By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

The government has signed a heads of agreement for the more than $100m first-phase redevelopment of the former Sandals Emerald Bay into Sandals Beaches Exuma.

The project is expected to employ 450 people during construction and more than 900 once the resort is fully operational. The redevelopment will increase occupancy from two people per room to 4.2.

Sandals executive chairman Adam Stewart said there were extensive discussions about whether the property should carry the adults-only Sandals brand or the family-focused Beaches brand.

Although the original plan was to use the Beaches brand, he said Sandals ultimately had the stronger marketing power at the time, and the resort opened as Sandals Emerald Bay in February 2010.

He assured Bahamians that the new venture will be “an amazing investment”.

“The resort will remain the same size in phase one in this first $100 million. We'll put a water park in it, pickleball, archery field, sports – everything outdoors because it has the landscape to do it. The Greg Norman golf course will be in full effect and swing,” Mr Stewart said.

“We will convert multiple rooms to two-, three- and four-bedroom family villas for multi-generational travel. We will open with ten new restaurant concepts. We'll have a 15,000 sq ft banqueting and events conference centre in the resort.”

Mr Stewart said much of the development work has already been mapped out, with finishing touches now being made as the scope of work has been identified.

The project will go to tender in the first quarter of 2026, with construction mobilisation also targeted for that period. A final completion date has not been set, but the goal is to finish by the end of 2027.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the resort’s transformation into a family-focused destination will unfold over the next 24 months.

“Independent assessments show that once the resort is fully open, it will support more than 1,500 jobs each year and attract tens of thousands of visitors. That means more money circulating in Exuma’s economy, more opportunities for families and more strength across the Family Islands.”

He added that Sandals Beaches has partnered with L.N. Coakley High School to create a paid traineeship programme, offering 25 apprenticeships when the property reopens, along with an exchange initiative allowing Bahamians to receive training at Sandals resorts across the Caribbean.

Tourism Minister and Exuma MP Chester Cooper said Sandals is the “anchor of the tourism product” on the island and its largest employer.

He said the first phase will also include more than 100 staff accommodations, acknowledging that housing has long been an issue in Exuma.

Sandals has had to acquire and build housing for employees, and Mr Cooper said he expects the resort will continue to expand staff lodging.

“In addition, we are seeing some new builds on the island. We will announce shortly the construction of homes in the area of Georgetown behind the Exuma Health Facility,” he said.

“This is an area where government owns extensive acreage, and we have been looking, along with the Minister of Housing, to see how we can create subdivisions in that immediate vicinity. So yes, this is an issue. It's not only an issue in Exuma – it’s an issue all across the islands.”

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Sandals Royal Bahamian.

Mr Stewart said the Nassau property has had a “phenomenal year” and noted that customers who previously stayed at Emerald Bay have been coming to Nassau, as well as visiting other locations as Sandals promotes the Caribbean archipelago at large.