A multi-million dollar redevelopment of Southampton's old US Navy Annex will not be an exclusive Tucker's Town-style development for the well-heeled, the area's developer pledged last night.

But the audience at a special meeting in the area to discuss the 250-acre Morgan's Point golf course, leisure and housing project were sceptical over what was in the $250 million deal for the average Bermudian.

Top of the list of worries over the winning UK-based Renaissance Resorts International plan was the issue of housing and public access to the site.

Renaissance managing director Rob Davies said after the meeting: "I think there was obviously concern about the amount of homes which will be purchased by Bermudians or occupied by Bermudians.

"I think we can reassure them that a significant proportion will be.

"There was some concern about the fact that it should not be a closed community -- we have undertaken not to create a closed community.'' Mr. Davies added: "It's natural that people who live close to something which is going to happen on this kind of scale will be concerned.

"People are the same everywhere -- there are issues they want to see aired and addressed. It wasn't a hostile meeting.'' Mr. Davies told the meeting, attended by more than 70 people, that around 20 of the 300 houses will be priced at around $350,000 -- with a top price tag of more than $2 million.

He stressed, however, that the bulk of homes on the development will be somewhere between the two extremes.

But a 30-year-old Warwick woman who was in the Southampton Glebe Primary School audience said: "I don't want to be racist -- but this is a rich, white man's way of making money. This is not meant for the average Bermudian.

"He didn't convince me at all -- it's another little Tucker's Town up there, no matter what they say.'' A white 40-year-old Somerset woman, however, gave the plans a guarded vote of approval.

She said: "I thought it was very interesting and exciting -- I think the golf course is good and generally the concept is good.'' But she added: "You have to be careful it doesn't become too exclusive where the housing comes in. There's a risk it might be almost a non-Bermudian area because of the costs.

"They are trying to open up to the average family, which is great -- but I don't know if it's going to happen.'' Mr. Davies also took a swing at claims the project's 7,000 yard Jack Nicklaus-designed course is cramped, failed to use the natural resource of the sea properly because it did not use the peninsula area on the site and too rigidly separated the course from the rest of the development.

He said: "I can't speak for the other team....the area chosen was the best place to do it. The open peninsula is flat. What you would end up with us a Scottish-style links course.'' And he added to landscape the site would be extremely expensive, so the geography would have to be left as it is. He also pointed out the UK PGA-approved course will be the longest on the Island.

Mr. Davies said: "If you want a world-class golf course with housing dotted around it....these houses would be built over time and you can't have construction and cranes going around.''

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