波多黎各许可管理办公室附属委员会已批准一项投资规模达20亿美元的沿海豪华开发项目Esencia[1]。该项目位于波多黎各西南部卡博罗霍镇，占地2000英亩[1]，将包括500间豪华酒店客房、1200套私人住宅、两个高尔夫球场、骑术中心、学校和24小时医疗中心等配套设施[1]。其中酒店由Mandarin Oriental和Rosewood Hotels & Resorts品牌运营[1]。开发商预计首批居民和客人将在2029年末入驻[1]。
开发商表示该项目将创造超过17000个就业机会[1]，并承诺超过75%的项目用地用于保护和绿色空间[1]，同时采用可再生能源[1]。然而，环保组织对该批准决定提出强烈反对，认为项目会威胁野生动物并消耗岛屿资源[1]。波多黎各社会生态研究所执行主任Braulio Quintero表示："我们将在每个可能的论坛上对抗这个项目"[1]。
Puerto Rico's government has authorized a $2 billion coastal development project called Esencia in the southwestern municipality of Cabo Rojo.[1] The project will span 2,000 acres and include 500 luxury hotel rooms, 1,200 private residences, two golf courses, an equestrian center, a school, and a 24-hour medical facility.[1] The developers have partnered with hotel brands Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, with the first residents and guests projected to arrive by the end of 2029.[1]
The developers claim the project will generate over 17,000 jobs and allocate more than 75 percent of the development to conservation and green space.[1] Environmental advocates have strongly opposed the approval. Braulio Quintero, executive director of Puerto Rico's Institute for Social-Ecological Research, stated that "we will fight this project in every possible forum."[1] Critics argue that the development threatens local wildlife and will strain the island's resources.[1]