One of the biggest construction companies in the US is involved in a new development proposal that would transform the deserted Morgan?s Point peninsula with an ?Atlantis? style hotel resort and a championship level golf course.

Shops, restaurants, a yacht marina and up to 300 affordable housing units are amongst other concepts in the proposal although the fine details and design of the plan, which was only delivered to the Bermuda Land Development Company last week, have not been made public.

A consortium said to feature international and local partners and is being led by Clark International, part of the privately owned Clark Enterprises corporation that includes billion-dollar East Coast construction giant the Clark Construction Group.

The fact that such a major player in the construction world has indicated an interest in one of the last large tracts of undeveloped land on the Island has been acknowledged by Transport and Tourism permanent secretary Marc Telemaque, although yesterday he was not able to comment on the proposal.

Tourism Minister Ewart Brown is currently off Island.

Morgan?s Point was formally a US Naval Annex until the US military left in the mid-1990s. There have been concerns about the expense of cleaning up pollutants left behind. In 2002 it was reportedly estimated such an environmental clean-up might cost $30 million.

The Clark International-led consortium has indicated in a statement it would pay for a ?complete clean-up and re-mediation of the present contamination. All costs and liabilities borne by the team, not by the Bermuda Government or the BLDC.?

And it will design, build and finance up to 300 affordable housing units, which would almost fulfil the Government?s affordable housing quota promised in last November?s Throne Speech.

The former Commander?s House at Morgan?s Point would be renovated to become a tourism office and a restaurant.

A team from the consortium has been in Bermuda during the past year assessing the potential of the site said Andrew Wahlquist, of Virginia-based government and public affairs consultants Alcade & Fay, which has issued preliminary details of the proposal on behalf of Clark International. Beach facilities, spa, a marina capable of handling small boats and ?mega yachts?, a shopping promenade and restaurants are said to be amongst the proposals. There is a mention of an ?Atlantis? style condo-hotel-resort, which Mr. Wahlquist said was more a reference to the quality of the famous hotel in Barbados rather than an indication that such a huge venture would be replicated at Morgan?s Point.

Mr. Wahlquist said the consortium had lodged a comprehensive response with the BLDC following a Request for Proposal approach. ?The Clark Companies are one of the largest, privately owned construction companies in the US. They have the financial capability,? he said.

?Clark International see the potential for this site. The people in the team have been looking at the site thoroughly during the past year.? Mr. Wahlquist was not able to say how much the proposed development might cost or how long it would take to complete if approved. Clark International is based in Bethesda, Maryland, and is now awaiting the Government and BLDC?s decision. Should a contract or memorandum of understanding be issued ?the team would finalise the details of the project, provide further evidence to the Government and the BLDC that its concept is viable and then proceed with the project,? said the company through the Alcade & Fay statement.

Amongst its many projects the Clark Construction Group has recently completed North Virginia?s first Westin Hotel in Arlington, it has a long history of involvement in construction across the US including office buildings, sports stadiums and entertainment facilities. In 2002 the company, founded in 1906, was ranked as the 12th largest in the US by Engineering News Record and the fifth largest by Building Design and Construction. Clark International does not appear on the Clark Enterprises web site, however has contacted Clark Construction Group to verify the existence of the off-shoot, although was unable yesterday to speak to anyone directly from Clark International.