PM Harris promised construction of Ritz-Carlton was to start late 2018; land still in possession of owners

Nearly a year after St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris announced that the Ritz-Carlton was coming to St. Kitts and construction was to start late 2018, no ground breaking ceremony has been held to date and the lands earmarked for the project remain in the hands of the original owners.

Dr. Harris announced on February 25, 2018 that the Ritz-Carlton hotel will be opening on the island's southeastern peninsula in 2021 and construction would begin in 2018.

"The Ritz-Carlton Resort will create over 300 new jobs when construction starts – and they expect to start later on this year in 2018," said Harris at a press conference, as reported by Caribbean Journal.

"There has been no ground breaking ceremony and it is understood that the land remains in the possession of the owner," said an individual knowledgeable of the situation.

The person further pointed out that Prime Minister Harris only made brief mention of the Ritz-Carlton in his 2019 Budget Address in December 2018 and stopped short of mentioning a new start date for construction.

Shortly after the February 25 2018 announcement, local bar owners on the South Friars Bay Beach were informed by the Harris-led Team Unity Government to vacate the beach area by the end of February 2018 when the termination of their leases were to take effect. Some have complied. A few have not relocated and are doing business presently.

There are two luxury hotel brand on St. Kitts – the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, both attracted by the Federation's former Prime Minister the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas under the Citizenship by Investment Programme.

The Denzil Douglas Labour administration has also attracted two other luxury brand hotels to The Radisson and The Ramada which are still under construction.