View of the project
WILLEMSTAD--A government inspection has found that one of the apartment complexes under construction at Zakito in Curaçao was more than four metres higher than allowed under its approved building permit.
Inlet where marina is being created
The findings are contained in a report by the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Spatial Planning VVRP following a check carried out by the Project Team for Supervision and Enforcement at the end of April. The project, developed by Royal Holding Company II BV, consists of eight apartment buildings containing a total of 120 residential units.
According to the report, Building 2 has been constructed to a height of approximately 25 metres while the approved building permit authorised a maximum of 20.78 metres, so 4.22 above the limit.
The report also found that several other buildings within the project differ from the plans that were officially approved. Inspectors identified Buildings 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 as having been constructed using modified drawings that were never incorporated into an officially approved amendment to the permit.
A review of records at the Department of Spatial Planning and Development ROP revealed that no formal modification permit had ever been requested or granted for Building Permit 273-2020. Nevertheless, construction proceeded using revised designs that differed from the original approval.
Inspectors described the situation as a “discrepancy between the legally permitted construction and the actual construction carried out on site.”
In their recommendations, the team urged authorities to give priority to reviewing a modification permit that was submitted after the fact. They also called for stricter supervision of ongoing construction activities and advised that portions of the work be halted if necessary.
The report further states that if the deviations cannot be legally regularised, enforcement measures should be taken and the developer required to restore the project to its approved specifications.
The findings have been welcomed by residents' group Movimentu Save Zakitó, which has opposed the project and argued for years that the development was not being carried out in accordance with the approved plans.
Spokesman Edvin Yrausquin said the report confirms concerns repeatedly raised by residents regarding significant deviations from the original permit. According to him, authorities should have intervened earlier when construction began using modified plans without a formal amendment to the permit.
The group also raised broader concerns, including potential impacts on nearby mangroves, coral reefs and local fishermen, as well as the absence of an environmental impact assessment.
The legal battle surrounding the development is expected to continue. The Court of First Instance is scheduled to issue its ruling in the ongoing case on June 9.
The outcome of that decision could have major implications for the future of one of Curaçao’s
largest residential development projects currently under construction.
