An island in the Exuma chain will become home to a tropical jungle – complete with exotic wildlife and vegetation never before seen in the Bahamas.
Investor David Kotkin, known as world-famous performer David Copperfield, will invest another $20 – $30 million to enhance his resort development on Musha Cay at Copperfield Bay in the Exumas, it was announced yesterday.
Mr Kotkin has already invested $50 million in the Exuma Cays with his purchase of Musha Cay, Little Lansing Cay and Rudder Cut Cay. Minister of Financial Services and Investments Vincent Peet toured the resort last week Thursday and held a joint press conference with Mr Kotkin, who is also chairman of the Isle of Wonder Company LLC.
“Mr Copperfield will bring his own trademark to the Musha Cay as well as the Little Lansing Cay and Rudder Cut Cay,” Mr Peet said. “These purchases will provide an opportunity for Bahamians to gain a variety of training and job opporturtities.”
“Mr Copperfield is an environmentally friendly investor and is keeping with the government’s policy of no damages being done to the environment,” Mr Peet added.
He also urged Bahamians to take advantage of the opportunities being made available by opening businesses of their own to cater to the new resort development; rather than necessarily being employees.
Mr Copperfield said even though Exuma has a lot of beauty and magic to offer, it was the people that really motivated him to undertake the venture.
“We are basically enhancing what already exists and to make what exists even better,” he said. “The magic, which we speak is a little different – that of creativity.”
Mr Kotkin said the development will now include a drive-in movie theatre, an upgrade of buildings, and the introduction of an aspect of zoology for secondary and tertiary level educational purposes.
In addition, he said, new flora and fauna will also be introduced on the Cay and Bahamians will be trained in the various areas to occupy the new job opportunities.
“We will also create a jungle on the cay that will be home to monkeys and the necessary precautions are being sorted from the government to ensure that this project is executed in best practice standards,” Mr Kotkin said.
The 150-acre cay already hosts a main plantation house; four English colonial-style guest villas; eight cottages, each with private beaches; a complex that includes a pool, gym, three bars; and a tennis court. There is an operational aircraft runway on nearby Rudder Cut Cay.
The investor said the resort will remain open for a period throughout the upgrade and anticipates making the resort not only available to the rich and famous – but also to Bahamians.
Source: The Tribune
