Naval Air Station has been awarded to the Bermuda branch of an internationally renowned firm.

Yesterday it was revealed that Arthur Andersen had beaten off competition from eight other bids to draw up a Master Development Strategy for the 415-acre former military base.

The firm will be expected to identify businesses suitable for the base and recommend priorities for development. It is also expected to mastermind a marketing strategy for the property.

It was also announced yesterday that a $2 million security contract for the St. David's base to replace the Police-supervised security team has been awarded to a Bermuda company.

Arthur Andersen was appointed by the Bermuda Land Development Company, which was established to oversee the rebirth of the former bases.

According to a BLDC spokesman the Arthur Andersen contract will cover two phases, lasting a total of six months.

Phase one involves a development strategy for Marginal Wharf which is expected to be completed by mid-May. Phase two is the strategy for the entire base which is expected by mid-July.

It will examine suggestions made in the original Broad Use Plan and the Development Plan for the Former Military bases.

The strategy will also look closely at the field of information technology for the business and technology park at the base.

And a separate study on housing will be conducted "with a view to determining needs and reconciling them with long-term development opportunities''.

"The strategy will be fundamental to the BLDC's development activities over the next ten to 15 years,'' the spokesman said.

"It will identify realistic business and commercial prospects and then recommend priorities based on their potential to generate revenue to the BLDC.'' The local team includes Scott Hunter, managing partner of Arthur Andersen (Bermuda), Cooper and Gardner Architects, Woodbourne Associates engineering firm and Jones Waddington Ltd., real estate agents and surveyors.

Meanwhile the BLDC announced the three-year contract for security at the St.

David's base has been awarded to International Security and Investigations (ISI) Ltd. of Sandys.

Selection of ISI, which is headed by Carlton Crockwell, ended a competitive process which began last January involving six local security firms.

The contract, which will employ 17 peope, will start on April 1 when the Police supervised security operation for the NAS comes to an end.

Scott Hunter