Dillon Knowles on Reviving Freeport

Dillon Knowles on Reviving Freeport

From Charter Cities Podcast by Mark Lutter

September 25, 2025 · 1h 5m · Season 1 · Episode 77

About this episode

Dillon Knowles discusses the history and potential revival of Freeport as a special economic zone.

Grand Bahama’s Freeport is often left out of the origin story of special economic zones—but it shouldn’t be. In this episode, Mark sits down with Dillon F. Knowles, President of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, to trace Freeport’s beginnings under the 1955 Hawksbill Creek Agreement—arguably the first modern free trade zone—through its Vegas-on-the-Atlantic heyday and the slowdown that followed the 1967 “bend or break” speech. Knowles explains how a city master-planned for 300,000 people (on an island nearly 2× the size of Singapore) ended up with ~40–50k residents, why tourism shifted from high-rollers to cruise lines, how hurricanes and policy ambiguity compounded the challenge, and why legal certainty plus investor-government alignment could unlock a renaissance. We cover today’s flashpoints (e.g., the $350M tax shortfall claim and arbitration), outline pragmatic reforms to “modernize Hawksbill,” and sketch a credible growth thesis for Freeport—spanning ports, hospitality, residential, and high-skill jobs. If you care about zones, governance, and city-building, this is a case study you can’t miss.

People in this episode

Host: Mark Lutter

Guest: Dillon F. Knowles

Topics covered

  • special economic zones
  • urban planning
  • economic development
  • tourism
  • governance

Keywords

  • Freeport
  • Hawksbill Creek Agreement
  • economic zones
  • tourism
  • urban planning
  • Grand Bahama
  • Dillon Knowles

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce

Places: Grand Bahama, Freeport, Singapore

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