MV Blue Wave Harmony arrives Jan 22

THE MV Blue Wave Harmony, the passenger and cargo boat to replace the Cabo Star on the seabridge, will arrive in TT at 8 am on January 22, said Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John.

John made the update at the Amcham economic forum at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on January 21.

“That's a scoop eh,” she quipped. “The media has been calling me all morning. Media don't call me again, you will get a release in the morning.”

The “scoop” was mentioned during a presentation of the projects being done by the Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) under the government's revitalisation plan unveiled last year by the Prime Minister which includes 129 projects aimed at revitalising key areas across TT.

Part of those plans includes Invaders Bay and Port of Spain.

She said Invaders Bay has 50 acres of prime real estate. Reclaimed over two administrations.

“It's just sitting there,” she said. “In terms of what we are going to do? We are talking about hotels, marinas, housing etc.”

She said plans for the foreshore include 300 premium apartments and 400 marina docks.

“We are outside the hurricane belt so we should be big in the dry docking marinas.”

For the Port of Port of Spain, she said the government has plans to utilise more than 400 acres of land which would free up 150 acres of prime real estate which would be better used for hotels and convention centres and other forms of tourism and entertainment.

For Sea Lots, John shares plans for converting the area to a “health city.”

“The scales of the projects are massive. For the Invaders Bay project alone construction would require 3,000 tonnes of structural steel, 23,000 tonnes of cement 5,000 tonnes of rebar, 10,000 tonnes of crushed aggregate, 6,000 tonnes of asphalt, electrical wire plumbing and professionals to put it all together.”

At its peak, the project proposes to provide more than 70,000 jobs.

“Everyone will be included. There is nothing like construction to heat up this economy.”

After the forum she said the foreign affairs minister of Abu Dhabi is expected to visit TT on January 23 to look at some of the areas for projects.

“It is a validation visit,” John told reporters. “It is so she can have a better look at the project and return to her country and assure her people that all is well.”

On the portal for expressions of interest in the Invaders Bay project she said the period for applications of interest have been extended for two weeks.

“We were really going to be stiff-necked about it but we have had so many requests for extensions,” she said.

She said the extension has honed to February 5