The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ROYAL Caribbean International is nearing completion of its efforts to satisfy the requirements to have its Paradise Island Beach Club project fully approved.

RCI hosted a public consultation event in June.

Diane Phillips, RCI’s public relations representative in The Bahamas, said yesterday the company is finished answering questions related to the project’s environmental impact and is preparing to publish its responses online.

“Once everything has been published,” she said, “it will be reviewed by DEPP and then the application is considered. Then we wait and see.”

She said she did not anticipate a project approval delay, but could not give a timeline.

Meanwhile, Vaughn Roberts, Atlantis’ senior vice-president of government affairs and special projects, struck a softer tone discussing the project yesterday than in the past.

Atlantis had been one of the project’s staunchest critics.

“We,” Mr Roberts said yesterday, “have definitely been able to cause Royal Caribbean to think carefully about the project and to really fine-tune the project in a way that I think it’s going to end up being a win for the destination.

He did not specify how Atlantis got RCI to change or fine-tune its project.

“We never had an opposing position,” he said.

“Just so important what we offer at Atlantis and how we live is protected.

“As planned project — planned development projects — actually just takes considered approach with respect to the environment.”