Press Release-en

MARAEY, the most important sustainable tourism-residential development in Brazil, is the first project to earn the seal of approval as a strategic undertaking for the state of Rio de Janeiro. The concession of the title took place within the framework of the new Environmental License System and other Control Procedures (Selca), launched in August last year by the State Government, with the aim of de-bureaucratizing and streamlining environmental licenses without losing rigor in the environmental feasibility analysis.

Selca was built with the participation of technicians from the State Institute of the Environment (Inea), representatives of the State and Federal Public Ministry, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Federation of Industries of the state of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), among other entities. A public consultation was also carried out that received 384 contributions, of which 124 were used.

The CEO of Maray, Emilio Izquierdo, held the recognition as a strategic entrepreneurship. For him, the decision ratifies the sustainability parameters that had already been recognized outside of Brazil:

“It is, above all, a recognition of the sustainability of our project. The criteria used are fully aligned with those of important certifications that we have already received, such as Biosphere and SITES GOLD, in addition to the 2021 Leadership Award for Latin America, granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. We are very proud to be the first to obtain the seal of approval. We will work with great responsibility to build an enterprise totally oriented to the sustainable use of natural heritage, in support of the culture of the local community and development with a positive impact for the state”.

The seal of approval as a strategic entrepreneurship is an important asset for the sustainable development of Rio de Janeiro, and it brings security and agility for the State to assume the prominence of a new development model. The Maray project, fully framed within these new values, will contribute to an important transformation of the territory, with proposals focused on social and environmental responsibility, as well as fostering economic growth.

For Nicola Miccione, Secretary of State for the Civil House, the new Licensing System and the granting of the title of strategic entrepreneurship to MARAEY represent the commitment assumed by the government for the resumption of growth:

“This set of initiatives proposed by Selca and the seal of a sustainable project of this magnitude are essential engines for the economic development of the state”, he said.

The new licensing system defines a strategic undertaking as one that generates a positive environmental impact, with the capacity to create jobs, boost the economy, integrate the local population, increase tax collection in the state of Rio and improve public infrastructure. The environmental body will prioritize the processing of environmental license processes for projects covered by this classification.

The MARAEY project was conceived based on high sustainability standards.

In the environmental area, it will create assets such as the second largest Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN) of restinga in the state of Rio (and fifth largest in Brazil) and an academic research center to deepen the knowledge of the ecosystems of the region. The project will preserve 81% of the total area, with a building occupation of just 6.6%. The native vegetation recovery program will mean an increase of more than 120 hectares of restinga, compared to the previous situation.

As for the social aspect, among other actions, MARAEY will promote the cadastral regularization of Zacarias, with definitive transfer of property titles, through agreements signed with the Maricá City Council, for the 200 families of the fishing community. The company IDB Brasil, responsible for the undertaking, has already signed agreements and collaborations with the aim of creating conditions to prioritize the hiring of local labour.

The economic impact is significant for the entire state. It has four five-star hotels, a luxury residential area, a Hotel Management and Haute Cuisine University, a hospital and school of excellence, sports centers and a shopping center, in addition to various other services. The planned private investment is around 11 billion dollars, with a tax collection of 7.2 billion dollars during the first 14 years (construction and sales consolidation) and more than 1 billion dollars per year in operation. . The forecast is to generate more than 50 thousand in the construction phase and 36 thousand in full operation.

The executive director of MARAEY, David Galipienzo, thanks the seal of approval granted by the state and guarantees that the project will be very positive:

“We are going to consolidate an innovative tourism, residential and service development pole in the eastern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, with a project that has the mission of becoming a world reference in sustainability. We have always shown a total commitment to the preservation of the Maricá restinga and with the Zacarias Community. We feel very honoured that it is being recognized by society, with acts as important as this one. We will maintain full commitment to sustainability and technical rigor in obtaining a license and in the implementation of MARAEY, as we have always done. We will act locally, but the scope will be global for both the venture and the state of Rio”.

MARAEY, the main sustainable tourism-residential development in Brazil, has just achieved an important boost for clean energy. The CEO of the company responsible for the project, Emilio Izquierdo, and the CEO and president of BMW Group Brazil, Aksel Krieger, signed a contract to promote and prioritize the use of hybrid and electric vehicles in the new neighborhood formed by the development 45 km from the Center of Rio de Janeiro, in the municipality of Maricá. The two companies consider the agreement as an innovative experience of sustainable mobility in the real estate development of an important region of the State.

