Two Major Caribbean Organizations Join to Develop Haiti's First Airport Hotel

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Sept 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Argentine entrepreneur Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster, President & CEO of Basic Energy Ltd., as well as numerous other diversified entities, along with Haiti-based WIN Group, one of the country's largest enterprises, today announced an agreement to develop a 240-room hotel with conference facilities directly adjacent to Port-Au-Prince's Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport.

The property, scheduled to break ground by the end of 2010, has an 18-month construction window and will be Haiti's first airport hotel. The hotel, which is yet to be named, will be independently operated.

The fully-enclosed, $33 million project will be developed on a 5.3 acre parcel (2.14 hectares), and will be completely self-contained, with on-site power plant, water treatment, sewage, and related facilities.

Construction will be achieved through a combination of standard construction methods and pre-fabricated processes. The site allows for future development, specifically commercial office and retail outlets.

The amenity-rich, seven-story property is being designed by OBM International, a 70+ year-old full-service design-consulting firm with vast experience in the hotel industry. The property will feature full conference facilities with capacity to accommodate up to 400 individuals for a single event. It will also include numerous break-out rooms, expanded food and beverage outlets, work-out center, swimming pool, spa facilities and lounges, all within lush, tropical landscaping, and will be built to meet or exceed all international earthquake standards.

"We recognize the importance of having facilities that can house individuals during the rebuilding process," said Gonzalez-Bunster, whose holdings include energy investments in neighboring Dominican Republic. "It is currently extremely challenging to secure accommodations since so much of the infrastructure was decimated by the earthquake."

"This is such an important project on so many levels," adds WIN Group Managing Partner Youri Mevs. "Not only will it provide badly-needed hotel and conference facilities, but will employ hundreds of local workers in desperate need of generating revenue to support themselves and their families."

"We are pleased with the opportunity to be part of such an integral project," states Douglas A. Kulig, AIA, CEO of OBM International. "The hotel will be elegant, with a distinct Creole feel, as well as provide an all-inclusive element for its guests from the moment they pass through the property's entry-gate."

"Our goal is to encourage long-term sustainable investment in Haiti," notes President Bill Clinton, UN Special Envoy to Haiti and co-chair of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission (IHRC). "An adequate network of hotels is crucial to the country, and this venture is one example that the numerous facets needed to rebuild Port Au Prince are slowly getting under way."

For additional information about the project, please contact Edmund Miller at 305.987.0995.

About Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster

Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster is President & CEO of Basic Energy Ltd., an international electrical power company. Mr. Gonzalez-Bunster is engaged in diversified agribusiness and is currently a principal in several projects in Argentina, Paraguay and Dominican Republic. He is a partner in Remington Realty, a Texas based commercial real estate holding company and AquaCube, a Scottish manufacturer of portable water treatment and purification plants. Gonzalez-Bunster is a Trustee of the William J. Clinton Foundation and a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

About WIN Group

The Haiti-based, Mevs family-held WIN Group is one of the Caribbean's largest conglomerates with stakes in diverse industries such as warehousing and storage, port operations and ethanol processing. WIN's holdings include SHODECOSA, the largest privately-owned industrial and commercial park in Haiti, Varreux Terminal, the largest privately-owned general cargo shipping terminal, and WINECO, the largest liquid bulk storage facility, among other enterprises. The fourth generation family has always had a significant impact on the country through its social service-based endeavors, and actively supports numerous organizations providing both immediate relief, and long-term infrastructure development. For additional information, visit www.wingrouponline.com.

About OBM International

For over seven decades, OBMI has been the premier full-service design-consulting firm in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Today, with seven multinational offices, projects throughout the world and a diverse team of experts, OBMI is a global leader in architecture, master/town planning, interior design and project management with landmark projects in the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula. OBMI currently has design offices located in Antigua, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Madrid, Miami and Trinidad and Tobago, a strategic alliance in the Bahamas and in Muscat, Oman. For more information visit, www.obmi.com.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Two-Major-Caribbean-prnews-3731014304.html?x=0&.v=1&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+haitinews+%28Haiti+News%29

La reconstruction de la capitale est l'une des priorités du président Préval

Le chef de l'Etat haïtien René Préval promet de reconstruire d'importants immeubles en vue de reloger les sinistrés du violent séisme du 12 janvier.

