SHERATON PROJECT IN RAROTONGA TO BE RESUMED Mon 21 Oct The derelict Sheraton Hotel is going to be refurbished under the management of Little Polynesian’s Sam Napa. The Vaimaanga property began construction in 1991, but has remained neglected since finances ran dry for the multi-million dollar Sheraton hotel after 95 per cent of the complex was completed. Napa, who has been expanding the list of properties under his management, said there is now enough money for the project via investors Mirage Group Limited. Mirage Group is a New Zealand-based development company that first floated the idea of developing the neglected property in 2010. Since then, the group has secured a 60-year lease on the section from landowner Pa Marie Ariki, who is also Napa’s mother. Napa said the resort will be constructed according to the original plan, with the addition of over-water bungalows by the artificial lagoon. There will be about 200 rooms in the finished building. The Little Polynesian manager said he has already floated an idea for the new resort’s name that was well received by the investors: Big Polynesian. Napa said the Sheraton project, originally the ambition of Tim Tepaki, failed previously not because there was anything wrong with the project, but because it was not managed correctly. “His idea was great, but at the end of the day it’s mismanagement that took him down.” Napa said New Zealand-based firm Herbert Construction will complete the project with funds from Mirage Group’s Greg Kernohan and Simon Herbert, who he said want to complete the project at cost, rather than taking a loan, to avoid debt on the property. Herbert Construction has operated from Napier since the 1960s and has worked on projects throughout New Zealand and Fiji. The company has been the centre of some controversy in recent years, including an on-going legal battle with the Hawkes Bay Regional Council following the 2005 construction of a council building that was later discovered to be leaky. The company was liquidated in July this year. But Napa said the company is still strong in Fiji and there is plenty of money to complete the project. He said while Herbert Construction was the contractor for the leaky council building, the work itself was done by separate sub-contractors and he is satisfied the company will do a good job on the project. The environmental impact of the Sheraton was also a concern in the past, with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being issued after construction began. This is a legal obligation under the Rarotonga Environment Act 1994-95, which was introduced after Sheraton construction commenced in 1991. Napa said construction on the site will not begin until after the EIA has been approved – adding the request for the permit has already been submitted to the National Environment Service. cinews.co.ck
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 04:08:49 +0000
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