real estate

Cruise ship dock project floated for the causeway

The Fuerte Amador Resort & Marina wants to expand dock space on Isla Flamenco.

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isla flamenco: If approved, the manmade island could be the site of a cruise ship terminal on the country’s Pacific coast.1144587

The Fuerte Amador Resort & Marina’s original proposal to build a dock and cruise ship terminal on Isla Flamenco, the south westernmost of the three islands that make up the Amador Causeway, have been altered so that it would be located closer to the entrance to the Canal.

Estimated to cost $8 million, the terminal would serve as the equivalent of the recently opened Home Port in Colón, said Carlos Tuñón, general manager of Fuerte Amador, the company that directs development on Isla Flamenco. Breaking ground on the project will depend on approval from the country’s maritime and Canal authorities. The updated plans are presently under review at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Cruise ships currently arriving at the Fuerte Amador Resort must anchor in the bay and send passengers ashore in a fleet of smaller boats.

In addition to the terminal, the resort hotel also intends to expand its marina over the next eight months, increasing the number of ships from 157 to 260 and enlarging the space available for mega yacht dockings. That project will require a $1.5 million investment.

Also in the works for the property is a 300-room hotel, which is slated for the highest part of the manmade island, and 100 rooms dispersed throughout a villa complex to be operated on a timeshare basis. “We are talking with international chains in regards to operating the hotel and sharing in the investments,” said Tuñón, who explained that recent feasibility studies for the island indicate that the road along the causeway linking the three islands should be widened to avoid future problems. Representatives for the company confirmed about $100 million will likely be invested in its various projects over the next four years.

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