THE ISLAND
EXUMA'S BREATH-TAKING
NATURAL BEAUTY
The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands beginning just 35 miles south-east of Nassau. The islands are divided into three major areas – Great Exuma, Little Exuma and The Exuma Cays. The islands have an established reputation as a luxury travel destination and are one of the more significant and well-developed “Out Islands” of The Bahamas – boasting an international airport, numerous hotels and holiday resorts, a mega-yacht marina and an 18-hole championship golf course.
The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands beginning just 35 miles south-east of Nassau. The islands are divided into three major areas – Great Exuma, Little Exuma and The Exuma Cays. The islands have an established reputation as a luxury travel destination and are one of the more significant and well-developed “Out Islands” of The Bahamas – boasting an international airport, numerous hotels and holiday resorts, a mega-yacht marina and an 18-hole championship golf course.
The Exumas currently offers the best growth potential of all the Bahamian Out Islands with the benefit of a local workforce from which to recruit. Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Exuma more than doubled. This was reflected in the development of several large and small resort properties and the growth in direct air traffic to Great Exuma from locations as distant as Toronto, Canada.
The Bahamas is a good investment environment with stable political and legal systems. Great Exuma is much safer than most cities in the US and Europe. Local policing is vigilant, creating a safe environment for tourists to enjoy the islands. The Bahamas is an offshore finance center with over 250 banks and trust companies with the Bahamian dollar pegged to the US Dollar. There is no restriction on foreign property ownership.
The north-west Atlantic region experiences a number of tropical storms and a small number of hurricanes each year. The majority of these do not make landfall in The Bahamas. The relatively southern location of Great Exuma makes it unlikely that hurricanes and tropical storms will directly affect the island. With Great Exuma being some way south of the ‘at risk’ islands of The Bahamas, it also benefits from the “protection” of other nearby islands. It is the more northerly Bahamian Out Islands that, statistically, are more exposed – as hurricanes tend to move towards the landmass of Florida. As was seen with Hurricane Dorian, it was
the northern Bahamian island of Abaco which was the most heavily impacted.
THE LAND FOR THE RESORT
The land for the main proposed resort site is owned by Waterside’s affiliate; it extends to approximately 6.2 acres (25,091m2). This site boasts clifftop panoramic ocean views across Emerald Bay and the adjoining Rokers Point Residences.
It is located near the large Sandals resort at Emerald Bay and the beautiful Emerald Bay beach. It is adjacent to the Grand Isle Villas condominium resort on one side and the development site for Rokers Point Residences owned by JFB Limited (which forms the remainder of the Rokers Point subdivision) on the other side. There are existing utilities and services in place either to or within, the site boundary. The land is free from any third-party mortgages or charges. Further land for a new beach and beach facilities at Rokers Point subdivision is also to be acquired. The development will benefit from the provisions of the Hotels Encouragement Act of The Bahamas (concessions on taxes and import duties) and the
Bahamian Government has already given “in principle” approval to the proposed development.
