Honduras’ First Mainland Cruise Port: New Renderings of Banana Coast Landing Released

MIAMI (August 15, 2011) – Banana Coast Landing, Honduras’ first mainland cruise port designed by OBM International (OBMI), one of the world’s leading global architecture and master planning firms, entered the first phase of development this month. When complete, the destination will reflect an architectural style of the area’s fascinating banana trade history.

Timed with the start of construction, OBMI has released two new renderings of Banana Coast Landing, a multimillion-dollar public/private port development project located in Trujillo, Honduras. The project is considered the Caribbean’s most important new cruise destination and is scheduled to open in late 2012.

Incorporating a strong focus on place-specific architecture, the destination’s design evokes Banana Coast’s glory days of yesteryear, in the early 20th Century, when the banana trade was at its zenith. Capturing the authentic colonial character which is true to the town’s history, Banana Coast will include a 50,000-square-foot retail village, a historic garden of preserved eucalyptus trees that are more than 100 years old, and in a second phase, a pier large enough to accommodate two Post-Panamax cruise vessels.

“Our design for Banana Coast is one that respects and preserves Trujillo’s rich heritage,” said Doug Kulig, CEO of OBMI. “It has been an honor working with developers who share our vision of using sustainable practices to create a world-class destination with maximum functionality.”

“Development of a new cruise destination at Trujillo has been an ambition for several years. The government of Honduras plans to support the project with investment to help get one of our fantastic colonial cities ready for cruise tourism,” said the President of the Republic of Honduras, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo.