Local firm to help construct Bahamas complex.

Sun International Hotels Ltd., owners and operators of resorts and entertainment/gaming complexes in The Bahamas, the United States, Europe and the Indian Ocean, has named Crow/Jones Construction Company of New York and Bufete Industrial SA as the construction team that will build the $450-million Atlantis Phase II project on Paradise Island. The two construction companies will jointly operate under the name Crow-Jones/Bufete Construction Company Limited.

The announcement was made by Sol Kerzner, Sun International's chairman and CEO, who is internationally known for creating extraordinary, high-quality themed entertainment and gaming resort destinations and building them quickly. South Africa's famed Sun City complex, with its lavish Palace of the Lost City, was one Kerzner's first triumphs.

In 1994, after meeting a self-imposed but almost impossibly fast construction schedule, Kerzner opened the $250-million, 1,147-room Atlantis, Paradise Island resort and casino, featuring a 14-acre, ocean-themed waterscape complete with lagoons of live sharks, rays and 100 other species of marine life, as well as swimming pools and lagoons, water rides and one of the world's most beautiful beaches. The resort also has a casino, the largest in the Caribbean, 12 restaurants, several entertainment venues and a complete complement of recreational activities, including golf and tennis.

Speaking of the construction plans for his new Paradise Island project, Kerzner said, "I am pleased to have teamed up with two excellent contractors. Combining the resources of our respective organizations will allow us to successfully meet the challenge of developing Atlantis Phase II."

Atlantis Phase II is expected to include another i, 100 rooms in two towers with a connecting bridge, a 50,000 square-foot casino and themed entertainment/shopping arcade, 150,000 square feet of public space, five new restaurants and seven lounges, multi-level swimming pools, an extensive spa and sports center, and the dramatic expansion of the existing resort's waterscape, including a series of thrill waterslides that will be the first of their kind. Upon completion, Atlantis will span over 75 acres and include 2,400 guest rooms, making it the largest casino resort outside Las Vegas.

In typical Kerzner fashion, Atlantis Phase II, the largest resort construction project in the region, will set a rapid pace. After breaking this past October, the work will be completed by late 1998, bringing Atlantis to more than 1.4 million square feet of family entertainment and gaming space. The additional facilities and services will create 2,200 new direct jobs at Atlantis and another 1,000 indirect jobs. The overall economic impact on The Bahamas is expected to exceed $1 billion over the next five years.

Crow/Jones is a subsidiary of J.A. Jones of Charlotte, NC, one of the largest general contractors in the U.S., and has a 160-year history as one of New York's leading building companies. Crow/Jones President Gene McGovern has been involved in numerous major projects with global scope, including Euro-Disney, and the Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty renovations. McGovern describes the Atlantis Phase II project as "one of the largest and most complex in the western hemisphere."

Bufete Industrial SA is the largest construction and engineering firm in Mexico. The Atlantis project also will use a number of Bahamian sub-contractors.

The architectural firm for Phase II is Wimberly Allison, Tong & Goo of California and the interior design will be handled by Wilson and Associates of Dallas, TX. Both firms were also involved in the design and furnishing of Atlantis and The Ocean Club.