Date: 9 Feb 2010 17:49:47 -0000
From: Joe
Hello David,
I am finding your blog (Rainha Golf and Spa) quite interesting
regarding the proposed golf course near Foz.
Mr. Baltazar and I have been in negotiation for some property
I own where the proposed golf course will be located.
On the 14th May 2007 "Leiria Económica" reported that a Portuguese subsidiary of New World Investments was investing 200 million euros in the construction of the Rainha Golf and Spa Resort, in 170 hectares of land between Foz do Arelho and Serra do Bouro. (The land between Green Hills Disco and the water storage at the top of the hill shown in the image.)
Green Hills Disco shown bottom left - Click for larger image at Google
The reports at the time in "Diário de Leiria" were of 800 jobs during the construction phase, and 350 when fully operating. The resort would consist of a five-star hotel with 120 beds and seven suites, two tourist villages with 360 apartments and 550 houses, and an 18 hole golf course. Properties reported as totalling more than 2000 beds.
The construction of "Rainha Golf course" was reportedly going to start later in 2007 with all the work on property development not getting under way until the end of 2008, or the first quarter of 2009. The delays due in part to difficulties in the purchase of dozens of parcels of land. Diario de Leiria reported that Marques Pereira, lawyer and representative of the company in Portugal, said that "95 percent of the land had already been purchased."