A high-stakes $21 million revitalization project for the aging Port Lucaya Marina on Grand Bahama has hit an unexpected legal roadblock, just 24 hours after demolition work got underway. The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) has issued a stop-work order that has brought the entire first phase of the redevelopment to a sudden standstill, centered on unresolved questions surrounding the legal transfer of the marina’s critical seabed lease.
The project’s new developer, Bahamas Land and Waterways, received the cease-and-desist notice from GBPA’s Inspection Department on Friday, putting a premature end to the initial demolition of the long-deteriorated waterfront facility. Frank Delancy, managing director of Bahamas Land and Waterways, has pushed back against the order, arguing that regulators issued the mandate in error. Delancy noted the stop-work order incorrectly references prohibited repair work, when the firm was clearly engaged in full demolition of the existing structure.
“I explained to the personnel at the Inspection Department that we’re not doing repairs. We are actually doing demolition,” Delancy told reporters. “They were very overzealous in issuing that, and if you look at the stop-work order, it says repairs when we’re doing demolition.”
The dispute expanded further on Monday, when the Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO) – the entity that still claims to be the official landlord under the existing seabed lease – confirmed it has not received required legal documentation to formally recognize the marina’s new ownership or their authorized project representatives. DEVCO emphasized that the original lease remains fully in effect, and it requires any change to the property’s beneficial ownership to be formally disclosed and approved through standard administrative channels.
“While we understand that the property has been sold by third parties, DEVCO has not yet received the legal documentation confirming the new ownership or identifying the individuals authorized to act on behalf of the owner,” the company said in an official statement. DEVCO stressed that its request for paperwork is a routine legal and administrative requirement baked into the original lease agreement, not a broader objection to the much-anticipated redevelopment project.
“Our only requirement, as stated in our lease agreement, is that we receive the necessary legal documentation so that we can recognize the properly authorized party and fulfill our obligations under the lease,” the statement continued. “This is a standard legal and administrative process that is common to landlord and tenant relationships. The new owners of the Port Lucaya Marina are not exempt from this requirement.”
Project contractor Executive Marine Management announced demolition had officially kicked off on Thursday, marking the formal launch of the first phase of the waterfront transformation. According to Delancy, Bahamas Land and Waterways notified GBPA of its project plans well in advance of the start date, and the contractor submitted an application for the required demolition permit eight to nine days prior to beginning work. Delancy claims the project received verbal approval from regulators, was assigned a permit number, and was told formal documentation would be processed after work commenced.
“We kept in communication through the contractor, which is a very reputable contractor, and they’ve done things of this nature before,” Delancy said. “They applied for the permit. They were given a verbal approval, with the permit number to be processed later. However, that did not happen, but we were told to commence the work.”
Delancy added that open communication between the developer and GBPA continued through the previous Wednesday, when the firm once again received verbal clearance to move forward with demolition. He noted that no GBPA representatives visited the work site to halt the project before work started, even after the developer publicly announced the demolition timeline. Delancy stressed the developer does not view the conflict as a broader breakdown in relations with GBPA, and the firm is eager to resolve the administrative standoff quickly to get the project back on track. Bahamas Land and Waterways has scheduled a meeting with GBPA officials this week to negotiate a path forward.
Charisse Brown, president of GB DEVCO, echoed that sentiment, saying her company welcomes the planned private investment and has no fundamental objection to the proposed redevelopment work. “We welcome the planned investment in and improvement of the marina,” Brown said. “Enhancements to this important asset are positive for Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama, and the wider economy. DEVCO has no objection to the proposed works and is committed to supporting responsible development.”
Brown added that there appears to be “some misunderstanding and misinformation” surrounding the public dispute, and DEVCO is fully willing to work with the new ownership to secure all required approvals and move the project forward once the necessary legal paperwork is submitted.
Prior to the stop-work order, Delancy said demolition was expected to take between four and six weeks to complete. Once that phase wraps up, the developer planned to wait for delivery of new prefabricated dock infrastructure before beginning installation. “We just want to get this development started because we know the state of Grand Bahama, so we’re trying to do things in order to progress forward with this development,” Delancy said.