Group 70 International, one of Hawaii’s largest architectural firms, has won a contract from the French Polynesian government for a $3 billion resort development project in Tahiti, beating out nearly 80 other international companies for the contract, the chairman of the Honolulu-based firm told PBN.
Of the 77 companies that submitted its plans, three finalists were named, including Group 70 and companies from France and China, according to Francis Oda, Group 70’s chairman, who returned from Tahiti on Sunday.
“The presentations were last week and the jury met this [past] Saturday morning and selected Group 70,” he told PBN via email.
The nearly 130-acre Tahiti Mahana Beach Resorts and Spa project includes five hotels, an aquatic park, a casino, a convention center, theaters and retail shops. It is being called a key initiative to spur growth in Tahiti’s tourism sector, which has fallen below expectations.
The project is being spearheaded by the French Polynesian government, which is looking for investors to finance the complex.
Group 70, which was established in 1971, reported $20.5 million in 2013 billings, which was second only to Architects Hawaii Ltd., according to PBN research.