In an area of 840 hectares, of which more than half will be a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN), the inhabitants of MARAEY will have hospital, school, university, shopping centres, proximity stores and offices. In this sense, the forecast of a fleet of 8,000 sustainable cars is in line with the values of the project.

The agreement fulfils MARAEY’s purpose of achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil. In this case, with objective 11, which provides for Sustainable Cities and Communities, with regard to reducing the negative environmental impact per capita of cities, including paying special attention to air quality.

“The agreement with BMW Group Brazil, a pioneer in the development of cars with sustainable technology in the country, is extremely important for our project. This collaboration makes the possibility of optimizing the circulation of a greater number of vehicles with the minimum environmental impact a reality. Therefore prioritizing innovation in mobility as a crucial point for the quality of life of tourists and residents in MARAEY. We, MARAEY and BMW Group Brazil, share important values, both in the interest of quality and innovation, and in the defence of sustainable values that allow a better world for future generations.”, say the CEO of MARAEY, Emilio Izquierdo.

During the 3-year duration of the agreement, with the consent of the dealers, there is the possibility of acquiring, at a special price, BMW brand cars that offer minimal environmental impact, to customers who buy residential units in MARAEY, a complex that construction will begin in the first half of 2022 and that has sustainable mobility as one of its priorities.

One of the differential points of the agreement with BMW Group Brazil implies that the first 1,200 residents who acquire hybrid or electric vehicles of the brand will have the free installation of the Wallbox – BMW equipment that allows the intelligent charging of an electric car, as simple as charging a smartphone. MARAEY’s objective is that at least 55% of the fleet circulating in the complex be electric or hybrid vehicles; To do this, the project has an infrastructure to charge vehicles powered by electricity throughout its territory. The installation of the Wallbox must be paid for by the purchaser.

To supply the vehicles, MARAEY will set up recharging stations in parking spaces, both in public accesses, at different points, and in all residential areas.

Another MARAEY sustainable resource related to the promotion of “clean” vehicles will be the use of renewable energy sources. With very low levels of dangerous gas emissions, the alternative sources foreseen in the project, such as solar, bio-gas, geothermal and wind power, will also support the charging of electric vehicles in common areas. The estimate, when the complex is fully operational, is more than 8 thousand vehicles between hybrids and electric circulating through it.

Sustainable stamps and international recognition award

MARAEY’s ecological commitment has received international recognition. The undertaking was the first private initiative tourist destination in the world to obtain the BIOSPHERE certification in the category of “Sustainable Tourist Destination”, granted by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an organization that has a Memorandum of Understanding with UNESCO. With the certification, the project reinforces the commitment to develop in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations and the most recent guidelines of the Paris Climate Conference.

The development has also received the 2021 USGBC Leadership Award for Latin America and is the first mixed-use project in South America to receive the Sustainable SITES Initiative pre-certification in the GOLD category. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc., SITES is the most internationally recognized certification system in the development of sustainable communities and, among the criteria evaluated by the seal, MARAEY received credits for the use of renewable energy sources, water reuse systems, sustainable mobility, preservation of native fauna and flora, waste management plan and creation of a RPPN, which will be the second largest in the state and fifth largest in Brazil, with 440 hectares – more than half the area of the development.

About MARAEY

MARAEY will be developed on the Costa del Sol, in Maricá. In its tourist branch, the undertaking will have four five-star hotels, which will receive an average of 300,000 tourists per year. The project, which will have a Smart City philosophy, will offer new housing of different types with integrated services such as a school, a hospital, an international hotel university, a shopping center and offices, as well as numerous leisure and sports activities.

With a buildable occupation of just 6.6% of the land, within the 840 hectares of the development, the second largest Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN) of restinga in the state of Rio will be created. And the almost 200 fishing families who live in The community of Zacarias will benefit from cadastral regularization, urbanization, with the same quality standards as the rest of the project, and by promoting local culture and artisanal fishing.

The planned private investment is around 11 billion dollars, with a tax collection of 7.2 billion dollars during the first 14 years (construction and consolidation of sales) and more than 1 billion dollars per year in operation, with the generation of 36 thousand jobs, when MARAEY is fully operational.

