THE Department of Public Lands conducted a public hearing Monday at its Dandan office as part of the lease renewal process for Suwaso Corporation, which has leased public land in Unai Dangkulu for Coral Ocean Resort Saipan.
E-Land Group owns the majority share of Suwaso. Aside from COR, E-Land Group also owns the Pacific Islands Club and Kensington Hotel.
Suwaso’s current lease was executed on Feb. 10, 1986, with a 25-year term, DPL said. In 2011, Suwaso was granted a 15-year extension.
E-Land Group purchased Kensington in 2010 and became the majority shareholder of Suwaso in 2012.
E-Land’s proposed term for the renewed COR lease is 40 years.
During the public comment section of the hearing, Tan Holdings Vice President Alex Sablan expressed support for the continuation of Suwaso’s lease, adding that E-Land Group is committed to doing business in the CNMI.
“You won’t find another group…dedicated to the idea that this place will turn around eventually,” he said. “These guys walked in in 2010. Many of us recall 2010 was the lowest point of the Commonwealth’s budget history…. These guys walked in and invested time, resources and effort to building their business portfolio.”
Sablan also read a letter from Tan Holdings President and CEO Jerry Tan, who extended “full support” for the lease extension, calling E-Land Group a “longstanding, excellent corporate citizen.”
“Suwaso’s track record in investing in the community through their numerous corporate events, support of non-profits and in their work force of 88% local-U.S. citizen…employment is a commitment to their resolve in support of our local economy and the citizens that call the CNMI home,” Tan wrote.
He said E-Land Group has a “very well known” reputation for completing projects and providing “quality offerings and professional service.”
At the hearing, Gloria Cavanagh, E-Land vice president, shared COR’s plans to upgrade its facilities.
Construction will occur in eight phases, beginning in 2026. Scheduled improvements include a Spanish garden; a golf starter building, which will store golf carts; a swimming pool and casual dining beach club facility; a 30-room, three-story hotel with amenities such as a restaurant, a spa and a gym; ocean view villas with 42 rooms; and two-story villas with 28 rooms.
Cavanagh said the project will use the actual topography of the current lot, meaning they intend to leave “very little footprint” during construction.
Regarding the skilled manpower needs for the project, Cavanagh acknowledged that labor is “always going to be a difficult issue.”
However, she expressed confidence that the skilled labor available from their in-house construction company and community partners would be sufficient for their needs.
Under the public benefit portion of their lease, Suwaso will contribute $1.8 million to the CNMI. This amount includes:
• $300,000 for the installation of streetlights and the paving of a new asphalt road at Agingan Beach, As Gonno Road and Isley Field;
• $300,000 for the maintenance of Agingan Beach pavilions and restroom;
• $300,000 to refurbish the driveway of As Gonno Road near COR;
• $300,000 for the purchase, installation and maintenance of a new children’s park;
• $5,000 annually for Northern Marianas descent scholarship recipients through the CNMI scholarship program; and
• $5,000 each to the Indigenous Affairs Office and the Carolinian Affairs Office “to support their activities that promote local culture, arts, and traditions.”
At the conclusion of the public hearing, DPL said public feedback will be compiled and submitted to the Legislature along with Suwaso’s lease proposal.
Brian Shin, E-Land CEO is hopeful the lease will be approved by the Legislature.
“Our company is still very optimistic about the future of the CNMI and wants to continue our journey with you and make this place our home,” he said. “Hopefully we get another chance to be with the community and the tourism industry and be a player for the next 40-plus years.”
Public hearings are also scheduled for Tinian on March 5, and for Rota on March 6.
Alex Sablan, Tan Holdings vice president, supports the lease extension for Suwaso Corporation.
E-Land CEO Brian Shin, first left, and E-Land vice president Gloria Cavanagh, third from left, share a light moment during the Department of Public Lands’ public hearing at its Dandan office on Monday.
