THE Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) has announced the first approved real estate project under the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP).
The Belvedere Plantation, a historic site in Canaries, will be transformed into a luxury hotel.
Officials said the project represents a significant milestone which was not expected to be reached within four months of the start of the programme, and credited the success of the project, in large measure, to close collaboration between the CIU, Invest Saint Lucia and the Ministry of Tourism.
The Belvedere Plantation project will be constructed by Boka Estates Ltd which has owned the site for the past two years.
“We are looking to transform this historic site into a five-star luxury branded hotel,” CEO of the Boka Group, John Kennedy said, adding that the property would be one of the highlight hotels of the region.
The hotel will be constructed using a system that will preserve the environment while providing an international standard for hotel accommodations.
Kennedy added that the project would create 400 jobs during the construction phase, with 800 jobs on offer once it is completed.
Unlike other CIPs in the region which offer real estate on a wide scale, St. Lucia has chosen to target the high-end tourism market in a bid to increase the island’s room stock
Sell sell sell. All our island is being by this mulatto fucker.
The problem is not to build a hotel. Filling the rooms with tourist is a problem. Smells like money laundering.
This hotel has been on the cards for years. Boca has many unfilled and embarrassing promises in Canaries. Investigative journalism please………………..
Who you think you fooling? there are many reasons to believe this is just another
Red Hearing; why only now, just like the other bluff in Labourie/Choisel area.
Why must they do that to the poor people of the area? they raise the (false) hopes of a people who all their lives depended mainly on agriculture and fishing for a living, then
suddenly, (elections round the corner) big 5 star hotel out of the blue drop from the
sky. Of all places Canaries – that sleepy town with a good heart deserves better than
a bluff; come on now, you’re kidding right? where are you gonna place this five star gem
on top of the cliff over looking the ocean, not bad for location BUT it’s solid rock and
tell me, water accessibility, swimming pool, Laundry, Sewage disposal, and don’t contaminate the small village without first installing a decomposing plant.
Think of the scent from any sewage disposal plant. Take your bluff somewhere else.
I am not opposed to development, but don’t take us for a bunch of fools, o.k.
Hotels, Hotels, Hotels, why everything in St. Lucia has to be some damn Hotel?
why not some (non polluting) Factory? Is the Town of Canaries equipped with
an integrated sewer network and pumping station? if not, why hasn’t it, damn it?
Luxury hotel in the slum of Canaries?
Hhhhmmm …
And will the employees be those rude and illiterate chimps from the village?
Hhhhmm …
Really? Rude and illiterate chimps? Sorry to disappoint you, but no such primates exist my town of Canaries. For a prime example of rude however, you need look no further than in your mirror.
Have a great day!
“Officials said the project represents a significant milestone which was not expected to be reached within four months of the start of the (CIP) program” … But the purchase of the land by Boka took place years ago, long before the CIP program was put in place, and now they’re trying to blow smoke up peoples asses by saying it falls under CIP and making the passport for sale program seem like a success. Announcements like this are pure electioneering, announcements of projects everywhere months before impending elections to get votes.
smh this shit cant never happen @ the end of it all its not worth it just going to be destroyed so where is the respect from them smh oh how i hate them all they care about is to put you on a blast bad talk you choops this wont go any where
This is really sick. It’s nothing but part II of the Freedom Bay project disaster in Soufriere where land owners and the community were tricked into thinking that the investors were really going to build a real hotel. They didn’t have the investment funds. All they were really trying to peddle is timeshare properties and way over priced residences. So, what happened to all of the jobs that were promised? The hotel has never been built, the land has been harmed and the only thing we have to show now is a ripped up sign.
This new venture smells like the exact same thing. Some investors have come to town and bought up an old plantation that just happens to have beachfront property. They bought the land for little real money. First there was big talk of putting in a luxury hotel. Now look at the marketing hype and you’ll see that the big talk is now about building luxury residences. Really? Do you think some rich guy from the U.S. Or the UK wants to spend $5+ million on a house in Canaries that doesn’t even have a decent road for access? I think not. This is just likely to be another scam and the new leadership in St. Lucia is clueless to what is going on. Do you really think this project is going to create 800 jobs for the local people?
If you go online and search for info on the Boca Group you’ll see that there is little there except press releases and very short, strategically placed articles about good civic deeds performed by the organization. It’s as if they have started their marketing campaign well before they’ve developed anything. These people are smart and crafty but they don’t have the best of intentions. I read one interview where they discussed how they might get involved in investing in agricultural projects. Really? This is a joke. They aren’t going to grow cacao or coffee in Canaries. They are just trying to trick people so that they can raise money.
Where is the long game here? Do you really think this is going to be a sustainable project? Do you really think these guys have the assets to really build a hotel or are they just speculators trying to raise money by selling hopes, dreams, and just timeshares. These projects often just turn out to be big pyramid schemes. They go to countries like St. Lucia and pull this stuff because they can get away with it. If I were in government I’d be watching this project like a hawk.
I feel bad for the people who live in Castries. They are being tricked by con artists. The best thing the island could do would be to throw people like these investors out of the country. And do it quickly before it is too late.
I hate to say it but years back I predicted that this was what was going to happen with the Freedom Bay project. And guess what, I was right. I’m just worried that history is about to repeat itself.