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DeSilva accuses Gov’t of putting ‘money over Bermudians’

Shadow Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva

The One Bermuda Alliance was accused of stooping to “money over Bermudians” in Government’s continuing bid to relocate a single family from the failed Grand Atlantic housing development in Warwick.

The condemnation came from Shadow Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva, in response to the extended memorandum of understanding between Public Works and the developer seeking to turn Grand Atlantic into the Bermudiana Beach Resort.

Just one couple opted to buy a housing unit in the estate, created under the Progressive Labour Party administration but decried by environmentalists and criticised by the OBA as a “white elephant”.

The memorandum with developers MacLellan and Associates had been due to expire yesterday, but Government announced a 90-day extension earlier this week.

According to a Public Works spokesman, the lone residents of Grand Atlantic — the Marshalls — were presented with options including “an offer to transfer the family to a choice of properties valued approximately $200,000 more than their purchase price, a resale of their unit to the Government at a 35 percent return on their investment and an offer to have their unit independently appraised and purchased by the Government with costs borne by the Government”.

Unit 10 at the development was listed as sold for $460,000 on January 31, 2013.

Asked for an update on negotiations, the Ministry spokesman last night said Government “continues to search for an acceptable transfer unit for the Marshalls”.

As for other interested residents given approval for purchase after the housing estate came onto the market, the spokesman responded: “There is no need to negotiate with any further potential buyers as they were not owners of Grand Atlantic units.”

However, Mr DeSilva dismissed the offer as Government’s “latest attempt to displace a Bermudian family” — and said the Opposition would oppose it “with every measure at our disposal”.

Added Mr DeSilva: “The Marshall family have played by the rules, worked hard and achieved a goal so many of us share. Now in a typical OBA move of money over Bermudians, they are being deprived and forced to give up all that they have worked so hard to achieve.”

“Reverting to the tactics of those who displaced Bermudians so others could profit is not a better way,” the Southampton East MP said.

“Let’s learn from the cruelty of the past and seek a better way. This move is a monumental step backwards that Bermudians must oppose. Let’s broker a deal that doesn’t deprive the Marshall family and move forward with this project for the benefit of Bermudians seeking work in the tourism sector and the revitalisation of our tourism product.”

Government hopes to have the development repurposed by the middle of summer, 2015.