Catherine's Guide to Grand Bahama Real Estate Opportunities

Inside Nygard Cay: A Bahamas Desinations Exclusive Tour (Sneak Peek)

Nygard Cay, The Bahamas - Follow The Bahamas Weekly News Team on a Bahamas Desination exclusive at the world famous Nygard Cay, owned by fashion tycoon Mr. Peter Nygard. TBWeekly's Dave Mackey and Robbin Whachell accepted an invitation to attend the 2008 Bahamas Fashion Week in July by founder, Kevin Strakan.

During that visit the Team was invited to Nygard Cay for the day to be given a private tour and interview Peter Nygard on the very day he received his Lifetime Achievement Award for his achievements in fashion.

Coming soon - a rare and wonderful interview with Nygard himself and amazing tour around his magnificent property at the tip of Lyford Cay, New Providence which rents for $42,000 a day and has been featured on the Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous TV show!

Stay tuned to The Bahamas Weekly!

Explorers Club of New York's Flag Expedition Presentation

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Grand Bahama Island - On August 25th, 2008. The Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO) and UNEXSO hosted a wrap up press conference for the visiting Explorer's Club Flag Expedition at Petersen's Cay. A six-member crew of New York Citys distinguished Explorers Club (TEC) led by Marine Biologists Drs. Stefan Harzen and Barbara Brunnick, and Science Writer Joe Frey had just completed their eight-day Flag Expedition to Grand Bahama Island. The Explorers Club is an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. Since its inception in 1904, the Club has served as a meeting point and unifying force for explorers and scientists worldwide.

Watch and listen as Dr. Harzen, President and CEO of the Taras Oceanographic Foundation,explains what was accomplished during their visit and the plans for the project into the future.

Also giving remarks is Graham Torode, President, DEVCO; Nakira Wilchcombe, Environmental Manager, GBPA; Terrance Roberts, Director Business Development & Communications, GBMOT; Andre Cartwright, Sustainable Tourism Development Officer, GBMOT; and Linda Osborne, General Manager, UNEXSO. Mr.

Torode completes the video by making a plea to Grand Bahamian residents to ensure we all do our part to care for and keep our most valuable resource, our environment, pristine for our guests and future generations.

Video - Explorer's Club Flag Expedition of Petersen's Cay National

www.BahamasExpeditions.org

The Explorers Club Flag Expedition Coming to Grand Bahama Island

Dr. Shepherd Pres. Ross University progress report on Grand Bahama Campus

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Grand Bahama Island In an effort to keep community leaders updated on the progress and future development of the Ross University Bahamas campus, the president of Ross University, Dr. Thomas C. Shepherd hosted an informal luncheon at the Westin Hotel on Wednesday, October 1st.

Accompanying Dr. Shepherd were senior members of his management team, those being Dr. Nancy Perri, Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Mary Coleman, Dean, Ross University School of Medicine; Sandi Cutler, Vice President for Planning and Business Development; and Dr. John Daley, Campus Administrator.

Approximately 40 invited guests were in attendance to listen to a brief progress report by Dr. Shepherd, who touched upon the construction at Seahorse Plaza, which happens to be ahead of schedule; their hiring progress, which is in full swing with over 4000 applications to Ross job postings thus far; and the recent launch of their housing registry to ensure their students, faculty and staff are well settled in prior to classes commencing in January.

Dr. Shepherd was quoted in saying, We got here today, through the extraordinary contributions and efforts of many people including many in the room. I asked everyone here today to say thank you, to share the good news, so that you can look at each other, and with us feel good about what we are creating together.

In just two months since our announcement, we have come to know this community, its people, and its resources even more deeply. We have just begun to begin. We need your help not only to succeed in our work, but in helping us be an important part of the community as a whole.

In January we will open our doors, and Ross University will have completed the first phase of its history in Grand Bahama. Over the next year Ross enrollment will grow steadily, a little more each semester. In about 18 months we will begin construction of our new campus, and over this time we will hire additional staff, including many additional local residents.

In January will be able to say, this is a modest example of what we can accomplish, of what Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and the nation of The Bahamas can accomplish when we work together, completed Dr. Shepherd.

COB Grand Bahama Campus set to begin construction

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Grand Bahama Island - College of the Bahamas president, Janyne Hodder announced at a press conference on Friday, September 12th that construction will commence on COB's new Northern Campus to be built on Grand Bahama.

The $8.4 Million, 40,000 sq. ft. campus will be located on Grand Bahama Highway, over the bridge on property donated by the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

The first phase of construction is set to take approximately fourteen to eighteen months for completion. Reef Construction has been contracted to do the work.

In this video listen to Mrs. Hodder as she speaks about COB's excitement of having the project move ahead after ten years in the making, as well as how it will allow for expansion of their programs, and of course their capacity.

