Ritz Now Seeks 1,000 Permits

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman will seek 1,000 work permits for construction workers to take the place of those that were working for terminated general contractor Fluor Daniel Caribbean, according to a reliable source.

Cayman Net News has been reliably informed that a deal with the Cayman Islands Government to grant up to 1,000 work permits for the Ritz developers, who have now taken over the project, was allegedly being negotiated prior to Fluor's ouster.

It is understood that the permits will not be granted all at one time, but in a phased-in process. Supposedly most of the permits will be issued to Canadians, many who will serve in supervisory roles. 

Fluor Daniel was told to leave the development site last week by the Ritz-Carlton developers for alleged default of its contract, something that the general contractor denied. Prior to their termination, the US-based Fluor had filed a breach of contract suit against the Ritz developers in New York.

Bringing 1,000 additional workers to site appears to be an effort by the developers to finish the project on schedule, something that has been the subject of much debate locally.

The Ritz developers have insisted that their timetable for handing the resort over to the Ritz-Carlton Corporation in October of this year, and for a hotel opening in December, is on schedule. Fluor Daniel said last month that their schedule did not support a December opening.

The Ritz countered by saying in press release last week that Fluor's termination was a "manifestation of commitment to a 2004 opening."

Many local construction industry experts have indicated that the project simply cannot be finished in 2004 as a matter of possibility, regardless of which company is supervising the construction. "There is no way under the sun that hotel can open before mid-July of next year," said one source last week.

Another construction industry professional told Cayman Net News recently that it is not just a matter of hiring more men to do the work. "You can only have so many people on a construction site before you start losing efficiency," he said.

Fluor Daniel Caribbean experienced some employment staffing difficulties during their tenure on the project, and were subject to strict Government scrutiny with regard to offering equal opportunities to Caymanians. It is not known at this time whether the Ritz developers will face the same scrutinies.

Back...

Click here for reader comments...