At least half of the jobs being created through the development of the Pink Beach Hotel will be promised to Bermudians, according to developer Sardis.

There will be an estimated between 80 and 100 construction jobs and about 50 other jobs once the $54 million, 34-room boutique hotel is built.

The Pink Beach Hotel concessions order was passed in the House of Assembly on Monday night and will now be considered in the Senate.

Politicians on both sides of the House voiced support for the development of the hotel, which closed its doors in 2013, and welcomed the fact that Bermudians were being given assurances of employment.

There will also be opportunities for students to gain experience at the hotel.

But questions were raised as to the intention of the investor at the helm of the development, who will also be building a private residence, cottages and groundkeepers’ quarters on the Smith’s site.

Shadow Immigration Minister Walton Brown questioned whether the development was for the benefit of Bermuda’s tourism product or for the benefit of the buyer, who will get his own house in Tucker’s Town.

Shadow Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva asked whether the concessions attached to the hotel would extend to the building of the private residences.

“I don’t see any issues with them. I welcome and applaud the minister.

“Only thing I would ask is, the owner has subdivided some of the property for his private home — I hope these concessions aren’t looped in with his house. The owner can afford it.”

Mr Crockwell said that the private residence, cottages and groundskeepers’ quarters would benefit from the concessions but that they would need to be part of the hotel’s inventory for six months of the year for the first six years.

“Government didn’t sell the property, we had no influence on who purchased the property,” Mr Crockwell added. “Stephen King purchased it and the bank went through due diligence etc.

“Then the developer comes to us and says this is what his intentions are. It’s not my job to question his motives.

“Since 2013, it’s been closed. Now there is a purchaser who wanted to build a luxury boutique hotel. Is it the ideal plan? Maybe not. But we believe it will make good addition to the hotel inventory.

“He is an aggressive developer there is work on the ground we should be grateful for this development.”