Pintard Defends Grand Lucayan Purchase

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard defending the former government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort saying the Minnis administration was not prepared to allow the hotel to close. However, he also admits if it were up to him, some aspects of the deal would have been different.

Kyle Walkine reports.

According to Pintard, some parts of the deal would have been different if he had his say.

Three years after the Minnis administration purchased the Grand Lucayan Resort for $65 million, in a move it said would save Bahamian jobs, and a year after an agreement was signed for sale to Royal Caribbean and the ITM group, the Davis administration canceled it.

Tourism and Investments Minister Chester Cooper said it simply was not in the best interest of the Bahamian people.

However, the FNM leader said it is essential to send the right signal that the government was confident in the rebound of Grand Bahama…

But there were some unforeseen roadblocks that dragged things on for years, eventually not working out in the administration’s favor.

The Minnis administration ended up spending millions more on the hotel month after month.

Pintard said it was an arrangement that lingered on far too long.

While ITM has pulled out, Royal Caribbean, in a statement, has already expressed interest in trying again.
Cooper has said there are several interested buyers on the table and a search will begin to choose the best one.
Pintard said as this is not a matter he plans on playing politics with, he supports government moving on and finding a new buyer.