A special development order for the Fairmont Southampton hotel is expected to be tabled in the House of Assembly tomorrow.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, said yesterday that the existing order finalises, but does not alter, what Walter Roban, the former Minister of Home Affairs, approved in 2023.

He explained: “The original SDO was written and was being discussed with the Department of Planning.

“With extensive conversations with the department, it was finalised and is ready to be signed into law.”

Discussions included environmental considerations, phasing of development and “details of the public benefit components” such as improvements to the Railway Trail and realigning part of South Road.

The minister said: “An environmental impact study must be done to fulfil the planning requirements that are needed for this. Environmental protections are to protect areas up there that require us to ensure that they remain intact and not disturbed by the construction.”

The updated SDO incorporates a subdivision plan and enhances standards for wastewater management, traffic controls and public access to key areas of the resort.

Mr Rabain clarified: “The goal remains the same [as 2023] — to bring the hotel back, to create jobs for Bermudians, to strengthen our tourism product and to do so while safeguarding the character of the land and surrounding community.”

Developers can submit planning applications for each phase of redevelopment after the SDO passes in the House of Assembly.

Mr Rabain said 24 local contractors and 641 people, including 242 Bermudians, spouses of Bermudians or permanent resident’s certificate holders, have worked on the redevelopment so far, and 450 people are expected to be employed at the hotel by the end of 2026.

He added: “Once the hotel is fully ramped up, I anticipate them employing close to 700 staff, and the Government is committed to seeing them hire as many qualified Bermudians as possible.”

He urged those who object to the SDO to continue voicing their concerns, but said: “As the Government, we need to move forward with projects like this that will benefit us all and outweigh the balance of not satisfying some things, but satisfying most things that need to be done.”

The minister explained: “Make your comments known, and those can be taken into account. You may not get 100 per cent of what you’re looking for, but you might get 50 per cent.”

Gencom, a Miami-based investment company, acquired the Fairmont Southampton by purchasing Westend Properties in December 2019, less than a year before the resort closed its doors.

The resort has remained closed since then, but redevelopment work began in early 2024 and a groundbreaking ceremony took place on the grounds last November.

Mr Rabain highlighted that the SDO only outlines construction of new residences on the resort property, not the building of the actual hotel.

He said: “It’s important that we get this right, not rushed, not careless but correct.

“Bermuda needs a robust tourism offering, and Bermudians should see the benefits of that success.”

The resort is expected to reopen next year, but Mr Rabain could not say precisely when.