The long-awaited Baha Mar resort project in the Bahamas has finally gotten its certificate of occupancy.

Bahamas Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Perry Christie called the handing over of the Certificate of Occupancy for Baha Mar resort an “important day of progress” for Baha Mar and the Bahamas.

“Baha Mar is being transferred to a world-class company, one that successfully manages prestigious hotels across the world, including three successful resorts in the Caribbean,” Prime Minister Christie said, referring to Baha Mar owner [referring to owner Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited’s Rosewood hotel brand.

Christie added that the new owner had actually increased capital, marketing and pre-opening investment from $200 million to $250 million.

“We are grateful for such a strong level of experience and investment to usher in new opportunities for the Bahamian people,” he said.

Prime Minister Christie said that he has been advised that 650 Bahamians have already been hired by Baha Mar, and 1,500 employees will be hired by the planned April 21 debut.

He pointed that Baha Mar, like Atlantis, will open in phases, with more job opportunities at every phase.

“No one knows better than me how these jobs can change lives,” Prime Minister Christie said.  “These new opportunities are going to bring meaningful change for a lot of Bahamian families and that’s what it’s all about.”

“That’s why we worked so hard to make sure that Baha Mar was delivered to successful and to safe hands,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he looked forward to “the hope and excitement and anticipation on the faces of the people who are being employed here. These are new employees, many of them working for the first time in this kind of an environment.”

“It is a defining life experience for them and they will take up ownership of this particular hotel resort complex, and they are going to make it one of the finest resort complexes in the entire world. That is their intention.”