Neworld One, owned by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), which also owns China Construction America (CCA), has removed the scaffolding from what Department of Physical Planning records show as "The Pointe Parking, Office and Retail Building". The move indicates the structure is near completion, and in fact, Director of External & Local Affairs for The Pointe Leslie Pindling told Guardian Business that some technical engineering work for the parking garage has to be completed but more than 60 percent of the garage's construction is already done.
The relationships of the companies involved appears to be that CCA -- which owns the British Colonial Hilton and is constructing The Pointe -- and Neworld, which has apparently hired CCA to head the parking garage project -- are both owned by CSCEC. The relationship between Neworld and CCA in connection with The Pointe is unclear.
Physical planning schematics examined by Guardian Business in October 2015, when the plans for the building were made available for public viewing, revealed that the building was intended to be eleven storeys, and feature space for retail, a lobby and space for offices as well as parking slips. The project team is headed by China Construction America (CCA) -- the owner -- and includes Miami-based ADD Inc., now with Stantec as design consultant, Island Site Developments as civil works contractor, Kevin Sweeting and Associates as architect of record and Turell, Hall and Associates out of Naples, Florida, for marina design.
However, the structure is now eight storeys, and is intended to feature a movie theater. Neworld is said to have spent $8 million to $10 million on the complex to date. The complex is expected to be completed sometime in September.
The parking complex will include six to seven retail shops at the bottom, four of which have already made deposits for a shop space, Pindling said. He added that the curved glass structure on the side of the parking complex encompasses six floors of live-to-work spaces.
Speaking during The Pointe's groundbreaking ceremony last year August, CCA President Ning Yuan said The Pointe would open on time in 2017, unlike the other major project in The Bahamas in which CCA was involved -- as general contractor -- Baha Mar.
Prime Minister Perry Christie, who also attended the ceremony, said that construction on The Pointe had been intended to start when Baha Mar was completed. The new downtown development is scheduled for a late 2017 opening. However, as The Pointe works to towards meeting its deadline -- which has lately come into question -- Baha Mar remains closed for business.
Asserting that The Pointe is a phased development, Pindling said, "We will be opening Phase 1 in 2016, with the other phases to follow through 2017 and 2018."
The Pointe is a $250 million project, featuring a 200-room residential component and an 80-slip marina next to the Hilton. The project is expected to create 500 permanent jobs and around 200 construction jobs. In comparison, Baha Mar was expected to provide over 2,000 jobs.

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