The executive director of the MARAEY tourist-residential complex, David Galipienzo, and the mayor of Maricá, Fabiano Horta, accompanied by the director of Sustainability of the enterprise, Luciana Andrade, signed this Thursday (25), at the Expo Maricá 2021 event, an agreement of great socioeconomic impact for the municipality. The document provides for the hiring of local construction workers both in the construction and in the operation of the undertaking. Works are scheduled to start this year.

According to the economic impact study developed by the company, during the construction of MARAEY, more than 50,000 jobs will be generated and, when it is fully operational, the offer will be 36,000 jobs. It is also estimated that the project will generate more than 1 billion dollars in taxes per year.

The project will decisively contribute to the creation of new and better employment opportunities in the municipality. The undertaking, in collaboration with the Maricá City Council, will increase the local labor market, encouraging and participating in the creation of new employment opportunities, including agreements with private initiatives and professional training policies together with qualified institutions. The mayor of Maricá celebrated the fact that the signing took place at Expo Maricá, an event that brings together the best businessmen for the benefit of the municipality.

“Expo Maricá has always had a sense of resilience of integrating our business community, which has played an important role in this edition, to seek awareness beyond the city center. Today we took an important step with MARAEY, the signing of the protocol, which endorses this commitment to hire local labor in the construction of the enterprise. This gives us security and references to build a public policy”, says Horta.

Galipienzo sees the agreement as the beginning of a strategic alliance that will contribute to the transformation of the city: “EIt is important to say that MARAEY is Maricá. This agreement is one of the many commitments that the company has proposed to assume in the coming years with the municipality and, above all, with the population of Maricá. We are going to work together for an increasingly prosperous and sustainable future for the city.”

Luciana Andrade explains what the priority hiring process for local labour will be like. “The locals of Maricá will be an absolute priority in the project to fill the positions. We will work side by side with the municipality in this process of hiring local professionals. The City Council will be responsible for selecting professionals according to the profiles of each one, through the Secretaries of Labour and Economic Development. The companies that provide products and services, located in Maricá, will also have preference at the time of hiring”, explained the director.

It is also important to remember that, in order to train the population of Maricá, MARAEY and the Maricá City Council have already signed agreements with some renowned institutions such as Senac RJ. In the area of tourism and gastronomy, two actions are already planned: a technical training centre, in collaboration between MARAEY and the City Council, and a hotel and haute cuisine university within the enterprise.

The Maricá City Council will also invest in the construcion of training and professional development centres in the area of civil construction and work safety, among others. Some of the courses contemplated for the construction phase will be: site manager, bricklayer, carpenter, plumber, electrician, painter, cabinetmaker, hardware supplier, safety and environmental technicians to name but a few.

In order to encourage the employees of the construction period to make a transition to the operation phase of the undertaking, MARAEY will develop a continuous training program. Over the years, it is planned to train employees through different courses, so that they can occupy future positions offered by the enterprise, in areas related to the main activities of the project, such as hotels, tourism, commerce, education, health, gastronomy, leisure and sports.

The launch of MARAEY became a reality this Thursday (28). At the “Fundamental Tree”, event, the executives of the main sustainable tourism-real estate project in the country welcomed the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, the mayor of Maricá, Fabiano Horta, and the executive secretary for the Ministry of Tourism, Daniel Nepomuceno, among other authorities. The idea is to celebrate the historical milestone of the authorization for the construction project. With the start of the works scheduled for the end of the year, MARAEY promises to decisively promote sustainable tourism in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the municipality of Maricá.

The meeting, which was held in the branch of entrepreneurship, in Maricá, brought together authorities from the federal, state and municipal levels, in addition to the project leaders. Along with the executives Emilio Izquierdo Merlo (CEO of MARAEY), David Galipienzo (executive director) and Luciana Andrade (sustainability director), the president of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj), André Ceciliano; the president of the Municipal Chamber of Maricá, Aldair de Linda; the secretary of Environment and Sustainability of the state of Rio, Thiago Pampolha; the state deputy, Zeidan, and the president of the State Institute for the Environment (Inea), Philipe Campello. The mediation of the authorities’ speeches was carried out by the president of the Federal Council of Real Estate Agents (COFECI), João Teodoro da Silva.

