Developers expect to announce a deal for the transfer of the Jumeirah Southlands resort to Morgan's Point within the month.

Negotiations between Southlands Ltd., Government and the Jumeirah Group are still ongoing but the parties are expected to sign a contract to transfer the five-star resort from the Southlands, Warwick site to Morgan's Point in Southampton within the next few weeks.

Craig Christensen, owner of the Southlands estate with Brian Duperreault and Nelson Hunt, said this week he was "confident" the deal would go ahead "fairly shortly". He is to meet Jumeirah executives in New York next week to update them on progress.

It is just more than a year since the developers signed a deal with the Jumeirah Group to build a 311-suite resort on the Southlands estate.

Plans for the 497-bed development drew protests from environmental campaigners, who claimed the cliffside resort would destroy one of the Island's last remaining areas of open space and wipe out wildlife habitats.

Members of the public also objected to traffic congestion and the planned diversion of South Shore Road through a tunnel. Meanwhile, Environment Ministry civil servants questioned the safety of beachfront suites in the event of a hurricane.

In September, former Premier Alex Scott disclosed that the developers were re-examining the resort's location, with moves to effect a land transfer with Government for part of Morgan's Point.

Mr. Christensen, Mr. Duperreault and Mr. Hunt bought the greenfield Southlands estate in 2005 for an undisclosed sum, whereas Morgan's Point is a Government-owned former US Navy base.

If the land transfer goes ahead, Government will retain part of the 260-acre brownfield site for public housing. A PGA standard golf course is also in the blueprint. The developers would receive a freehold, plus leased land, in exchange for 37-acre Southlands.

The public however, will have to bear the costs of the estimated $25 million environmental remediation. Morgan's Point is heavily polluted with asbestos, metals, chemicals, 500,000 gallons of jet fuel, and has a two foot layer of viscous oil floating on the surface of Bassett's Cave.

In November, Premier Dr. Ewart Brown told The Royal Gazette that taxpayers would have to foot the bill.

"The Government is going to absorb the costs of the clean-up," he said. A month later, developers Southlands Ltd. revealed negotiations had reached an "advanced" stage.

Since then things have gone quiet, and yesterday Mr. Christensen did not wish to elaborate on any discussions. However, he said Jumeirah was still enthusiastic for the project.

"They would obviously like to see things go quicker but I will have my discussions with them next week," said Mr. Christensen.

He added he was "confident" of announcing a deal within the month.

"We are still in discussions so I'd rather not reveal where we are at the moment, but it's going well. Probably within a month we will announce what we are doing. I think we will announce everything at that stage."

Mr. Scott, MP for Warwick South East, said: "From what I can understand as I talk to the individuals involved, it is going along to the satisfaction of all sides.

"It was always going to be a very complex quid pro quo as one is a property from the private domain and the other is Government property, and these are the details they are working through. But progress is being made and an announcement will be made in the not-too-distant future."

Many hope that if Jumeirah Southlands is relocated, Government will then turn the Southlands estate into a national park.