Stake Bank Cruise Port to Break Ground in August

The Stake Bank Cruise Port is finally getting off almost a decade after it was first conceived and introduced by developer Michael Feinstein.  The proposal to construct a cruise ship terminal off the coast of Belize City that would rival Harvest Caye in southern Belize is set to begin in early August.  That’s according to the Feinstein Group which issued a release earlier today informing that Stake Bank Enterprises Limited has finalized all negotiations with government and has also secured funding through the Atlantic Bank.  But as promising and highly touted as the undertaking seems to be, the multimillion dollar tourism project will be scaled down considerably due to environmental concerns over a previously proposed causeway that would have linked the caye to mainland Belize City.  During public consultations held in Belize City in June 2013, environmentalists and tourism stakeholders fought against the causeway. The developers are now able to proceed with the project and have set a timeline of eighteen to twenty-four months to completion.  Project Coordinator Troy Gabb told News Five today that development will also consist of roughly seventy thousand square feet of retail space, beaches and leisure areas.

Troy Gabb, Project Coordinator, Stake Bank Cruise Port

Troy Gabb

“The project concluded, for all intents and purposes, in terms of the logistics, there was a lengthy period of negotiations dealing with the government dealing with the legislation, dealing with the definitive agreement and then there was also the environmental compliance plan that had to be put in place via the EIA, Environmental Impact Assessment.  So that has been concluded and the government is fully onboard and fully approved of the project completely.  In addition to that, of course funding, as you always know, is a critical part of these projects of this size and that was what was concluded yesterday and that is why the release was sent out now because the project is set to go.  A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the next two weeks or so where we’ll be set with all the pomp and circumstance.”

Isani Cayetano

“What is the scale of the Stake Bank project as we’re looking at it going into the future?”

Troy Gabb

“Basically the Stake Bank Project or the Stake Bank Cruise Port docking facility is going to be an actual ship dock for cruise ships.  There are going to be two fingers, two piers are going to be built which will accommodate four ships of any class which means that it will include all the mega classes as well.  Right now those are prohibited for the most part from coming to Belize, simply because there are issues with the tenders and so there is always some complication.  This is not going to be the case now and so all those ships that are bypassing us or not have us on their itinerary will be able to come to Belize.  It will also have an upland development which will consist of, as the press release states, about seventy thousand square feet of shopping area inclusive of restaurants and bars and beaches, leisure area as well, as well as a marina especially to house the tenders.  It’s going to be very efficient for them because often times when they drop off their passengers to the ship itself they have to come all the way back in.  They won’t necessarily have to do that now, it will be cheaper to just leave it at the marina and you shuttle in your captains on a smaller vessel, so again, the project is going to create a lot of savings for the tender community as well.”