Puerto Rico greenlights $2 billion coastal luxury complex amid environmental protests

The Adjunct Board of Puerto Rico’s Permit Management Office gave the go-ahead for Esencia, a $2 billion coastal luxury project on 2,000 acres in the town of Cabo Rojo. The plan envisions 500 upscale hotel rooms, 1,200 private homes, two golf courses, an equestrian center, a K-12 school and a 24-hour medical center. Developers Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital claim that over 75% of the land will be preserved as conservation area, including the restoration of about 33 acres of wetlands and dune and mangrove habitats, and that the entire complex will run on renewable energy with its own water and power systems.

Hotel brands Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood have signed on. Environmentalists, headed by Braulio Quintero of the Institute for Socio-Ecological Research, protested the decision, accusing officials of approving the project without a public hearing or sufficient transparency and urging scrutiny of the developers. The developers argue the development will create more than 17,000 jobs and set a model for environmentally conscious luxury, with sales slated to begin later this year and residents expected by late 2029.