NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Yntegra is pushing back against accusations from the Save Exuma Alliance (SEA), insisting that claims of mischaracterized survey data are unfounded and designed to foster public fear and distrust.
Yntegra’s response follows assertions by SEA that the developer overstated community support for its proposed Rosewood Exuma project by misinterpreting results from an independent survey conducted by the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG).
According to Yntegra’s statement, the ORG survey results show that 34.6 percent of residents in Black Point and Staniel Cay expressed a positive view of the development, while 37.9 percent were neutral. The company argues this means a combined 72.5 percent of respondents are either supportive or “not opposed.” Yntegra noted that only 27.4 percent expressed a negative view — 7.2 percent fewer than those who support the project outright. The company says this indicates the “vast majority” of residents are open to the project and willing to learn more about its potential benefits.
Yntegra added that 57 percent of individuals approached for the survey declined to participate, reportedly because they perceived the exercise as “potentially biased in favor of Turtlegrass and Save the Exuma Alliance,” despite ORG’s role as an independent third party.
“We appreciate ORG’s effort to capture the diverse views of the Exuma Cays community. The results confirm what we’ve seen in our consistent engagement of the community over the last four years: there is a need and real hope for the economic progress this project will bring,” said Felipe MacLean, Yntegra Group CEO. “The community wants this project to happen because they see the opportunities for a positive change in the Exuma Cays that is a path to a better future, and we are committed to delivering on that promise.”
Yntegra acknowledged that survey respondents expressed cautious views about employment prospects, with concerns about whether the project would create long-term, high-quality jobs for Bahamians. The company said it “recognizes and shares” these concerns and highlighted steps already taken to generate opportunities. Shortly after groundbreaking in September, Yntegra said a service provider began preparations to hire approximately 150 people, while the resort itself is expected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and operations. The developer added that it has been working with local hospitality training partners to ensure Bahamians are prepared for roles “across all levels of the resort.”
To date, Yntegra reports collaborating with more than a dozen Bahamian companies and receiving interest from over 300 people and 35 businesses regarding employment and vendor opportunities — progress the company says has been stalled by ongoing legal and public challenges to the development.
Yntegra said the ORG report also underscores the community’s strong prioritization of environmental protection and trust in scientific experts, and maintains that its project is designed to “go above and beyond” environmental requirements. The developer emphasized it has complied with all environmental laws, conducted public consultations, and resubmitted plans to the Town Planning Committee at the request of stakeholders. Yntegra further noted that the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection thoroughly reviewed all environmental submissions before issuing a Certificate of Environmental Clearance.
“The environment doesn’t only support lives and livelihoods in Exuma, it is also what attracts guests to this magnificent place,” said MacLean. He added that Rosewood Hotels’ sustainability record underscores the company’s obligation to protect the natural environment. Yntegra says it works with “best-in-class” Bahamian environmental professionals, including BRON, which has completed more than 1,200 projects across The Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Residents surveyed also stressed the importance of compromise, according to ORG’s findings. “I want both parties to compromise and come together. We need both [projects],” one participant said. “Yntegra prioritizes transparency and responsible development. We are squarely focused on resuming progress as soon as possible and fulfilling our commitments to create local employment and meaningful, long-term benefits for Exuma and the Cays, and opportunities for Bahamians across the country,” MacLean added.
In its release, SEA challenged Yntegra’s interpretation of the same ORG survey, calling the developer’s claims “questionable” and inconsistent with the data. SEA highlighted a social media post by the developer stating that “most residents in Black Point and Staniel Cay view the Sampson Cay project as positive for their community and want it to start now,” further claiming that “over 72 percent of Exuma Cays residents support the Sampson Cay project.”
SEA argues that this figure is misleading, as the survey shows 34.6 percent positive, 37.9 percent neutral, and 27.4 percent negative. Neutrality, it contends, cannot be classified as support. “To get ‘72 percent support,’ you have to add the positive and neutral numbers together. Being neutral about something does not equal supporting it,” SEA said. “If they are claiming support they do not have, what else are they distorting?”
SEA pointed to several other findings in the ORG survey, including that 96 percent of residents want environmental protection prioritized, 75 percent expressed concern about the approved 390-foot seawall, and 72 percent were concerned about dredging impacts on seagrass, coral, and juvenile conch. SEA said the survey also shows that more people prefer a smaller, low-impact development model over a larger resort design involving extensive dredging, and that decisions over Crown land use must include proper consultation and enforceable environmental safeguards.
“With only one-third of the population feeling positive about the project and an overwhelming majority expressing concern about the massive seawall, the dredging, how Crown land is used, and the kind of development model people want – it is hard to understand how Yntegra can justify these statements. The community cares about opportunity, but not at any cost,” SEA said.
