Developers hoping to transform the vacant Morgan?s Point site have broken their silence to vent their frustration after spending two years trying to get a meeting with Government to discuss their plans without success.

The group, which included the European Professional Golfers Association, proposed investing $100 million to create a world class golf resort, with a marina and housing at the former US Naval Annexe in Southampton.

Spokesman Ian Gordon told the group ? which included an international hotel chain ? offered to indemnify Government for the costs of cleaning up the asbestos and oil contamination on the 250-acre site.

But former Housing Minister Col. David Burch blanked them in January this year, stating Government wouldn?t even give them an audience.

Mr. Gordon, an architect with Bermudian architects Entasis, said yesterday: ?Remarkably, over a two year period, this group was unable to secure a meeting to present their proposal to either the Board of Directors of Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC), or any of the responsible Ministers. ?There was a golden opportunity not just to develop the tourism product, but also to clean up the site, and to not even get a meeting to discuss it was so frustrating.

?Perhaps it is no coincidence that during the above time frame responsibility for the BLDC has fallen under four different Ministers?.

?The efforts of the group culminated in a letter from Minister Burch on January 27, 2003 which stated that: ?You will be aware of the lengthy discussions with other potential developers? that bore no fruit ? as a result I am not inclined at this stage to engage in discussions with anyone regarding Morgan?s Point so as to avoid the remotest indication of potential liability for work done?.

?The group had carried out serious due diligence on the contamination of the site at ?Morgan?s Point? and had made a commitment to invest $100 million to launch a development programme which would create a World Class Resort.

?As a result of their due diligence they had determined a broad value for the cost of remediating the site and a broad determination of the financial feasibility of the project.

?Their offer to the BLDC was based on the grant of a 132 year lease. In return the Group would clean up all the contamination at Morgan?s Point and provide BLDC and the Bermuda Government with an indemnity on the cleanup, place a non refundable deposit as part of due diligence and make a lump sum payment to BLDC upon signing a leasehold agreement.?

The plan was for a championship golf course, a 200 bedroom hotel, spa and conference Facility, village centre and marina, and homes.

In a letter to BLDC, on October 18, 2001, the group stated it was prepared to provide a non-refundable deposit of $100,000 in return for a 120-180 day period of exclusivity.

If they were satisfied with their due diligence and prepared to enter a leasehold agreement they were prepared to make a ?significant? payment to BLDC on signing the lease and to provide annual leasehold payments linked to the development potential of the site.

Mr. Gordon said: ?This was a serious proposal from a well-qualified group and, I believe, represented a highly credible opportunity to realise the development potential of Morgan?s Point and to realise a revenue stream for BLDC.

?This group differentiated themselves from others by presenting their financial ability to execute prior to detailing their development intentions.

?Throughout numerous discussions the technical officers at BLDC were helpful and responsive. However, the Board of BLDC seemed unable to obtain clear instructions from their various Ministers regarding the intent of Government.?

?As a consequence, neither the Board of BLDC nor any senior Government Ministers provided an audience for a first class proposal from a very well qualified group.

?A request for a period of exclusivity ranging from 120 to 180 days is a reasonable period of time for both parties to carry out due diligence on each other, for a project of this size and complexity.

?Funding for resort development is a difficult task in the present economic environment, especially so in Bermuda given 20 years of declining tourism arrivals.

?Where a well qualified and serious group expresses interest in making a substantial investment in our tourism product there needs to be a much more responsive process.

?The creation of a Tourism Authority, which is able to co-ordinate a single point of contact for prospective developers?, would be a step in the right direction.?

BLDC chief executive Patrick Jones was off the Island yesterday and could not be contacted.

Works and Engineering Minister Terry Lister did not return a message left by through the Department of Communication and Information (DCI).