having maintained that interest and can return now at this
time amidst all that is taking place internationally and even
the threats to our own local economy, to come today on this
occasion and to break ground, it is a demonstration of the
confidence that Pascal himself has in himself and his ability
to do it and certainly the confidence in St. Lucia,”
PM King remarked.
Tourism Minister, Senator Allen Chastanet, while noting that
the island is blessed with a natural competitive edge on the
world stage, said all necessary measures should be taken to
ensure that the island progresses in that regard.
“When a company like The M Group comes and is prepared
to make this level of investment, we must all find a way to
give them not some of our support, not most of our support
but all of our support. The time has come for St. Lucia and
St. Lucians, in particular, to now step up to the plate,”
the Tourism Minister emphasized.
Soufriere MP, Harold Dalson, expressed his gratitude to the
M Group for their initiative and for the spin-offs that will
accrue from the major investment.
“The people of Soufriere are very excited about the
project because, as we all know, this little town of Soufriere,
despite the fact that we have the biggest assemblage of natural
beauty, Soufriere remains ignored by the relevant authorities,”
Dalson said.
Construction works on the new project is expected to begin
within the first half of next year, Mahvi indicated.
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