The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A $262m Exuma resort project, which is pledging to create 300 full-time jobs once build-out is complete, appears to be moving forward again with a public hearing on its environmental plans set for October 2023.

The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for what is described as “a luxury hotel and residential community located” on Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay, situated near Barraterre off north Great Exuma, also affirms that the development will produce around 250 jobs during the construction phase.

“The project is anticipated to be developed over a single phase with total capital expenditure expected to exceed $262m,” the August 2023 EMP, produced by Waypoint Consulting and ATM, states. “Full build-out will create between 250 jobs during construction and 300 jobs during operation.

“The population of Exuma and its cays nearly doubled between the 2000 and 2010 Census to just below 7,000. Barraterre has a population of 118. 

Employees who live on Exuma will be able to travel to the cays for daily operations via provided transportation. The community of Barraterre will benefit directly from community outreach programmes for educational support and infrastructure development.”

The developer is named as ADH Ltd, which is described as a “Bahamian real estate development company”, although its principals are not named in the EIA. The only person mentioned who is associated with ADH is Sarah Morley, who was described as its development director.

However, well-placed sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the principal Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay developer remains Swiss businesswoman and billionaire, Dona Bertarelli, who signed a Heads of Agreement for the project with the last Christie administration more than seven years ago in late January 2016.

“It was never ever forsaken,” one contact said of the development. “It was postponed, there were different management companies that came in. At times there was less involvement by the developer.” Given the time that has elapsed between the Heads of Agreement signing, many Exuma residents and other Bahamians may need some reassurance and convincing that it is actually moving ahead now.

The two separate Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay, which were initially produced in 2016 several months after the Heads of Agreement signing, are said to have been updated by Waypoint and other consultants. Ms Bertarelli, who sits on the board of several companies, was at the time of the signing said to be actively involved in managing her family’s business interests, including the five-star Grand Hotel Park in Gstaad.

ADH Ltd’s website, providing further details on the developer’s current plans, said: “The project will be a low-rise, low-density luxury resort and residential community that will consist of 42 hotel keys and 55 private estate lots. Private estate lots will be at least two acres each across Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay.

“Amenities will include restaurants, a 55-slip marina, private docking facilities, a seaplane dock, a guest arrival pavilion, nature trails, spa and treatment facilities, sports recreation facilities, beach clubs, youth clubs, event areas and helipads for Medivac (medical evacuation).

“Each island will have back-of-house operations, including a reverse osmosis facility, power generation, a wastewater treatment facility and waste storage/ recycling. Back-of-house operations, such as a solar panel installation, an agricultural area for local food production and staff housing will be situated on Madam Daus Cay.” Madam Daus Cay is connected to Barraterre and Great Exuma by the Queen’s Highway.

“Children’s Bay Cay is approximately 161 acres, Williams Cay is approximately 189 acres and Madam Daus Cay is comprised of 435 acres with development to occur on 125 acres,” ADH Ltd said. “Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay are located at the southern end of the Exuma island chain, east of the Great Bahama Bank and adjacent to the Exuma Sound. Madam Daus Cay is at the northern end of Great Exuma and is bound by Jones Creek to the north and Smiths Creek to the south.”

Children’s Bay Cay will feature 30 guest villas, containing a total 42 room keys via having one or two bedrooms, plus 22 single family lots of two-plus acres each. A 55-slip marina able to accommodate boats ranging in size from 20 feet to 125 feet will be developed, with amenities including a beach club, restaurants, spa, tennis/fitness centre and water sports/dive centre.

“The proposed marina at Children’s Bay Cay will entail a newly-dredged entrance channel to the south to better accommodate vessel approaches from the south and east. This marina entrance was captured in the 2017 Children’s Bay Cay EIA,” the newly-published EMP said.

“The marina has been designed to accommodate approximately 55 slips for vessels ranging from 125 feet to 30 feet in length. Additionally, an entrance jetty will be placed along the seabed for protection and coastal stability.... The marina entrance will require dredging nearshore to reach deep water suitable for anticipated vessels. Total estimated dredge volume over the seabed is 28,000 cubic yards.”

Providing further details on the marina, the EMP added: “The development is considering the placement of moorings to the south-west of the marina entrance to accommodate additional vessels..... All residential docks will be designed and built by the developer. It is anticipated that residential docks will be sited accordingly to avoid dredging with shallow draft vessels only. Typical residential docks will be 35 feet by 10 feet with a select few extending to 60 feet offshore.

“The Resident’s Club dock will rest parallel to the shoreline extending 455 feet to reach adequate water depth without dredging. There will be limited access to the Resident’s Club dock during low tide.” Williams Cay, meanwhile, is projected to feature 33 single family homes together with a 16-slip marina and 18 residential docks.

Planned amenities include a yoga pavilion, sports and recreational activities, gym and events lawn. “Williams Cay will have two external marinas: A guest arrival dock and service dock functioning as a back-of-house marina,” the EMP added. “Access to the service dock will require dredging...; dredge volume is estimated at 4,500 cubic yards. No dredging is required for the guest arrival dock which has sufficient existing depth.

“All residential docks will be designed and built by the developer. It is anticipated that residential docks will be sited accordingly to avoid dredging with shallow draft vessels only. Typical residential docks will be 35 feet by 10 feet with a select few extending to 60 feet offshore.”