Good afternoon to you all,
We are here today to take another important step in delivering on a promise – a promise that Long Island will no longer be overlooked. That Long Islanders will no longer have to settle for the bare minimum, or wait at the back of the line while others move forward.
Earlier this month, I announced a major contract for the Long Island Road Rehabilitation and Waterworks Project, a $20 million investment that brings safer roads, reliable access to potable water, and new jobs to the people of Long Island. I said then that the project was about more than asphalt and pipes – it was about people.
About dignity.
About fairness.
Today, we build on that momentum.
The signing of this runway contract with Bahamas Hot Mix signals the start of the economic heavy lifting that Long Island has needed for far too long.
This is a community that has given much to The Bahamas – building contractors, farmers, teachers, fishermen, police officers, leaders – and yet, for years, what they’ve received in return has fallen short of what was fair. Development came slowly. Promises were made, but little changed.
That pattern ends with us.
This new runway will unlock real opportunity, making Long Island more accessible for domestic and international flights, safer for travel, and more attractive to investors, tourists, and returning Bahamians.
Better infrastructure brings more than convenience – it brings confidence. Confidence in building a home, confidence in opening a business, confidence in raising a family. It allows people to stay rooted in their community while reaching the rest of the country and the world.
This runway, combined with the recent road and water project, represents a clear, coordinated vision for Long Island. One that treats the island not as an afterthought, but as a priority. One that backs up talk with action.
We expect this project to create jobs for Bahamians, particularly Long Islanders, and we will ensure that it moves forward with accountability, transparency, and the required urgency.
Let me thank Bahamas Hot Mix for partnering with us to bring this runway to life, and the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, especially Minister Clay Sweeting, and the Minister of Tourism, Investement and Aviation, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, for their role in untapping and opening up real opportunities in Long Island.
This island has always held promise rich in history, culture, and character but for too long, the necessary infrastructure was missing. That is what we are building now, piece by piece.
We started with roads. Then came the waterworks. Today, the runway. And very soon, within 60 days, the terminal.
We are moving forward with plans for a new, modern 10,000-square-foot terminal, equipped with customs and immigration services. This will transform the airport into a formal port of entry—welcoming not just visitors, but returning sons and daughters of Long Island. It’s more than a building. It’s a gateway to possibility.
Jets will be able to land with ease. International flights will have a clear destination. Businesses will find it easier to move people and goods. Families will be better connected. And a new standard of development will be set.
But the greatest opportunity lies in what this makes possible.
For Long Islanders living abroad whether in Nassau, Grand Bahama, the U.S., or elsewhere this work sends a message: the time to come home is drawing nigh. Your island is changing. The infrastructure is coming into place. The barriers that pushed so many away are starting to fall.
We are building an island that welcomes you back not just for holidays or retirement—but for business, for family, for life.
Today goes beyond roads, runways, or terminals. It’s about a return. A return to roots. A return to community. Return to your home.
With every investment we make, we unlock the capital and confidence already here quietly held in the hands of people who never stopped believing in this place.
Long Island doesn’t need to be reinvented—it needs to be supported. And once supported, it will rise.
We’re doing the work to make that rise real. For the people here now and for those ready to come back and finish what they started.
I can clearly say, it’s a new day in Long Island.
Thank you.