Construction of Stake Bank’s cruise ship docking facility Port Coral is now underway. Stake Bank Enterprise Limited announced via a press statement that vessels carrying the crew and equipment contracted to construct two enormous docking piers have arrived in the country. “Port Coral has been fully approved and permitted as a port of entry and exit claims the press release. Panama-based Inter-Coastal Marine Inc. is the company that successfully won the contract to construct the huge over water piers. The piers are designed to accommodate four of the largest class cruise vessels. For the Chairman of the Feinstein Group, Michael Feinstein, today is a historic day because the construction of the docking facility has finally begun. It is expected that the docks will be fully completed by the first quarter of 2022. Stake Bank Enterprise Limited believes this is very timely since there is the expectation that the majority of Belizeans will be getting vaccinated against Covid-19 during 2021, as well as the first world countries, therefore the Cruise Tourism Industry in Belize is projected to commence with a huge influx of ship calls to Belize. This definitely will bring back thousands of jobs immediately, which will drive downwards the unemployment of the country.” In a previous interview, Feinstein shared how this massive project will help Belizeans. Photo above, artist’s concept of Stake Bank / Port Coral development.
Mike Feinstein, Chairman/Developer, Stake Bank: “This again will be 95% Belizean and from here the tendering has reduced by 40% going over to North Drowned Caye in much calmer waters, a much more stable scenario. The terminals will be there, parking for 200 buses, nobody will be left out of that one. Inside the terminal we’ll make space for everybody. So again all Belizean. The proposal is to do a causeway from Belize City to North Drowned caye which is two miles. The causeway from here to North Drowned I have a feeling that will not be necessary but we’ll do what we have to do. I think the tendering will work just fine now reduced by 40%.”
Now Stake Bank Enterprise Limited is finalizing its engineering plans for the construction of the causeway that will connect Belize City to Port Coral via North Drowned. The press release says that causeway is fully approved as a two (2) lane vehicular elevated bridge that will allow for continuous access to and from Stake Bank Island (Port Coral), thus eliminating all need for tendering operations. “Stake Bank Enterprise Limited is very excited to bring this huge investment to Belize and is double excited about all the jobs it has created since construction started in May of 2020 and onward. At present the large buildings, the massive swimming pool, the shopping plaza and land improvements are presently under full construction employing hundreds of hard working Belizeans.
“Stake Bank Enterprise Limited will soon be requesting applications for rental of the varying spaces and also for vacancies for the many long term jobs that will also be added. Next week the large cargo vessel will be arriving from China with all our steel pipe piles and we have planned a media day at Stake Bank Island to be witness to these historic events,” concludes the press release.
Meanwhile news has died down on the plans of the Ashcroft Alliance to build a competing cruise tourism terminal at the Port of Belize on Belize city’s muddy mainland.