The Sands has been declared the Most Elegant Property ever built in Barbados.
This latest international acclaim comes as locals know little to nothing about the property that sits as an imposing figure in Paynes Bay on the west coast of the island.
The International Business Times, a global business blog that reviews properties. global markets and international firms turned its attention to Barbados’ platinum coast and “The Sands” which sits just a few minutes drive from Holetown.
The property which has been described by many as striking for the land area it stands on has brokered very little local involvement from Barbados, and for some has not been welcomed with open arms.
But in April 2010, one of the most successful Barbadian real estate firms, Altman Real Estate brokered a marketing strategy for the exclusive property. Up till that time, there was no local involvement in the property.
According to the International Business Times report, the elite gated community, the Sands, is located in Saint James. The Sands is an exclusive luxury compound adjacent to the wondrous Sandy Lane Beach and is made up of eight super-size luxury villas. The houses range from 8,000 to 9,500 square feet of living space in addition to private terraces and communal areas outdoors.
Furthermore it is asserted, “These opulent residences are magical throughout with vaulted ceilings, spiral staircases, marble floors, and the decorative touch of various internationally renowned interior decorators. Lucky residents of these deluxe single-family mansions also tap into all the amenities of the five-star Sandy Lane Hotel, including the Tom Fazio-designed Green Monkey championship golf course, year round.”
Barbados most easterly parish is continuing to attract major investment appeal, as the plans of a major investment firm that already has big investments there, will soon be ready to be put into motion.
Word of the latest plans from Millennium Investments Limited, the company behind the Crane Resort and Residences, has come from the local media. According to press reports the investment firm led by long-standing Canadian investor Paul Doyle, is borrowing $40 million from World Bank affiliate the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as part of funding for a three-part venture that includes the construction of 50 apartments and development of a back beach area at the existing resort, building of a new residential venture at Whitehaven near popular areas like Culpepper and Skeete’s Bay in St. Philip, and is also looking for new “opportunities” elsewhere in the country.
The group is also planning to complete a major new sewerage treatment system in 2011 and has developed a 622,000 gallon capacity water storage system to collect rain water for use in the existing resort’s laundry. Local press reports also indicate that the new development at Whitehaven will be low density and low rise, with single story residential units, and is planned on what is currently animal grazing land that was acquired on a willing buyer/willing seller basis from the previous owner and which will impose only readily mitigable environmental impacts. It said these impacts would be “reviewed by environmental and social impact assessment at an appropriate stage of the project development cycle, and management plans developed accordingly.
Before the project starts an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment has to be completed examining the development’s compliance with local planning requirements and its own performance standards. Also necessary is a management plan enabling compliance with these requirements. As reported the financial institution said it had already held meetings with Doyle and his team, including project planning and construction staff, engineering, human resources and security staff and the general manager of The Crane.
Its officials have also visited Barbados and inspected the existing Crane site while also journeying to the proposed project site at Whitehaven. But even before they get to the new project, MIL’s principal’s are moving ahead with the plans to expand The Crane further. “Development of the coconut grove area behind Crane Beach will be in consultation with all relevant local planning authorities and stakeholders, including the Coastal Zone Management Unit and Barbados Sea Turtle Project,” officials noted in the proposal.
The Crane offers timeshare investment opportunities. There is either outright or interval ownership of luxurious one-, two- or three-bedroom residences in its Private Residence development. There are one, two and three-bedroom residence units, bringing total rooms to 202 currently with new rooms being added to the product as the property is still being developed. Prices for whole ownership at the exquisite residences range from US $425,000 for the deluxe studio to US $1,781,000 for the 2 Bedroom, 3 bath, with 28′ Pool. Meanwhile quarter share ownership ranges from US $179,159 for a one bedroom rooftop deck pool with a Gazebo and the two bedroom with similar amenities starts at US $220,266.
Outright ownership provides the opportunity for owners to have flexible usage of their own luxurious oceanfront residence and a unique rental programme to ensure a significant return on investment, if desired.
In 2009, Doyle indicated that the Crane was performing well despite a global economic crisis. At that time he lauded the support of Barbadians in coming to the hotel with the Staycation programme which has resulted in 700 room nights from the local market. He explained that Barbadians are taking full advantage of the programme and spending weekends at the St. Philip resort.
The construction of major property development projects in Barbados in the second half of 2010, will be one of the leading factors for the Barbados economy.
Dr. Delisle Worrell, Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados disclosed that he expects a turnaround in the construction industry in the coming months which can have a rebounding impact of the economy.
Speaking in a media briefing on July 14th, 2010 which was focused on the performance of the economy over the first six months of 2010, Dr. Worrell noted that projects such as Beachlands and Four Seasons should both soon be underway.
Looking at the Four Seasons project he explained that the guarantee for that project has been given and that should boost the industry. That guarantee was US$60 million.
Simultaneously word on the start of Beachlands has been hard to come by. Sitting just outside of Holetown on the West Coast that development was projected to start construction in the second quarter of 2010. In January 2009, it was disclosed that Beachlands would bring $400 million in investment to Barbados. 
On the other hand the Central Bank Governor said, “I don’t expect that anything will happen with the newer projects like Pickerings (in St. Lucy) during the rest of this fiscal year. Those are some way ahead, but certainly Four Seasons (and) Beachlands. And some projects are already under way like the new marina next to Port St. Charles.
Meanwhile other major projects that are tourism related that should soon be opened are St. Peter’s Bay in Road View, St. Peter. Moreover key additions to South coast will be coming with the pending completion of projects such as Ocean Two in Dover Christ Church.
