Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senate disapproves Mariana Elan lease, committee cites insufficient financial records
Loading...
Summary
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 24-10 to disapprove Mariana Elan Corporation's proposed lease for the former Marianas Resort and Spa, citing lack of audited or recent financial statements and community concerns about public land use.
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 24-10 on Sept. 15, 2025, disapproving the Mariana Elan Corporation's proposed lease for the former Marianas Resort and Spa properties after a committee review found insufficient financial documentation.
The vice president, speaking for the joint committee on Resources, Economic Development and Workforce (REDW) and the House Natural Resources Committee, recounted the referral timeline, public hearings and document requests. The committee received the initial lease packet on Jan. 30 and an updated packet on Feb. 3, 2025. Joint committee public hearings were held March 21 and March 25; additional community hearings took place April 22 and April 24. The committee requested audited or unaudited financial statements through March 25, 2025, to assess Mariana Elan’s current financial suitability.
The vice president said documents later supplied by the Department of Public Lands (DPL) included a June 9, 2025 letter from Mariana Elan stating the company was newly established and lacked audited financial statements, that the company reported total investment of $128,000,000 for several hotels and forecasting an initial 50% decrease in business for three to four years, and copies of two certificates of deposit. The joint committee concluded the information did not demonstrate liabilities, expenditures or the full financial picture necessary to evaluate long-term viability.
Committee members and senators also noted community testimony opposing leasing roughly 1,400,000 square meters of public land, concerns that Mariana Elan already holds three public land leases, questions about relocation of a Marpi baseball field, and inadequate public benefits in the proposed lease. The committee recommended disapproval to protect public interest and ensure future lessees can manage and improve the property.
The resolution was placed on the calendar and adopted by roll call, 8-0. The record shows multiple joint committee hearings and written requests to DPL; the committee’s recommendation emphasized transparency and financial verification as the basis for disapproval.
