by Linda Straker
- EC$2 billion CBI tourism project in St Patrick by Singapore Heng Sheng Development PTE Ltd
- Project on over 400 acres of land
- Close to Ramsar wetland protected site in Levera
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell believes that changes to the environment, the physical landscape, and the physical infrastructure naturally occur when deciding to develop any area for social and economic opportunities.
Delivering remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for a EC$2 billion tourism project in the northern parish of St Patrick, he expressed satisfaction with the move by the company to engage in community consultation before the project’s official launch.
“I am heartened that the group has been engaging in consultations with the communities to listen to their concerns; but we also have to be honest, development also has a price, and you cannot have development without some environmental impacts. We cannot have development without changing the physical landscape and the physical infrastructure,” he said at the ceremony.
Undertaken by the Singapore Heng Sheng Development PTE Ltd, whose chairman is Yuanfa Li, the project on over 400 acres of land is close to the Ramsar wetland protected site in Levera. The Grenada National Resort project is a multi-year Citizenship by Investment (CBI) approved project that will become a 500-room hotel with a golf course and other amenities.
Several citizens have rejected the construction of such a project because of the potential risk of environmental degradation. Still, Prime Minister Mitchell said that what is required is for the development to be done in a responsible, sensitive, and responsible manner.
“Mr Li and his group have given us the assurance that they intend to do so, and I also observed in Mr Li’s remarks that he requested his general contractor that they, too, comply with their obligation to ensure that the construction is done in an ecologically friendly, sustainable and low carbon emitting manner,” he said. “And therefore, if this is done successfully, there is no doubt that this project will singlehanded transform the economic landscape in the north of the island and be the gateway to future economic development,” said the Prime Minister.
This is the third attempt by an investor to convert the area into a tourism development project. For various reasons, the project was halted, chief among them, legal complications among investing partners.
Describing the location as challenging, Prime Minister Mitchell commended the new investors who have been negotiating with the Government since 2019 for having the courage and the audacity to take on the project. The Government Information Service (GIS) said that over EC$70 million has already been spent on land acquisition.
“When I met Mr Li in August of 2022, I told him that this site has a long history, and I will be honest, I indicated to him that it is not a history of success; and that for as long as I have been a lawyer, developers have attempted to develop this site and they have not yet been able to do so. Therefore, I wanted the commitment from him that before my term expires and before there is a next general election in the State of Grenada that this site will be a success story,” said the Prime Minister.
“He has assured me that this site will be a success story, and so this groundbreaking ceremony marks the first step in that process. I want to offer on my personal behalf and on behalf of the Government and people of Grenada hearty congratulations to Mr Li and the Singapore Heng Sheng group for your groundbreaking ceremony,” he said.
Dickon, those very words came from Keith’s mouth how many times? You were elected to have higher standards and a true conscience. You whine about climate change but don’t seem to understand the true impact of a concrete development in a wetland site. Concrete is impervious and causes flooding instead of the natural environment developed over thousands of tears to deal with the moisture load in this area.
You slap the face of environmentalists over the world seeking to protect our precious sea turtles by allowing ANY development in this area in Levera. You sold put Grenadians because if the HUGE potable water demand these developments bring when your locals have NO WATER for weeks at a time. Your foreign investments cannot magic up water. Will they let you get away with cutting THEIR water supply off for a week ?? They create MORE garbage, pollution. I hope you have not SOLD this precious land. These developments were to be LEASES and nit those of 99 years as was noted during your party’s campaign. HOTEL LEASES were recommended to drop to 25 to 30 years to be able to GUARANTEE COMPLIANCE to Laws.
NEVER let that statement come from your mouth again that you will ALLOW environmental damage for money.
Grenada feels a death knell now with these latest three developments. NO MORE. La Sagesse ruined. Mount Hartman ruined. Levera ruined.
The EIA for this development is garbage. Should never have been approved. Also it’s not taking place close to the RAMSAR site, it’s IN the RAMSAR site…..
We seems to forget that in order to support such investment simple things like roads are crucial in order to maintain the wellbeing and everyday functions of this site.
Now we have one main road into the site with the other way in redundant and that is not acceptable.
I am sure they will address this issue in due course also the parish of St Patrick’s have to start getting their act together in order to maximise the benefits this project will bring as the investors will not be thinking of giving the locals any of the top jobs .
So we already knows what will be the jobs available for our citizens.
The following remark reminds me of U.S. President Trump at the podium next to Russian dictator Putin answering reporters questions about Russian interference in U.S. elections and saying he believes whatever Putin told him, and has no reason to disbelieve him.
Here is the quote I extracted from the article above:
“Mr Li and his group have given us the assurance that they intend to do so, and I also observed in Mr Li’s remarks that he requested his general contractor that they, too, comply with their obligation to ensure that the construction is done in an ecologically friendly, sustainable and low carbon emitting manner,” he said.
How stupid can the PM be. While countries are strengthening policies to hold corporations to account, the Grenada PM lower his country’s standards.
Governments should have clear policies which influence development not the other way around.
This outrageous.