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Grand Bahama goes green
RealEstate_WTDFJan10
Environment-friendly homes
Grand Bahama goes green
The concept of building environmentally friendly resorts and dwellings has arrived in Grand Bahama with the construction of the first two “green” homes in Freeport. Although this is a modest start, it’s an indication of a growing trend.
Builders in The Bahamas have started to go green because home buyers and vacationers have become much more conscious of the environmental impact of new construction.
“The world is demanding the movement toward [green real estate],” says Rhonda Waton, an H G Christie real estate agent. “It is definitely a growing trend.” She is the first real estate agent in The Bahamas to receive a “Green Designation” award from the US National Association of Realtors.
To get that title, realtors must complete a programme that gives them in-depth knowledge of green building practices, non-polluting construction materials and all the other essentials of low-impact real estate development.
Going green, Waton says, means more than using non-polluting energy sources. It also includes conservation of natural resources, modern recycling practices, the use of Earth-friendly materials and methods of using water efficiently.
Although no new green developments are planned for Grand Bahama, according to Donna Laing-Jones, a broker at H G Christie Ltd real estate in Freeport, observers believe that this trend will affect future development here.
Those who plan to build on Grand Bahama may follow the lead of several Bahamian resorts that are setting the standard for green commercial development. One of them is the eco-resort Tiamo on South Andros, opened in 2001, built by Green Island Development, a company that specializes in creating green residential and mixed-use communities.
Tiamo uses open designs to maximize air flow and solar panels to generate electricity. It also recycles “grey” wastewater by using a natural sand and rock filtration system.
Green Island Development also opened Schooner Bay on Great Abaco Island in January 2009, a 600-home community constructed to green specifications, with its own farm and recycling facilities for all waste.
Also in development is STAR Island, a 35-acre cay just off north Eleuthera. It will be the first completely green luxury resort community in The Bahamas.
STAR (Sustainable Terrain and Resources) will be powered by solar, wind and water and will use a reverse osmosis system to produce up to 100,000 gallons of potable water a day. It will also convert waste into fuel and fertilizer using the latest technology. With green developments such as these leading the way, others are sure to follow.
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