MOON Bahamas-‘All Systems Go’

Posted by: Editor on Nov 04, 2004 – 12:27 PM
newsandinfo Michael R. Henderson, Chairman, RJH Holdings today announced the company had received formal approval from the Government of The Bahamas to proceed with the next stage of MOON Bahamas development.
“We are very pleased to have received official approval from The Government of The Bahamas. This approval also supports the Memorandum Of Understanding previously entered into with the Grand Bahama Port Authority dated July 28th, 2004. With these agreements in place the MOON Bahamas Team will now commence exhaustive feasibility studies which when complete will be presented to relevant parties for sign off, prior to construction start” said Michael R. Henderson, Chairman, RJH Holdings. “The MOON Bahamas Team comprised of 120 international companies looks forward to beginning the project’s next critical phase in early 2005” added Henderson.

Appreciation

“Since our July 30th press release we have been inundated with support from all over the world for the project and for the beautiful location in Grand Bahama which we have chosen as MOON’s home. We would like to sincerely thank all the wonderful people of The Bahamas for their incredible support which has been most welcome. Our sincere appreciation is extended to The Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Rt. Honorable Perry G. Christie MP, The Honorable Obie H. Wilchcombe MP, Minister of Tourism, The Honorable Fredrick A. Mitchell MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, Director General, Ministry of Tourism” said Sandra G. Matthews, Partner and Managing Director, RJH Holdings. “In addition we express our thanks and admiration to the outstanding professionals at the Grand Bahama Port Authority for their continued support” added Matthews.

MOON Team – Special Thanks

The MOON Team would like to sincerely thank the following world-class companies without whose outstanding services this project would be significantly more challenging.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts / American Express / British Broadcasting Corporation / CNBC – a General Electric Company

Acknowledgement

The MOON Bahamas Team would like to acknowledge the support of the Bahamas Association of Consulting Engineers and look forward to working closely with this professional organization as the project moves forward. We would also like to acknowledge the generous offers of expertise from various global space agencies including the Florida Space Authority based in Cape Canaveral, Florida. We extend sincere appreciation for the tireless efforts of the project’s Bahamas Representative, Mr. Gerard Wirth of Wirth Associates, Nassau, The Bahamas and the project’s Social Economic Impact Feasibility and Global Advisory Group, Gilbert Morris and Associates, Nassau, The Bahamas, led amiably by its outstanding Chairman Dr. Gilbert Morris. These two gentlemen have demonstrated an unwavering desire for the betterment of The Bahamas and its citizens which we acknowledge and admire.

Congratulations

On October 4th, 2004 SpaceShipOne made history by winning the coveted Ansari X Prize. The MOON Bahamas Team would like to congratulate Michael Melvill, Brian Binnie, Burt Rutan, Paul G. Allen, Sir Richard Branson and the group of geniuses at Scaled Composites in Mojave California on their truly historic and outstanding achievement! Further we would like to acknowledge Dr. Peter Diamandis and Mrs. Anousheh Ansari for their valuable contribution to manned space flight.

Project Development

The MOON Bahamas Concept Development team has completed the design for the project’s “Mission Control Center”. This ten acre 25,000sqft facility will house the project’s operations department and visitor real estate sales center. The MOON Monorail system has also been designed. Renderings of these designs can now be viewed on the project’s website at www.moonbahamas.com Additionally current development planning calls for an enlarged high tech Medical and Wellness Facility, Television Studio, Satellite Radio Broadcast facility, Film Studio, Film School, Recording Studio and Global Humanitarian Center. Design work has begun on the development of the MOON Spaceport center; MOON Bahamas will become the global central operations platform for future space tourism travel; Grand Bahama offers a great advantage with its close proximity to the global capital of Space flight, Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Welcome

We are very pleased to welcome the following additional members to the MOON Bahamas Team. For a complete list of the 120 team members please review the “team section” of the projects web-site at www.moonbahamas.com.

