The Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities has maintained that the St Regis hotel development in St George’s is going ahead, with amended plans submitted this month.

Senator Michael Fahy also took aim at Progressive Labour Party Senator Renee Ming for issuing a statement calling for an update on the project instead of asking him during yesterday’s Senate sitting.

“Frankly the release is ridiculous,” Mr Fahy stated, adding that the day’s Senate meeting adjourned around 10pm and “not once did Senator Ming raise this issue with me, despite the fact that there was a Tourism debate in the Senate”.

“Why send out a press release under the cover of darkness when Senator Ming had every right and ability to ask me questions live in the Senate?

“The answer presumably is that she does not want an answer. Well here is the answer — I have been in regular contact with the developers of the project in St George’s.”

He added that the developers made further amendments to their plans, which were submitted to planning.

“Such changes were necessary to decrease the footprint of the hotel development, but not the square footage,” he said.

“The developers are funded. They are not fly-by-night developers.

“They have been thorough and diligent in their approach.”

Mr Fahy added: “Most recently the Premier and I both met directly with one of the principals who renewed the developer’s commitment to the project — and also assured us that the hotel is being built prior to the planned residences — which naturally contradicts assertions made by the PLP.”

Adding that it is “completely disingenuous for Senator Ming to cast doubt on this important project”, he said: “I genuinely hope that she is not responsible for making the release and offers her apology for the outright politricks demonstrated in this release, especially when I spent almost ten hours in her company today and it was never raised.”

Ms Ming, municipalities shadow minister, said the One Bermuda Alliance was obliged to provide an update on the project in a statement released yesterday afternoon.

“The Premier’s pledge that the hotel will be the first aspect of the project, provides little comfort when there is still no firm date on when the shovels will go in the ground, when Bermudians will be hired to do the work and when the hope of a St George’s hotel will become more than just words,” she said.

“The OBA and Minister Fahy have an obligation to provide an update on this project and if they can no longer give a date as to when ground will be broken in St George’s, they should at least be honest to the people of Bermuda and St George’s. This delay also begs the question as to whether the OBA’s failure to consult on the gaming fees has affected the viability of this project.

“For the sake of St Georgians who will be directly impacted by this project, as well as by Bermudians in general who are looking for employment, I call on the OBA to give an update on this project as soon as possible.”

UPDATE: this story has been amended to confirm that developers’ amendments were submitted to planning rather than having been approved