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Developer bets on Riffort to jump-start Curaçao

By Sunil Taneja

Officials hope the revitalized Rif Fort will help lure visitors to Curaçao.

Curaçao's Rif Fort was built back in the 17th century to deter visitors, but its purpose today is precisely the opposite.

Local restaurateur Freddy Berends is turning the picturesque fort, which was designed to protect this island from pirates and other unsavory characters, into a $6.8 million shopping, dining and entertainment complex, called Riffort Village. By attracting tourists, officials are hoping that the old fort will help save the island's economy, which has stagnated in recent years.

"Curaçao has never seen or thought of the tourism industry as the biggest pillar of our economy," said Berends. For years, in fact, the economy of this island, part of the Netherlands' Antilles, was supported by the oil industry. But falling oil prices, among other problems, have prompted the local government to diversify its economic base.

Berends convinced local officials that the key to revitalizing at least a portion of the economy was to create an island hot spot akin to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, an internationally recognized tourist destination that combines history, shopping, dining and entertainment.

The idea is to lure thousands of day-trippers and overnight tourists, and to give them another reason to tie up their giant cruise ships at Curaçao's huge pier in Willemstad, the island's sole city. Adding to Riffort Village's allure will be a beautifully landscaped pathway leading from the new pier directly to the fort.

Early plans called for the Rif Fort to be focused solely on entertainment, with Curaçao's Water Fort, located on the opposite side of the harbor, to house retail. Berends, however, successfully argued that the only way a project could prove viable in the Rif Fort was for it to include retail.

Officials have even agreed to demolish an ugly government-run power station right next to the site; it will be completely gone by the time the center opens this fall.

Because of the fort's historical importance, Berends is using only wood construction within its walls, making it easy to remove or update structures without altering the original buildings. In fact, the only use of concrete is in the elevator shafts.

Berends' plan calls for 4,700 square meters (50,591 square feet) of gross leasable area with approximately 75 tenants. Stores with impulse items will occupy the first floor; a food court and traditional, youth-oriented retailers are going on the mezzanine level; more exclusive boutiques will be located on the third floor; and the fourth floor will be given over for fine dining and clubs with spectacular views of the harborfront and Willemstad.

A later phase of Riffort Village's development will include a hotel and residential facilities.

Curaçao is the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, comprising 180 square miles. It is located 35 miles north of Venezuela, 42 miles east of Aruba, and 1,710 miles from New York.

The local market consists of a little more than 150,000 people, with an average household income of about $24,000, none of whom lives farther than one hour away from Riffort Village. However, the center will not be relying on locals to survive.

"Riffort Village will cater to three markets: Local, stay-over tourists and day tourists; we cannot survive with just the local market to support the project," Berends said. "Major hotels, such as Marriott [provide stay-over tourists] nearby, and the cruise ship passengers are the cherry on the ice cream."

More than 230,000 day-trip visitors arrive every year on cruise ships, each spending an average of between $80 and $100; crew members spend an average of $60 per visit. Another 200,000 tourists a year stay overnight, spending between $500 and $1,000 on every visit.

In recent years, tourists have contributed an ever greater amount to the country's gross domestic product. Stay-over tourism was on the rise through the second quarter of 1999, with total earnings from all tourism climbing 6.3% above the same 1998 period. Foreign exchange revenues also climbed by approximately $1.8 million in 1999 compared to the same period in 1998.

With the economy becoming increasingly dependent on tourism, islanders need to adapt, Berends pointed out. For instance, he is disdainful of the local habit of shutting down for a siesta each afternoon for a few hours. Stores at Riffort Village will be required to keep their doors open to serve the constant flow of cruise ship passengers. Just as the old fort's original occupants had to spend long hours on duty, ready to deal with visitors, so will its latest.