Dans une interview à Xavier Lambrechts (TV5MONDE), Bruno Daroux (RFI) et Jean-Michel Caroit (Le Monde) le président Préval a annoncé que les haïtiens lanceront avec les moyens disponibles la reconstruction de la capitale. La Banque de la République d'Haïti (BRH) annonce des investissements de l'ordre de 200 millions de dollars dans divers projets. Les principaux édifices de l'administration publique haïtienne seront reconstruits au centre ville de Port-au-Prince.

Le décret déclarant d'utilité publique, le principal quartier commercial de Port-au-Prince a été publié le week end écoulé dans le journal officiel Le Moniteur.

Le président Préval fait remarquer que l'Etat n'envisage pas de s'approprier de toutes les propriétés déclarées d'utilité publique. Le gouvernement déterminera les critères que les propriétaires devront respecter dans le cadre d'une reconstruction, insiste t-il.

La première phase du projet de reconstruction de la capitale a débuté au cours de ces dernières semaines.

Il faut construire en hauteur suivant des normes parasismiques a martelé M. Préval qui prévoit pas de déplacer les sinistrés en dehors de la capitale. Rappelant que les sinistrés refusent de se rendre dans des camps d'hébergement loin de la capitale, le président Préval a précisé qu'il encourage le déblaiement des sites afin de favoriser le retour des personnes dans leurs quartiers.

Le gouvernement prévoit de réaliser un premier projet de 3 300 appartements, pouvant accueillir plus de 15 000 déplacés de la région métropolitaine. Le coût du projet est estimé à 100 millions de dollars.

http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=18244

Haiti Presidential Candidate Michel Martelly Supports ECCO2 Haiti Plan to a Cleaner and Greener Haiti

PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI--(Marketwire - September 13, 2010) - Michel Martelly, Haitian Presidential Candidate (www.martellyforhaiti.com), is placing his endorsement and support behind ECCO2 Corp (www.ecco2usa.com) who recently announced their plans with the Haitian government to launch ECCO2 Haiti Project; a clean-tech project directed towards reducing carbon emissions by installing ECCO2 patent technologies throughout the Republic of Haiti.

Despite Martelly's popular candidacy status within Haiti's presidential election, Michel Martelly strongly identifies with the extraordinary effort and robust leadership to achieve the ECCO2 Haiti goals of building the "new Haiti" and urges the other presidential candidates to encourage these same efforts. Martelly comments, "ECCO2 Haiti project brings about so many positive aspects in terms of creating a cleaner and greener Haiti. ECCO2 places our nation in the forefront of the fight against global warming, to giving our people job opportunities, and providing a much needed increase in Haiti's steps towards economic recovery."

Member of Grammy Award winning group, The Fugees, and social activist, "Pras" Michel voiced his sentiment on the matter to the press stating, "This is why I have thrown my full support behind Michel Martelly. He's never afraid to push positive agendas for Haiti. ECCO2 Haiti Project is a long time coming. The project creates employment opportunities for the Haitian people who need them. To have a leader who can put his weight behind these types of programs is equally as important."

The Republic of Haiti has been a member of the Kyoto Protocol since 2005 and currently has an estimated national carbon footprint of 10 million metric tons per year according to current statistics. ECCO2 Haiti Project is expected to offset as much as 80 million metric tons of carbon emissions over the next 10 years. The carbon emission offsets will generate certified emission reduction credits (CERs) holding a current value of about $1.5 billion (USD). The carbon credits will be sold to various trading firms and investment banks to finance the ECCO2 Haiti Foundation; a Florida based not-for-profit organization whose primary focus is to further economic development in Haiti using environmental initiatives as its catalyst. ECCO2 Haiti Foundation president, Cary Lee Peterson and vice president, Benjamin Aubin share mutual confidence and anticipation to obtain cooperation from businesses and supporters worldwide to aid short and long term goals for supporting initiatives for a new Haiti.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Haiti-Presidential-Candidate-Michel-Martelly-Supports-ECCO2-Haiti-Plan-Cleaner-Greener-1317325.htm