Marina Development Consultants – Edwin H. McMullen & Associates, Orlando, USA
Joint Architects of Record – Lawrence Chisholm and Associates- Nassau, The Bahamas
Bahamas Counsel and Attorneys at Law – McKinney Bancroft & Hughes – Freeport / Nassau, The Bahamas
Bahamas Real Estate Representatives – H.G. Christie – Nassau / Freeport, The Bahamas
Telecommunications Agents – Enterprise Business Networks – Nassau, The Bahamas
Structural Engineers of Record – George V. Cox and Company – Nassau, The Bahamas
Civil Engineers of Record – Caribbean Civil Group Ltd – Nassau, The Bahamas
Electrical Engineers of Record – Integrated Building Services – Nassau, The Bahamas
Telecommunications Design and Supply – Ericsson – Stockholm, Sweden
Lighting Architect – Gert Hof Productions – Berlin, Germany
Lighting Suppliers – General Electric (GE) Lighting – Oakville, Canada
Film, Television, Satellite Radio and Recording Studio Consultants –
Leach Entertainment Enterprises – Las Vegas, USA
Risk Advisory and Brokerage Services – Marsh – New York, USA
Internet Marketing – Quotient Marketing – Portland, USA
Monorail Designers and Manufacturers – Doppelmayr – Wolfurt, Austria
Customs Brokerage / Freight forwarding – Lucaya Shipping & Trading – Freeport, The Bahamas
Infrastructure Security – General Electric (GE) Infrastructure Security – Mississauga, Canada
Insurance Agents – Sunshine Insurance – Nassau, The Bahamas
Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers – Embraer – Sao Paulo, Brazil
Planet Ice Design Team – Input – Wolfurt, Austria
Modular Space Suppliers – General Electric (GE) Modular Space – Florida, USA
Helicopter Manufactures – Bell Helicopters/Textron – Providence, USA
Seaplane Manufactures – Cessna / Textron – Wichita, USA
Personal Water Craft Manufactures – Honda – Tokyo, Japan
Water Craft Engine Manufactures – Honda – Tokyo, Japan
Power and Automated Technologies – ABB Asea Brown Boveri – Zurich, Switzerland
Limousine Manufactures – Maybach, Daimler Chrysler – Stuttgart, Germany
Water Purification – General Electric (GE) Water and Process
Technologies – West Palm Beach, USA
Card Solutions and Lock Systems – ASSA Abloy – Stockholm, Sweden
All Terrain Vehicles – Honda, Tokyo, Japan
Wind Turbines – General Electric (GE) Wind Turbines, Montreal, Canada
Automation and Control Solutions – Honeywell, Miami, USA

About MOON Bahamas

When completed in 2010 MOON Bahamas will be the worlds largest, most expensive, most exclusive and most spectacular resort and real estate development. The project is a tribute to earth’s closest celestial partner and as such is built on an enormous scale. MOON Bahamas will comprise of five man made islands which will house the worlds largest casino, worlds largest and tallest hotel with 12,000 suites, multiple resort attractions including extravagant entertainment facilities, ten cruise ship terminals, 50 of the worlds best restaurants with their star chefs, the worlds largest resort wine cellar, the worlds largest mega yacht marina, aquatic centre, real estate (22,000 Condominiums), huge convention centre and sports facilities which will include four PGA golf courses. Moon Bahamas is designed to live in harmony with nature and will include one of the world’s largest artificial coral reefs. MOON Bahamas will be brought to life by the worlds “Best of the Best” and when opened will truly represent “the first wonder out of this world.” Additional information is available from the MOON Bahamas web-site at www.moonbahamas.com.

About The Grand Bahama Port Authority

In Freeport City management and economic development are the mandates of a private corporation, The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA). The GBPA is responsible for promoting and regulating all commercial and residential development within 230 square mile ‘Port Area’ of Grand Bahama.

During the early 1950’s American investor, Wallace Grooves and British Financier, Sir Charles Hayward, pioneered development on Grand Bahama Island. Their vision for development led to negotiations with the Government of the Bahamas and the signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. The Agreement, executed on August 4th 1955, created the ‘Port Area’ and gave birth to the City of Freeport.

The agreement required the dredging of a deep-water harbour at Hawksbill Creek in the western sector of the ‘Port Area’. It also granted responsibility to the GBPA for the provision, management and administration of all infrastructure, municipal and community services and for development of 50,000 acres of crown grant land which was later extended to 138,000 acres. This, together with an additional 12,000 acres purchased by the GBPA from other party’s forms the 160,000 acre ‘Port Area’.

The agreement also conveyed to the area the legacy of a ‘free port’ with substantial tax concessions for financial, commercial and industrial enterprises. The guarantee for these rights through the year 2054 distinguishes Freeport, Grand Bahama, as an economic zone with unsurpassed competitive advantages within the region. Grand Bahama is no stranger to significant investments not least that made in recent years by Hong Kong based Hutchison Whampoa organization of over $1 billion. Grand Bahama is also home to an International Airport with a newly paved 11,000 ft runway and a new state of the art airport terminal with US pre clearance for Customs and Immigration. Further information on the Grand Bahama Port Authority can be found at www.gbpa.com.

Michael R. Henderson, Chairman, RJH Holdings today announced the company had received formal approval from the Government of The Bahamas to proceed with the next stage of MOON Bahamas development.

“We are very pleased to have received official approval from The Government of The Bahamas. This approval also supports the Memorandum Of Understanding previously entered into with the Grand Bahama Port Authority dated July 28th, 2004. With these agreements in place the MOON Bahamas Team will now commence exhaustive feasibility studies which when complete will be presented to relevant parties for sign off, prior to construction start” said Michael R. Henderson, Chairman, RJH Holdings. “The MOON Bahamas Team comprised of 120 international companies looks forward to beginning the project’s next critical phase in early 2005” added Henderson.