Government has put a deal on the table to the potential developers in a bid to get the long-delayed Morgan's Point resort project underway.

Development, Opportunities and Government Services Minister Terry Lister yesterday expressed confidence that negotiations between Government and the developers will be successfully completed by the end of April.

Government wanted assurance from US-based developer West Group that housing at the project will be made more affordable for Bermudians. The original proposal was for a range of houses priced from $2 million to $430,000 each.

Mr. Lister said Government is now proposing that the West Group lower the average cost of houses at the bottom end of the market by $20,000 to $410,000.

Mr. Lister also denied Government had demanded the developer provide low cost housing at the resort for Bermudians in return for being allowed to go ahead with the project.

"There was no attempt to get them to provide low cost housing,'' he said in response to previous claims by the UBP Opposition. "We are working to enhance the cost of the houses for more Bermudians.'' Meanwhile, the West Group wants Government assurances about environmental clean-up of the 250-acre site before going ahead with the project, and a guarantee that regular ferry service will be provided.

Before committing to the project the developer wants a cap on the amount of liability they could face from cleaning up oil pollution remaining at the site.

Mr. Lister said the capping proposal, which would limit the amount the West Group will be required to spend on cleaning up oil pollution, was a "very reasonable'' request.

He estimated clean-up of the site will cost about $20 million. Government is still negotiating to get the US Government to pay for the oil clean-up, dumped at the former baselands by the US Navy.

Once an agreement is reached between Government and the West Group, the firm will then begin negotiations with the Bermuda Land Development Co. to being developing the site.

The West Group plans on investing $90 million in the first two years of the project.

Morgan's Point talks underway The first phase will involve excavating the peninsula to turn the site back into islands, constructing a golf course and parts of the community village.

The Morgan's Harbour Partnership -- formed by the West Group and the original winning bidder for developing the site -- plans on constructing of up to 339 homes over a seven-year period, all of which will be available to Bermudians first.

The houses will only be sold to overseas buyers if no Bermudians step forward to buy them, according to a document by the group. To date, two years of work and $3.5 million has gone into the project in order to fully assess the feasibility of the entire project, analyse potential risks, undertake public consultations and obtain planning approvals and attract a high-calibre financial partner.

Over the estimated seven-year construction period a total of $243 million in construction-related expenditure will be invested in the site by the Morgan's Harbour Partnership.

The West Group Management, LLC is an office development company based in McLean, Virginia. The company is described as a full-service real estate development and property management firm with 150 employees, according to the Fairfax County, Virginia business database.

The company has been operating for the past 35 years developing and managing commercial office, retail, hotel, resort, industrial and residential projects.

Terry Lister: Confident MILITARY MIL