Foundations are set to be laid for the new St Regis hotel in St George’s early next year.

Jamahl Simmons, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, said work is well under way at the site.

He added: “We are well beyond the shovels-in-the-ground phase.

“We are now seeing real-time activity and that’s just what we have committed to deliver.”

Mr Simmons told MPs that Crisson Construction will start piling work in January.

He warned people in the area that the work will cause some noise over a period of three months.

Mr Simmons said: “In the first weeks in the New Year, the very foundation of a once-forgotten land will be formed.

“Simultaneously the site will be thoroughly prepared for the next construction phases and that implies the ring-fencing of the site, the installation of facilities for the work force, offices for the technical teams, workshops and warehouses.”

He stressed that the public will have access to nearby Gates Beach and promised to keep the public informed about work at the site.

Mr Simmons said: “This development celebrates those things in clear ways, as it brings to Bermuda a renowned hotel brand, operated by a world leading hotel operator.

“Through the investment in the bricks-and-mortar projects and roadworks, to the investment in our people by creating hundreds of jobs in multiple industries, we are poised to return Bermuda to the tourism apex — not just by creating jobs, but by enriching an industry and, in doing so, our island’s culture.”

The developers behind the project, Hotelco Bermuda Holdings, said they hoped the first phase of the development would be completed by early 2021.

The first phase will include the hotel, amenities, a casino and two condominium-style buildings.

• To read Mr Simmons’s statement in full, click on the PDF under “Related Media”