By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Opponents of the $200m Rosewood Exuma project yesterday challenged its assertions over the number of Bahamians it will employ - both in the building phase and full-time operations - alleging it has obtained government approval for up to 100 construction work permits.

Bob Coughlin, principal behind the neighbouring Turtlegrass Resort development on East Sampson Cay, in a statement queried how many full-time posts will be made available to Bahamians when the developer, Miami-based Yntegra Group, has obtained permission for up to “30 work permits for key managerial staff” during operations.

“Why would a development claiming to support the people of Exuma negotiate such a huge and, in my opinion, totally unnecessary number of foreign work permits into their agreement with the Government? Do they think Exumians and other Bahamians are not capable of doing the work?” Mr Coughlin asked.

“Rosewood Exuma should be called on to explain and justify their unsubstantiated, and apparently unrealistic, claims about local jobs. They say that they are all about creating jobs for the local community while they have negotiated to employ 100 foreign workers as well as two foreign contractors to build their development. At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words.”

In response, Yntegra Group said assertions made by Turtlegrass Resort regarding employment and work permits amount to a “continued pattern of misinformation” that misrepresents both the Rosewood Exuma project and the terms of its agreement with the Government. In a December 2 statement, the developer accused Turtlegrass of quoting sections of the Heads of Agreement out of context and said the narrative being advanced was misleading to the public.

Yntegra said construction activity had been stalled due to legal action initiated by Mr Coughlin, noting that a Bahamian-owned construction firm had previously announced it was prepared to hire nearly 150 Bahamians before work was halted. The developer also rejected claims that foreign contractors were being favoured, explaining that any work permit requests relate to highly specialised expertise in environmentally sustainable timber construction and renewable energy systems, and would only be granted where equivalent skills are unavailable within the Bahamian workforce.

The company added that the project remains subject to the standard 80 percent Bahamian to 20 percent non-Bahamian workforce ratio across all phases, and said it is projected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and operations. Yntegra said it remains open to dialogue with Turtlegrass and other stakeholders, maintaining that compromise and coexistence between developments are necessary to ensure long-term economic benefits for residents of the Exuma Cays.

Turtlegrass’ assertions appear to be based on a December 19, 2023, copy of a Heads of Agreement for the East Sampson Cay project that is thought to have been placed in the Town Planning Committee file when Yntegra made its application for preliminary site plan approval.

It is unclear whether the agreement has been subsequently amended or altered, but the document - which has been seen by Tribune Business - appears to be genuine and bears the signatures and names of both Nicole Campbell, the Cabinet secretary, who signed the document for the Government, and Felipe MacLean, Yntegra’s principal. It is standard procedure for the Cabinet secretary to sign Heads of Agreements.

The Heads of Agreement commits Yntegra and its Sampson Cay Bahamas entity to maintain, “so far as is possible in the prevailing circumstances”, a workforce ratio of 80 percent Bahamian employees to 20 percent expatriates in both the operational and construction phases. This is said to be in accordance with the Government’s prevailing policy.

“In this connection, the Government has agreed in principle, subject to the relevant laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, to the approval of 100 work permits for skilled construction workers and 30 work permits for key managerial staff during the operation of the project,” the Heads of Agreement states.

Elsewhere, the document states that the project will hire up to 250 persons for construction and 150 in full-time operations. While the 30 managerial work permits would meet the 80/20 workforce ratio in favour of Bahamians, the 100 construction permits - if fully issued - would account for 40 percent of the construction workforce if all hired and working at once.

And, in section 4.4, which also deals with work permits, the Heads of Agreements names Americaribe and Venturer, a Singapore-based “shell and contractor” specialising in “mass timber structures”, as entities for which work permits will be granted to their staff as Yntegra plans to use “special environmentally friendly timber” during the resort’s building.

The Heads of Agreement, while committing the developer to “create opportunities for Bahamian entertainers and performers to regularly perform”, and ensure Bahamian artwork is present, also provides an ‘out’ by stating that nothing prevents it from using non-Bahamian talent.

The document also states that Yntegra is seeking to obtain 146 acres of Crown Land via a grant and lease purchase, with one parcel consisting of 22 acres and the other 124 acres. And, included among the typical VAT and Customs duties tax breaks and concessions on imported construction materials and equipment, is also the standard ten-year real property tax exemption that most resorts gain from the date they begin operation.

Mr Coughlin has been outspoken about his concerns over Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma development. and has threatened to halt work on his $75m project and abandon his ambitions if he is ignored.

He said the first phase of his project, costing $25m, is nearly complete and that the planned second phase, including a large beach club at an estimated $35m, would require doubling the construction workforce and creating dozens of permanent jobs. Most staff already employed hail from Black Point.

However, he said that due to the threat of the “massive and destructive” neighbouring development, plans were halted.

“Sadly for Central Exuma employment, we had to pause our development due to the impact that Rosewood Exuma’s aggressive and impractical plans will have on our low-density resort that emphasises the beauty of Sampson Cay. I’ve been coming to The Bahamas for 30 years and am a permanent resident. I consider this my home, and what they’re trying to do is enormously destructive to the pristine environment that makes The Bahamas, and in particular Exuma, special,” said Mr Coughlin.

The Rosewood Exuma developer has announced plans to file a revised site plan with the Town Planning Committee following community feedback and ongoing controversy surrounding aspects of the project - especially the placement of its service dock.

Yntegra said the new submission follows public consultation over its certificate of environmental clearance and an assessment by the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP). The company said it adjusted the planned location of its service dock, increasing its distance from the neighbouring Turtlegrass Resort property, which now requires a revised plan.

Mr Coughlin said any plans to conduct commercial shipping in that area would create serious safety risks for visitors and destroy opportunities for sustainable tourism in the Exumas.

“Converting the North Bay into a commercial shipping channel would create a very unsafe and dangerous situation for our guests and end any chance of creating a positive example of sustainable tourism in the Exumas – benefiting both the environment and the local economy for years to come. They want to turn this pristine marine habitat into a highway for supply ships and fuel boats. Totally impractical.”