F.F.B. Makes Substantial Land Purchase in Belmopan for Facility Expansion Project
The Football Federation of Belize purchased nineteen acres of land today with the future of the sport in mind. The land is located behind F.F.B.’s administration building and dormitories, at its headquarters in Belmopan. But, before it made the purchase, the federation had to sort out its land documents. While F.B.B. has been laying claim to the now purchased land for the last decade, they reportedly only recently learnt that all their land documents were not order. Well, they engaged RECONDEV and soon enough those papers were sorted out. Today, F.F.B. handed over a six figure check to RECONDEV to purchase the nineteen acres which will be used to create an F.F.B. Center of Excellence. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Football Federation of Belize is looking to expand its facility at the F.F.B. Headquarters in Belmopan, with the purchase of nineteen acres of land. At a value of nine hundred thousand dollars, Earl Jones, the General Secretary of F.F.B. explained that the purchase is being covered by the FIFA Forward Fund.
Earl Jones
Earl Jones, General Secretary of F.F.B.
“We approached FIFA on further use of the funds and conditional upon the development, the money that will be expended on the project, FIFA required that we looked into ownership of property or some long-term lease that would guarantee the investment. When we look into the situation at F.F.B. we were on the perception that we had two parcels of land here under lease. But our surprise is under a lease for ninety-nine years, but to our surprise the other was never formally documented at the land department.”
Through the FIFA Forward Fund, F.F.B. recently completed the construction of a synthetic pitch and renovation of its bleachers on five acres of leased land that sits along the Humming Bird Highway. F.F.B. also claims two additional parcels amounting to nineteen acres which is situated at the rear of those five acres. But, the executive recently discovered that the federation did not have the proper land documents for all nineteen acres, a requirement by FIFA to access the necessary funds for further development of those lands. Sergio Chuc, the President of F.F.B., explained.
Sergio Chuc
Sergio Chuc, President, F.F.B.
“We realized that we did not have the back portion of the land under any proper documented lease and that is when FIFA said, you need to have proper title for the land if you are going to continue the investment. We cannot continue investing in a property which is not secured and the discussion started with the RECONDEV, the Reconstruction and Development Cooperation.”
F.F.B.’s executive approached the Reconstruction and Development Cooperation which is responsible for land management in the Capital City. In their discussions, RECONDEV agreed to the purchase price of nine hundred thousand dollars for nineteen acres of land, or roughly forty-seven thousand, four hundred dollars per acre. It is a win for the F.F.B., but a competing interest for Belmopan residents seeking land, as Brian Mira, the Chairman of the Board of Directors at RECONDEV, readily admitted.
Brian Mira
Brian Mira, Chairman, RECONDEV
“It has been a little while since we started the conversation that was not taken lightly. We got together with the Minister of Sports, with the area representative of Belmopan, because it is a competing interest, because Belmopan is in need of land for its citizens, but at the same time there was a unique opportunity for F.F.B. to own the land around the stadium which puts them on a unique footing for the future. We found out that they had gotten two leases, they lodged the lease which was the first portion, but the second lease was never executed so that expired. We went ahead and had the conversation. I knew they were using a part. We never thought we would just sell it or give it away, we don’t operate like that. But they also wanted to include the back portion which is the larger portion, and of course we had that conversation and this is where we end up now. There are actually three parcels, the original parcel they have a ninety-nine year lease for that. This is where the stadium is. There is a second parcel immediately behind it which they already using a part of. That lease was never lodged. That had expired and was no longer valid. There is a third portion which was all the way to the Roaring Creek River which is the larger portion and for which they have plans for the future, and so we went ahead and did the transaction for the remaining part not lodged at lands.”
Paul Lopez
“Wouldn’t there be need for some sort of retroactive payment for the use of that land during that period when payments were not being made?”
Brian Mira
“I would love for F.F.B. to pay us. I think it is just for the benefit of football. It was being put to good use. They already had a lease they just didn’t lodge it.”
Today, F.F.B. President Sergio Chuc handed over a check to RECONDEV. Now that the purchase of the land has been finalized, President Chuc says F.F.B. will engage VIVIDARCH, an architectural and engineering firm based in Belize City, to develop a master plan for its envisioned F.F.B. Center of Excellence.
Sergio Chuc
“When the master plan is completed within a next three four months, we will have an idea of how long it will take because we will have an exact idea of how long it will cost.”
Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.
