Oran points out that this sense of duty isn’t just about charity—it’s about understanding how interconnected the local economy is. “We have 120 stores in the mall, employing nearly 700 people,” he explains. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Oran’s team conducted a survey a few years ago to evaluate the “trickle-down” effect of the mall’s operations.“When you factor in the suppliers, distributors, and the customers these businesses serve, the numbers become staggering,” he says. “A single business entity like Sheraton Mall can influence the economic benefits of society. It’s quite amazing.” EXPANDING HORIZONS: A NEW VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Sheraton Mall’s success has paved the way for an even larger and more ambitious project that blends retail with healthcare and sustainability. What began as a modest search for land has evolved into a groundbreaking development representing a significant step forward for the Oran family and Barbados. “The project wasn’t something we initially planned,” Oran admits.“Back in 2010, we were just looking for an acre of land for our hardware store, Do It Best.” But amid that search, an opportunity presented itself. “We were told about eight acres that had been slated for a private hospital but were now available for sale.” The unexpected find led Oran and his team to reimagine their goals.“We recognized that some of the larger businesses in Barbados were interested in having big footprints in the area, so we decided to take the plunge.” After years of planning, they designed a bigbox development comprising seven buildings in conjunction with architects. The project’s design has been driven by the needs of the tenants, many of whom Oran’s team worked closely with from the outset.“We knew a lot about the tenant profiles we were catering to,” he explains,“so the buildings have been designed with their specific needs in mind.” A key differentiator for this development is its 31 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 11, ISSUE 11 SHERATON MALL
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