BFCL

One of the most ambitious property developments in Bermuda's history that eventually turned into a four-year embarrassment for its sponsors has ended in typically ignominious fashion. Bermuda Financial Centre Limited was struck off from the Bermuda companies register on December 19 by the authorities and, three days later, the listing of its preference shares was cancelled by the Bermuda Stock Exchange.

Investors in Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd., which has been attempting to finance a planned $138 million hotel/office/residences project, should know within two months whether the company will succeed or fail, we have been told. The next announcement from BFCL to its investors is likely to be whether the project has succeeded in raising at least $58.7 million for the office part of the complex or failed, according to sources involved with the project.

Investors in Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd., which has been attempting to finance a planned $138 million hotel/office/residences project, should know within two months whether the company will succeed or fail, we have been told. The next announcement from BFCL to its investors is likely to be whether the project has succeeded in raising at least $58.7 million for the office part of the complex or failed, according to sources involved with the project.

Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd has suffered a major setback with the announcement that the planned major tenant for the office portion of the $150 million project - Centre Reinsurance - may move to a new site being planned by Pearman Watlington.The latest piece of bad news for BFCL, which hopes to develop the site of the former Bermudiana Hotel, came yesterday when PWs announced it had submitted plans to build a retail/office/residential complex at the company's WaterFront site on Pitts Bay Road.

The Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd development in Hamilton will go ahead as planned if the company can pre-lease 70 per cent of the project's office space, BFCL's president Mike Winfield us yesterday. Raising enough debt and equity to build the $82.5 million office space/luxury residences phase of the project no longer appears to be a problem, providing the lease commitments for the office space can be put into place.

The financial restructuring of the $138 million Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd project has been delayed while efforts are made to raise debt financing abroad, we can reveal. While the Bank of Bermuda has succeeded in raising $24 million in equity commitments locally for the $58.7 million office block part of the project, it has been unable to secure the necessary loans for the scheme from within the island.

The Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd, including the hotel and apartment section, would make an estimated profit of $14.5 million by 1997 rising to $20.4 million ten years later, according to projections in a report prepared by accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand (Bahrain). And return on equity was forecast to be minus 7.96 per cent for both 1995 and 1996 but improving to 20.99 percent, 33.7 per cent, 16.66 per cent and 29.58 per cent in 1997-99 and 2007, respectively. 

The multi-million dollar contract to manage the Bermuda Financial Centre Ltd project may soon be up for grabs. Winworth Ltd, which is owned by Mike Winfield, Heather Robinson and Fraser Butterworth, is on the verge of giving up the contract, we have been told.

The Bank of Bermuda has accepted an invitation to act as a financial advisor to the development of the Bermuda Financial Centre on the site of the former Bermudiana Hotel in Hamilton.

Founding investors in a planned $131 million hotel proposed to take the place of the Bermudiana have been told that the full cost of the project could be met with funds from overseas. Gordon Capital Corporation, the Canadian investment banking firm advising on the financing of the project, has said the money can be raised from its clients off the island.