BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH a massive development plan to be completed by 2011, Project Managers at Christophe Harbour Development have indicated that construction is on schedule as the first phase of the golf course nears completion.
One of the major projects of the overall development plan is a world-class luxury destination golf course designed by internationally-acclaimed Tom Fazio. The golf course sprawls over 200 acres of land at points as high as 250 feet above sea level and offers spectacular views of Basseterre’s waterfront, magnificent sunsets, distant winding hillsides and neighbouring island Nevis.
Project Manager Matthew Bilhermer of Malphrus International said despite a number of challenges in the early stage of the earthwork, progress is being made according to plan. He indicated that there had been a few modifications in the construction work to accommodate the unforeseen challenges but added that the first phase, which includes nine holes, should be complete by July of this year.
“We have encountered a lot more rocks in the hill than originally expected so we had to adjust the grades a little bit. The original topography didn’t show the natural rock outcroppings as well as it should have. By making the necessary adjustments, it would adjust our drilling pattern, and so all these things will come into play as we try to leave the environment as natural as we can.
“Most of the large rocks have been excavated in order to give the required elevation. We have started to stockpile large rocks to be used as boulders, shore armours, jetties and revetments for the marina. So we are harvesting and generating large rocks to be used in the latter parts of the overall development project. This shows how interconnected this projected is.
“We can’t tear up everything to get the golf and great golf should look like it’s always been there. The whole idea is to encompass nature so we are trying to leave as much as we can. We are just going to cut just enough to fit the golf spots in.”
Chief Operations Officer Le Grand Elebash noted that some of the other developments to be witnessed over the upcoming months include the commencement of home construction and the construction of the neighbourhood at Sandy Bank Bay as the company continues to refine the marina design.
The overall project plan covers 2500 acres and consists of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, marina village, upscale housing development and high-end restaurants and stores.
