Dann Lewis, Investor Age 23, Building a Resort in the Bahamas
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
When Dann Lewis first gazed on Northern Eleuthera’s conglomerate of sea grape, coral reefs and pink sand beaches, he was about to graduate from Dartmouth College and attend MIT graduate school. 18 months later, he instead became one of the youngest overseas investors ever to come to the Bahamas, and formed a new company called Current Development Ltd. Dann would spend the next two years building a resort of 22 duplex-type beach homes known as Current Club, with a marina, fueling dock, and water and power facilities for visiting yachtsman. Local Bahamians will both build and staff the new resort property.
A half hour trip by plane from Nassau, Eleuthera (from the Greek word “eleutheros” meaning “free”) posed some interesting challenges. The 25-acre parcel of land that would become Current Club had magnificent beach frontages on the north and south sides of the island with good anchorages for boats and ideal swimming conditions…but there was no electricity available. To build a resort, one must have electrical power. Dann Lewis quickly realized that he needed to build an electrical generating plant, but was understandably a tad overwhelmed at how such a plant gets built. So he read a “How to Build an Electrical Generating Plant” book, and proceeded to build one.
To this very day Dann Lewis sleeps with a pillow over his head, not under. Every time that electrical generating plant hiccupped, sputtered and stopped humming, Dann would have to drop what he was doing or if “asleep”, get up and go fix it.
The next major hurdle was facilitated by frustration in getting supplies in a timely manner from Nassau or Miami. Virtually everything had to arrive in Eleuthera by slow-boat or by air, and the infrastructure supporting these two modes was very much a product of island mentality. (Read: Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk) Dann quickly realized that he needed to buy an airplane, but was understandably a tad slowed down by the notion that he did not know how to fly an airplane. So he read a “How to Fly an Airplane” book, bought an airplane in Miami and flew it (over-water) to the Bahamas, without the obvious benefit of formal flying lessons.
To this very day Dann Lewis……..never-mind.
By: Sherry Lewis, April 21, 2008