Supporter,
The Yntegra-Rosewood project at Sampson Cay has received preliminary site plan approval, against the objections of this community. This is a concerning development, but it is not the end of this fight. Public pressure has shaped this process at every stage, and it continues to matter.
I also want to make sure you are aware of something important that was published in The Tribune a few weeks ago: a front-page insightful investigation into the developer behind this project, Yntegra Group CEO, Felipe MacLean.The reporting raises serious questions that every Bahamian following this issue deserves to consider.
Among the findings: Yntegra Group's CEO previously led a publicly traded acquisition company that was delisted by the Securities Exchange Commission after three years of missed deadlines and undelivered promises, as shareholders lost confidence and fled.
The Tribune also reports that Yntegra has since been reduced to a minority, passive investor with no decision-making role at Cave Cay, another major Exuma development for which the government signed a Heads of Agreement with this same group — effectively losing control of that project to another developer before it ever broke ground. Meanwhile, the experienced developer who has taken over at Cave Cay has already moved to significantly downsize the density of Yntegra’s initial plans, stating they were “too dense”. The same reconsideration is long overdue at Sampson Cay.
I will pose a simple question: does Yntegra have a single completed resort development on record? The people of The Bahamas have a right to know who is being trusted with their Crown Land, and whether that was fully understood when government approvals moved forward.
Which brings me to something that I find concerning: the Tribune stories revealing these troubling aspects of Yntegra’s track record have not been published on The Tribune website For an investigation of this significance to remain out of reach to anyone who wasn't holding a physical copy of the paper is, at best, unusual. Especially when getting your hands on a physical copy of the paper can be even harder in Exuma itself, where these stories matter most. I am asking you to write to The Tribune and request that they publish this investigation on their website, where it can be read and shared freely. The public interest case for doing so is clear.
The Save Exuma Alliance has archived the full clippings on their website in the meantime so that every Bahamian can read them. Read them here.
You can click the link below to write to members of the Tribune requesting the stories to be made available online:
See some suggested text from SEA:
Dear Tribune Team,
I am writing to request that The Tribune's recent investigation into Yntegra Group be made available on your website.
The stories are of significant public interest to residents of Exuma, where the company is proposing a major development. The Tribune is not widely available for purchase in Exuma, which means the people most directly affected by this reporting have no way to read it. Is there a reason these stories have not been posted online? Many of us would like to understand why reporting of this nature, published in print on April 17th has not appeared on your website.
We respectfully ask that you make these stories available online as soon as possible.
Please continue to share this story with your friends, family and co-workers and encourage them to sign our petition.
Sincerely,
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This community has shown it will speak up. Please do so again.
Sincerely,
Eric Carey