Barbuda Ocean Club project yields positive economic boost for residents

By Aabigayle McIntosh

The number of persons on the Barbuda Council’s payroll has reduced significantly since the start of the development project by the principal of the Peace Love and Happiness (PLH) development.

Justin Wilshaw President of the Barbuda Ocean Club confined that,” When we started there were over 620 people on the Barbuda Council’s payroll, today there is less than 300. We have 260 Barbudans that works for us directly, another 50 businesses engage with is daily with another 200 jobs.

He told state media Wednesday night the project provides more money than what was previously provided to Barbuda.

The development covers 900 acres, beautifies the palmetto and coco points on Barbuda, and already boasts several holes of an 18-hole Tom Fazio Golf Course.

The Barbuda Ocean Club project  is owned and operated by the Discovery Land Company otherwise called the PLH (Barbuda) ltd.

The project is set to see hundreds of guests arrive for the winter period. The president said they will be handing over 244 properties this year and more notably the will be welcoming 200 guest at the end of the year for a grand New Year’ event.

“It is going to be a very busy and exciting time as we go to Palmetto we have opened nine holes of golf which will be open up next month and we open up with 18 holes at the end of next year,” Wilshaw said.

He also added that central to the bumper season will be the completion and operationalization of the new Barbuda Airport.

“As we develop and go forward the critical infrastructure provided by Antigua and Barbuda been the new airport opening that will be opening creating 30 or so jobs for the people of Barbuda. We see this as such a significant asset being one of the only international airports to be opened in the region in the last 10 of 15 years,” he added.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne led a high-level delegation to view the development last Friday and expressed his delight with how the luxury real estate development positions Barbuda within the tourism market.