By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Professionals working on the Cable Beach office complex proposed by Adrian Fox’s Fox Group of Companies office last night sought to reassure nearby residents that any concerns will be addressed.

Alex Haley, principal of Haley and Associates, the project’s architect, told a Town Planning Committee public consultation that dedicated construction-phase parking will be provided on-site using a parcel of land earmarked for future development. Two dedicated entrances will be built off West Bay Street to allow access to this temporary lot and prevent congestion on public roads.

“During the development, we will use the parcel that’s labelled future development for construction parking to keep the workers off the streets and sidewalks,” said Mr Haley.

“We’re creating two entrances off of West Bay Street in order to access the parking. So there will be a slip lane that allows cars to merge, when heading east on West Bay Street, to enter the site and to leave the site from West Bay Street.”

Mr Haley confirmed the project, which includes a three-storey office and restaurant complex on a 3.672-acre parcel of land west of Sandals Royal Bahamian, will be developed in phases. This phased approach, he said, will allow the developers to meet required parking ratios set by the Ministry of Works, while also using the future development parcel for spillover parking needs.

“I think we do have rather good parking at the moment. The project is being developed in phases primarily for a reason. The first phase we’re going to use, the ministry required parking amounts, and we also have the future development lot that we’re going to use for spillover parking,” said Mr Haley.

“In the future development, there will be some sort of parking structure to accommodate more cars for whatever goes back there. So there will be some sort of level two parking to accommodate parking there.”

Addressing concerns over potential noise from the proposed ground floor restaurant, Mr Haley assured residents its operations will be limited to ensure minimal disturbance to the surrounding community. “The ground floor restaurant tenant has not been selected as yet, but when leased, the operations will be restricted to a latest closing time at 10:30pm,” he added.

However, not all concerns were alleviated during the meeting. Bennet Atkinson, president of the Towers of Cable Beach Association, raised the issue of possible structural impacts to their 1959 high-rise building due to construction activity, particularly during future development phases.

He put the developers “on notice” that their building will be surveyed prior to construction commencing on the site. “Our primary concern is our 1959-built high rise building, and this might not really concern phase one, but when we start building really big buildings, we’re concerned about the structural integrity of our building,” said Mr Atkinson

“So I would like to state that we’re going to have a complete survey done of our building, but if anything goes wrong in our building, we will have a survey before you start. So I just wanted to put you on notice.”

The restaurant had “raised some concern” with planning authorities due to the proximity of residential areas. Jehan Wallace, assistant director at the Department of Physical Planning, in a September 2025 paper prepared for the Town Planning Committee recommended that the proposal by the Island Luck co-founder’s Fox Wide Ltd be deferred for a public hearing and consultation on the plans.

Documents filed with the Department of Physical Planning on behalf of the Fox Group of Companies show the complex’s design includes the same logo found on its corporate website. The proposed development includes a 13,000 square foot, three-storey office and restaurant complex on a 3.672-acre parcel of land just to the west of the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort.

If constructed, following the issuance of all necessary permits and approvals, the complex would appear to be in either the same location - or immediately adjacent to - the former Cable Beach Manor site for which Mr Fox signed a Heads of Agreement with the Government in February. He is promising to develop a $300m tourism and resort investment there that will create up to 1,000 permanent jobs.

“The applicant proposes a 13,000 square foot, three-storey building on the site,” Ms Wallace wrote in her note to the Town Planning Committee. “The building includes a restaurant and office foyer on the ground floor and executive offices on the second and third floor. There is also an outdoor recreation space on the third floor.

“A total of 56 parking spaces is also proposed on the site. All building setbacks also meet Department standards. The proposed is in the middle of two residential communities with the Sandals resort approximately 400 feet east of the property.

“While the Department recognises the mix of uses in the vicinity of the property, the proposed restaurant raises some concern due to the proximity of the residential uses. As a result, the Department recommends a deferral for a public hearing to allow the residents an opportunity to voice their concerns for the Committee to consider before a decision is made.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, in a September 3, 2025, memorandum to the Department of Physical Planning also said its approval of the project is conditioned on the Fox Group of Companies hiring a qualified engineer to conduct a ‘Focused Traffic Impact Analysis’ for the development.

Robert Mouzas, acting director of public works, wrote: “The Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs wishes to formally express its support in principle for the proposed land use. However, given the site’s location along a high-volume tourist corridor and its proximity to the Cable Beach roundabout, approval should be subject to the following.

“The developer shall engage a qualified traffic engineer and submit a Focused Traffic Impact Analysis (not a full Traffic Impact Analysis) together with detailed access and circulation design drawings for review and approval by the Ministry of Works.

“Subject to satisfactory submission of the above and incorporation of any mitigation arising from the Focused Traffic Impact Analysis, we would have no objection to the site plan approval.”

Alfred Saunders, the project’s architect, in an August 5, 2025, letter to the Department of Physical Planning applying for site plan approval acknowledged that the location is adjacent to the Towers of Cable Beach apartment complex. A road reservation that is 56-feet wide also runs through the 3.672-acre project site.

“In addition to the current proposal, the site has been strategically designed to accommodate potential future expansion, supporting the continued growth of Fox Wide Ltd as their operational needs evolve,” Mr Saunders said, in a seeming nod to Mr Fox’s resort plans. Fox Wide Ltd appears to be a subsidiary of the Fox Group of Companies.

The application by Fox Wide Ltd outlines plans for 56 parking spaces, with 28 allocated for the restaurant and 24 designated for office use. Developers said the site layout was designed with future growth in mind.