US-BASED DHS Holding said it has broken ground on a casino, hotel and shopping centre development in Belize.

The proposed Cenote Falls Shopping Centre is to be developed on a 40-acre parcel of land, which will be designated as a export processing zone (EPZ), or free zone.

“It is the intention of DHS Holding to approach and make offers to sign popular retailers to the deal, including McDonald’s, Abercrombie and Fitch, Nike and several other top businesses,” said a release earlier this week.

The project aims to capture some of the nearly US$100 million that is estimated to cross the border from Belize to Mexico due to a lack of retail centre options in Belize, according to DHS CEO Mike Rohling.

The project was more than welcomed by the Belizean government.

“My government is very much aware of the impact that the adverse international financial situation is having on Belize,” said Erwin Contreras, minister of economic development, commerce, industry and consumer protection, who added that his government would work with the company to ensure that your project is successfully implemented.

The EPZ requires that the development is completed within two years, and and a minium of 50 rooms is required at the hotel for DHS to acquire a casino licence. The hotel and casino is designed to cover 50,000 square feet.

Rohling, along with DHS President Charles Barrett, announced that the company signed a purchase agreement to acquire 40 acres of land in the EPZ bordering Belize and Mexico, on March 24.