exhibition facility on East Broadway, saying it has not yet given its approval.

Directors of the Trust company that co-owns the site with Fidelity said they will not consider the proposal until the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute has consulted organisations that would be affected by the scheme.

This includes the Bermuda Maritime Museum -- whose director has spoken vigorously against the Institute proposal -- as well as the Bermuda Biological Station and the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo.

Trust president Mrs. Patsy Phillips and Trust lawyer Mr. Alan Dunch, both of whom are directors of the Bermuda National Trust Endowment Co., said the Institute did not even make a presentation to the Trust company until last week.

The endowment company and US-based Fidelity Real Estate formed the Fidnat Partnership in 1984 to buy the property from Mr. Dudley Butterfield.

Some of the property is waterfront green space, and part of it used as a parking lot for Fidelity International, which leases the adjacent Pembroke Hall property from the National Trust.

"It would be fair to say that came as something of a surprise to us to read about all this in the newspaper,'' Mr. Dunch said. "And it was even a greater surprise to the company to learn through the newspaper that it was proposed that this Institute be built on the Butterfield property.'' But the Institute will not be allowed to build on the property unless the National Trust Endowment Co. agrees to it, Mr. Dunch and Mrs. Phillips said.

"We aren't going to make a decision until the Institute has cleared its decks with all the other organisations who are going to be affected one way or another,'' Mr. Dunch said.

The question of the East Broadway property's future will only come up when the Trust company is "satisfied that there is a general feeling of support for the proposal.'' When that happens, Mr. Dunch said, "we will make a decision in what we consider to be in the best interests of the company, the Trust and Bermuda ... The ball is in the Institute's court. I hope the Institute will set about meeting with those other organisations.'' Mr. J.R.H. (Jack) Lightbourn, one of the Institute's founding members, said he was under the impression that the only objections had come from the Maritime Museum's director, Dr. Ed Harris.

Backers of the Institute say their efforts will compliment rather than compete with other local organisations -- and be a much-needed tourist attraction in Hamilton.

Dr. Harris has vigorously lobbied against the plan, arguing that it would duplicate work done by the Maritime Museum, Biological Station and Aquarium.

Money raised for the proposed Institute would be better spent on the existing organisations, he argues.

Mr. Lightbourn said the East Broadway site was excellent, and the only one being considered by the Institute. But everything is "still very much in the planning stages,'' he added.

Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul, president of Bermuda-based Fidelity International and a key backer of the Institute plans, was off the Island yesterday.

In discussions on the Institute, Dr. Saul has represented the US-based Fidelity company that owns the land and Mr. Ned Johnson, the head of both the Bermuda and US Fidelity companies.

Mr. Johnson has offered Fidelity's share of the site to the Institute, and offered to match donations for the building up to $5 million. The entire project is expected to cost about $10 million.