Above: a rendering of the project

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The first phase of the Park Hyatt St Kitts has officially broken ground on the country’s southeastern peninsula.

The five-star luxury hotel project on Banana Bay is being developed by Range Developments out of Dubai.

Mohammed Asaria, president of Range Developments, said the project would be completed by the end of 2015. It is slated to include 125 rooms in its first phase.

“This project, we are committed to the people of St. Kitts to deliver and to deliver to ensure maximum benefit to the island,” he said Tuesday.

The hotel could create approximately 350 construction jobs on the island during phase 1, according Range.

“We are surrounded by beautiful land, beautiful weather, and there is no reason why this hotel development cannot be an example for another three or another four or five hotels to be built on the island of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Asaria said.

The project is being financed through St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Programme.

It is part of the Christophe Harbour development.