You will also hear from architect Dirk Saunders, of Jackson Burnside; Vernon Wells, president of Reef Construction; and Felix Stubbs, chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority

With this great news and the recently announced new Ross University campus coming on stream, Grand Bahama Island is poised to become a center for higher learning.

Read a related Bahamas Journal article

Grand Bahama Yacht Club Blesses their New Club House European Style

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GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND - On Friday, November 16th, 2007, the management, staff, and builders of the Grand Bahama Yacht Club gathered to bless their new Club House. It was not your usual blessing, where a new building is blessed upon its grand opening, but rather one stemming from a European tradition, where the building is blessed once the highest truss is set into place.

A wreath to symbolize the blessing was mounted above the building like a halo to commemorate the event. The open ceiling offers a flow of wind and energy to ward off negative and instill a bright and positive use of the building for the future. Since the Club House at Grand Bahama Yacht Club will be a place of many happy future moments, for residents and guests, it was a fitting blessing.

Taste of Grand Bahama 2007 review with James Sarles of Coldwell Banker

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Coldwell Banker James Sarles Realty released their annual Christmas Video today which can be seen on You Tube and Blip TV. The video has become an annual tradition and clients and friends around the world look forward to the video each Christmas season . Coldwell Bankers President James Sarles working with his talented wife Marina Gottlieb Sarles and the very talented producer Dave Mackey of Mackey Media Productions produce this annual Christmas Video.

This years video introduces Taste Of Grand Bahama which is a show hosted by James Sarles and Produced and Directed by Dave Mackey. The show provides viewers with a inside look or taste of Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas which has a certain magnetic quality that keeps people coming back again and again. A big part of the attraction is that Grand Bahama represents the best of both worlds. It has all the basic ingredients of a tropical paradise: year-round sun, 25 miles of sandy white beaches, swaying palms, championship golf courses, and some of the prettiest crystal clear aqua waters in the world. The island is also ideally located just off Florida's fast paced fun-coast, only about 70 miles from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Finding everything you want in a relaxed, charming, get-away-from-it-all island, so close to the United States, is a combination that's hard to beat. And a combination that has lots of well-traveled people from all over the world choosing Grand Bahama Island as their second home. The video includes a look back at the clever Santa Baby and Winter Wonderland music videos starring Marina Gottlieb with humourous real estate lyrics. The show also provides viewers with a recap of 2007 which was a very important year for Grand Bahama setting the stage for a dynamic 2008. Some of the highlights mentioned in the Video include The Ginn Companys purchase of The Old Bahama Bay Resort, The world class Arman Resorts purchase of prime beach front property in the Eastern Part of Grand Bahama Island to build a world class hotel, The Grand Bahma Yacht Clubs purchase of Port Lucaya Marina ground breaking of the new club house and new luxury waterside condos, Spirit Airs announcement of new service to Freeport to making travel easier, The FNM government return to power, Morgan Stanleys purchase of 2000 acres of land for a mega resort East of The Grand Lucayan Waterway and recent investments of Hong Kong based Hutchison Whampoa which has built one of the largest transshipment container ports in the world.

The video points out that Real Estate prices in spite of a downturn on world markets showed steady appreciation, The big news on the video is that Ireland based Harcourt Developments have bought the Royal Oasis Hotel and are investing 400 million dollars to create a fabulous resort and Casino bringing this hotel back to the glory days. Harcourt also broke ground on a new luxury condo development called Suffolk Court. The video features the musical stylings of authenic Bahamian "Rake and Scrape" artist Ophie and The Webbsites as well as the Backyard Dancers.

A MODERN PARADISE

The wide paved boulevards, manicured roadways, miles of well-planned waterways that are part of Freeport/Lucaya's modern infrastructure, got its start back in the mid 1950s when an American entrepreneur named Wallace Groves laid the strong foundation for today's residential and business boom. Wallace's original vision of a professionally designed and planned community, complete with clean water, state-of-the-art power and utilities, cutting-edge technology and communications, all carefully nestled within the abundant natural beauty of Grand Bahama, is alive and well today, clearly visible in an island infrastructure that is second to none in the region.

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE

Freeport/Lucaya is unique in the entire Caribbean. In Grand Bahama, the enjoyment of relaxed island living is reliably supported by a clean, well-planned, up-to-date infrastructure that lets you truly relax, knowing the basics are already taken care of. It is also remarkable in this day and age to find an unspoiled place with no pollution or traffic congestion, only a 30 minute plane ride from South Florida.

Grand Bahama offers an unparalleled lifestyle, and the chance to get in on the ground floor of some tremendous growth. The island is just beginning to be discoveredit often reminds people of the opportunities they saw 40 years ago in Florida.