NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday tabled a Parliamentary Resolution he said is crucial to unlocking Baha Mar’s next $350 million expansion phase, arguing that honouring long-standing government commitments is essential to investor confidence and to sustaining the country’s surging tourism sector.
“This may look like a narrow, technical land transaction. In truth, it goes to the heart of two big questions,” Davis told Parliament. “Do we, as a nation, continue to back a tourism industry that is growing in strength, quality and global reach. And do we, as a Parliament, honour commitments given in the name of the Bahamian people, so that investors, workers, and communities can plan with confidence.”
The Resolution authorises the Treasurer to convey 2.077 acres of vacant land on the southern side of West Bay Street—adjacent to the Baha Mar campus—to Perfect Luck Assets (No. 1) Limited for $1.6 million, as required under the 2019 and 2024 Supplemental Heads of Agreement. Although Baha Mar’s project company identified the receiving entity back in February 2020, Davis said the transfer “never occurred.”
“The Ministry of Finance Act is clear,” he said. “Section 5(3)(a) states that the Treasurer shall not sell or otherwise dispose of the fee simple of land vested in her without the prior approval of both Houses of Parliament, signified by resolution.” He added: “This Resolution does three things. It recognises and gives effect to the 2024 Second Supplemental Heads of Agreement. It regularises the position of a parcel that should already have been conveyed. It provides the statutory approval required under section 5(3)(a) for the Treasurer to complete the conveyance to Perfect Luck Assets (No. 1) Limited for 1.6 million dollars.”
Davis stressed the practical impact of the transfer. “This land is an important support area for the Baha Mar campus. It is where parking, access, staff movements and logistics can be organised in a safe, orderly way, so that expansion on the old Melia footprint can proceed without creating chaos on West Bay Street,” he said. “Without this step, the next phase of Baha Mar’s growth is slower, less efficient and less certain. With this Resolution, Parliament clears the way for a major investment that is already agreed, already announced, and eagerly awaited by workers and businesses.”
He tied the decision to Baha Mar’s newly announced $350 million fourth resort on the former Melia site, which includes approximately 350 rooms, branded residences, four restaurants—including a rooftop omakase concept—a 14,000-square-foot spa, luxury retail, multiple pools and entertainment venues, and 25,000 square feet of event space. Groundbreaking is expected in 2026 with an opening targeted for 2029.
“For that next phase to function properly, the campus must be planned as one integrated whole,” Davis said. “That is why this 2.077 acre parking and service parcel is so important. It gives the resort the space to manage staff parking, service vehicles, tour buses, and guest arrivals in a way that reduces congestion on West Bay Street and improves safety and comfort for everyone.”
Davis drew a sharp political contrast in Parliament, revisiting the long battle to rescue the stalled resort and the opposition’s criticism at the time. “When the PLP first embraced the vision of a major integrated resort at Cable Beach, many doubted that The Bahamas could sustain a project of that scale,” he said. He argued the PLP “chose a harder path,” working with the Export–Import Bank of China and Perfect Luck entities to salvage the project and restore thousands of jobs.
He recalled that then-Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis dismissed the project as “false hope and fake promises” and repeatedly referred to the April 2017 soft opening as a “fake opening” and “fake soft opening.” Davis noted: “They told the Bahamian people this project was a political illusion, that the opening could not be trusted, and that the Heads of Agreement contained what he called ‘disastrous provisions’.”
“The PLP did the heavy lifting to save Baha Mar and restore Cable Beach as a premier district. The FNM poured scorn on that work, labelled the opening fake, stayed away from the ceremony, then claimed The credit when the jobs and guests arrived,” he said. “So when this administration hears FNM figures lecture the country on Baha Mar, the contrast is clear. One side believed in the property when it was difficult. The other spent years ridiculing it, then rushed to cut ribbons once the hard work had been done.”
Davis said the current expansion fits into a broader picture of tourism progress. “From January to October this year, The Bahamas has welcomed about 9.9 million visitors,” he noted, pointing to major luxury projects, nationwide airport upgrades, more than 45 new air routes, and digital initiatives such as the Smart City pilot and Google Street View.
“When we add all of this together, a clear picture emerges. The Bahamas is building a tourism sector that is higher quality, more connected, more resilient and more deeply rooted in Bahamian culture and community,” he said.
He returned to the theme of credibility and stability in governance. “Investors around the world read those signals. They ask themselves a simple question. Is The Bahamas a place where agreements honoured by one administration will be torn up or mocked by the next, or is it a country where the state behaves in a stable, predictable way, even when governments change,” Davis told MPs. “By supporting this Resolution, we send a clear message. We honour the commitments made in the 2019 and 2024 Heads of Agreement. We expect investors to meet their obligations in return.”
He closed by underscoring its strategic importance: “This parcel at the Melia vacant land parking site may be 2.077 acres on paper. In strategic terms, it carries far greater weight. It allows Baha Mar to organise its next phase properly. It helps unlock a 350 million dollar expansion that will bring hundreds of jobs and new opportunities. It reinforces the credibility of our word as a country.”
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