By NEIL HARTNELL 

Tribune Business Editor 

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE $40m Rosewood Sampson Cay project plans to dredge almost 240,000 cubic yards of fill to create two marinas for a development set to cover most of the island’s 124 acres when completed in 2031.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Miami-based Yntegra Group, produced by Bahamas-based consultant Bron Ltd, pledges that the project’s workforce will be 80 percent Bahamian once operational with 150 units constructed on the Exuma-based cay to provide employee housing.

Besides the two marinas, the EIA discloses that the project will also feature a yacht club, gym, medical clinic, marketplace and organic farm, beach tennis, padel tennis and pickleball amenities, library and nursery. It adds that an amendment to Yntegra’s Heads of Agreement with the Government has granted permission to subdivide the project’s eastern side into 88 lots.

Other commitments detailed in the EIA, which examines a virgin site with zero utilities infrastructure and residents, are that Rosewood Sampson Cay will source 40 percent of its food needs from the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) and other local farmers when “feasible”, while at least 30 percent of energy requirements will come from renewable sources.

“The estimated project capital is $40m,” Bron detailed in the EIA. “The project will increase local housing availability, and thus is expected to result in increased population growth in the project area. Additionally, the project is not expected to displace or otherwise affect existing housing developments involving minority and low-income communities.

“It will positively affect unemployment/job availability in the construction and operations phase, and subsequently additional economic growth through the patronage of businesses, vendors and other service providers in the surrounding area. Specifically, 80 percent of the project’s workforce will be composed of Bahamian labourers.”

The report added: “The construction and operation of marinas, complete with a fuel depot and ancillary services, promises to attract maritime enthusiasts, fostering economic activity through boat rentals, docking fees and marine-related services in the Exuma Cays. Additionally, the establishment of a yacht club further enhances the Cay’s allure, catering to high-end clientele and potentially stimulating tourism revenue.

“Furthermore, the provision of essential back-of-house facilities and 150-unit employee housing not only supports the operational needs of the project, but also generates employment opportunities, bolstering local economies and fostering community development.

“A total of 80 percent of employees will be Bahamian and only 20 percent will be non-Bahamian during operation. During construction Bahamian landscaping companies will be contracted to landscape the site to help stimulate the local economy.”

Yntegra Group’s website describes it as “a privately-held investment firm specialising in the development of ultra-luxury resorts and branded residences in the Exumas”. It touts a series of impressive numbers, including $1.8bn in “projected sales”; 1.1m square feet and 365 acres of land said to be “in development”; and a $2.5bn “economic impact”.

It is unclear what these numbers relate to with Sampson Cay being Yntegra Group’s first resort-based development project in the Exumas or, for that matter, the world. However, the biography for Felipe McLean, its founder and chief executive, describes the firm as “leading Exuma’s hospitality complex evolution”.

Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have previously queried whether Yntegra has the track record and development depth to pull-off such a large and complex project on a relatively remote Exuma cay with no existing infrastructure.

However, in unveiling the partnership with Rosewood as the project’s hotel brand, Mr McLean recently met and had dinner with both Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, who is also Exuma’s MP. Allyson Maynard-Gibson KC, former attorney general, is Yntegra Group’s attorney.

“The developer intends to develop East Sampson Cay into a world-class luxury resort and environmentally sustainable mixed-use resort, which will be constructed in a manner that will enhance the natural surroundings of the cay and minimise impact on the ecosystem,” Bron’s EIA said.

“A subsequent amendment to the Heads of Agreement approved the subdivision of the eastern Side into a total of 88 individual lots. The development will divide these amenities into three sections on the island: North Ridge branded residences, North Marina hotel and residences, and South Marina branded residences.”

The two marinas will be key drivers for the project. “An estimated 143,000 cubic yards of material will be removed for the creation of the South Marina and an estimated 96,000 cubic yards to be removed for the creation of the North Marina,” the EIA added. “An estimated 44 percent of the site will be impacted and allocated for surface areas and buildings (around 124 acres).....

“There will be habitat loss due to dredging associated with the marina development and service dock, which will remove the benthos of this environment. This includes the development of the entrance channel for both marinas and entrance to service dock.

“The entrance channel for the North Marina is an estimated 200 foot channel and the South Marina has an estimated 75 foot channel. The service dock has an estimated 100 foot channel. Dredging will negatively affect marine life and the sea floor that is partially covered in coral, algae and seagrass.”

Promising that Rosewood Sampson Cay will be developed in a phased approach over the next six to seven years, and positively impact Exuma’s economy, the EIA said: “In an effort to support local communities, 40 percent of the project’s agricultural products will be sourced from the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) and other local producers where available and feasible.

“Furthermore, the provision of essential back-of-house facilities and 150-unit employee housing not only supports the operational needs of the project, but also generates employment opportunities, bolstering local economies and fostering community development......

“The Project site does not have any previously installed utility infrastructure. The developer intends to provide energy throughout the project site using renewable energy sources. Solar panels and accompanying battery cells or other renewable energy sources, will be appropriately sized to provide a minimum of 30 percent of the power demand of the project. The project’s maximum energy demand is an estimated 2.75MVA.”

The scale of Yntegra’s plans has already sparked concerns from the nearby Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club project, which views it as conflicting with its low density, sustainable development. Eric Carey, environmental consultant for Turtlegrass, told Tribune Business previously that the marina plans were “diametrically opposed as far as the model for tourism in the Exumas.”

He said: “There are parts of our country where we will approve marinas, and even mega marinas, because the environment has more capacity to absorb that. But that untouched part of the Exumas is not a place that should have to absorb that impact.

“A mega marina in a pristine area is totally destructive to the environment, and totally destructive to our client’s concept. We cannot co-exist with a mega yacht marina having destroyed the seagrass and coral reefs on the nearby beach, off shore of the beach, where my clients are going to be snorkelling, paddle boarding, etc. We’re talking about absolute and total incompatibility.”