ORANJESTAD — One of the subjects discussed during the conversations between Tierra del Sol and the Aruban government at the end of last year regarded the current zoning plan for the terrain where Tierra del Sol wants to build a five-star hotel and casino.
This terrain is currently allocated for long lease, not for hotels. In 2006, former minister Lopez-Tromp had the Department of Infrastructure and Planning (CIP) change this allocation for the construction of a five-star hotel and casino as well as fifty parcels and villas. However, that change was bound to several conditions. One of the conditions regarded the submission of a bank guarantee. Lopez-Tromp stated that one had not complied with the conditions. Therefore, the terrain was allocated for long lease again. “A bank guarantee was the least of the problems”, say Bas van den Nieuwenhuijzen, director of Tierra del Sol. “We would also have complied with the completion bond for the hotel. At a certain stage, we were about to sign a contract with a hotel operator for the construction of the hotel. In order to reach that stage, one must already possess a thing or two regarding contracts.” However, at the last moment, the hotel operator, whose name Van den Nieuwenhuijzen does not wish to mention, cancelled the signing of that contract when it appeared that the government had previously changed the conditions of the long lease agreement without any warning. “That had cost us a substantial amount of money”, says the director of Tierra del Sol.
After this unexpected setback had taken the wind out of our sails regarding this project, the long lease agreement and allocation change had expired. Van den Nieuwenhuijzen is of the opinion that the current government has no other choice than to change the zoning plan for this terrain once again. “The terrain in question belongs to Tierra del Sol. The master plan had already indicated the allocation of the terrain for a hotel in 1992. That had also been the same argument, as presented to the former minister.” For this reason, Van den Nieuwenhuijzen does not consider it necessary to take this matter to court. “That would only cost the taxpayer.”
Golf
During the town hall meeting in Noord last Thursday, Premier Mike Eman (AVP) indicated that Tierra del Sol was supposedly coping with financial problems, which explained their wish to proceed with the plan for a five-star hotel. “We are also inconvenienced by the current economical crisis, just like all hotels on the island. There is an overall lower occupation, which also affects us. However, we are definitely not on the brink of ruin”, says Van den Nieuwenhuijzen. “As a shareholder in Tierra del Sol, Van der Valk hotels are a large, sound company with as much as 86 hotels.” Nevertheless, the construction of a five-star hotel is of great importance for Tierra del Sol as top destination for golf lovers. “Our golf course is a considerable attraction for Aruba, as it is the most played on course in the Caribbean region. However, the upkeep of a golf course of 4½ stars with eighteen holes is a very costly business.” According to the director of Tierra del Sol, it will be difficult to compete with world-class golf if the hotel is not realized. “It has also been the intention that the five-star hotel would cover the upkeep costs of the golf course. That had also been one of the government’s conditions in 1992, when the Tierra del Sol project had started.”