The CEO of MARAEY, Emilio Izquierdo Merlo, gave the dimension of this historical milestone. “This is a fundamental day. MARAEY holds the script to truly become the best and most important sustainable tourism-residential destination in Brazil, through respect for the environment and local culture, significant economic investments and the creation of thousands of jobs, especially linked to tourism.”

In addition to MARAEY executives, the project’s creators, Emilio Izquierdo Jiménez and Kiko Senosiáin, and representatives of IDB Brasil’s member companies, Abacus Property Development and Grupo Cetya, also attended the event.

The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, highlighted the importance of the alliance between the state and the entrepreneur for sustainable development: “It is an enormous privilage to be here. It is an honour to be able to come to Maricá. We are here to work for our population. Nobody does anything alone. Regardless of the political and partisan flag, we want to work together. MARAEY could have chosen another place in the world, but we chose Maricá”.

The mayor of Maricá, Fabiano Horta highlighted the symbolism of the event: “Today is a day of great satisfaction. Major events require symbolic milestones. Today we are going to plant a tree in honor of the city and I want to reaffirm Maricá’s commitment to the dialogue between the public and the private sectors.”. Horta also highlighted the importance of the Zacarias community in building dialogue between MARAEY and the local population. “This dialogue is imperative, but without imposing itself on a population that is connected to the enterprise. Zacarias is part of Maricá’s history and will be an integral part of the project”.

The Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Daniel Nepomuceno, listed the courage, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of the MARAEY team: “It is with immense pride, we receive entrepreneurs to invest in this echelon of tourism. We have the duty and obligation to support the entrepreneur. We are proud that MARAEY brings the Zacarias community and entrepreneurship to the world. This is just the beginning of everything. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Rio de Janeiro is a world heritage site. It deserves the effort, attention and entrepreneurship and the whole team to be working on it”.

TThiago Pampolha, State Secretary for the Environment and Sustainability, spoke about the qualities of the project: “Today is a happy day, a day to celebrate work, technique, and union. A government that believes in the workforce and in the development of our state. The undertaking is located in a protected area of sustainable use, but has demonstrated the ability to make the best dialogue, respecting the environment, natural beauty, enhancing this heritage”.

THE FUNDAMENTAL TREE OF MARAEY

To symbolize the ceremony, the executives and some authorities planted a tree of the Clusia fluminensis species on the development’s land. Galipienzo explained the choice: “the “Clusia fluminensis” species on the development’s land. Galipienzo explained the choice: “We mark the beginning of the MARAEY project with the planting of a fundamental tree, which symbolizes our total commitment to the environment. The chosen species is a declared tribute to the natural heritage of the state, in addition to being a very important tree, one of the precursors of the restinga ecosystem. It adapts well to the area. It is a beautiful and significant tree”, explained David Galipienzo.

In his opening speech, Emilio Izquierdo made reference to the partners of the project, such as Rock in Rio – which will have a hotel designed to be the best all-inclusive themed resort in the world on the beachfront – and to the family of tennis player Maria Esther Bueno, which will be honoured with the Maria Esther Bueno Tennis & Sports Club, a sports centre with eight tennis courts that will have part of the income destined for social projects to promote actions in Maricá and surroundings.

Emilio also highlighted the three pillars that support the project. “We are guided by the three authentic and non-negotiable principles that guide our endeavour and are part of the DNA of all those who participate in it: environmental commitment, social responsibility and economic development”.

THE RPPN WILL BE PRESERVED “AS IF IT WERE A NATIONAL PARK”

From an environmental point of view, the development will have only 6.6% building occupancy (half of that allowed by the Management Plan), in addition to preserving and improving the Maricá Environmental Protection Area (APA), through the creation of the second largest Private Reserve of Restinga Natural Heritage in the state of Rio, and fifth in Brazil.

“Our RPPN will establish an area of 440 hectares that will be protected in an integral and perpetual manner, as if it were a national park. In addition, after its implementation, we will begin recovery work, increasing more than 120 hectares of native restinga vegetation, in comparison with the situation prior to the undertaking”, adds Galipienzo.

MARAEY will also create, in the first phase of the project, an environmental research center – with the support of some of the most renowned universities in Brazil, such as UFRJ, UFF, UFRRJ, UFES and FURG – that will implement a monitoring program, as well as various scientific studies. , to better understand the ecology of endemic and threatened species in local ecosystems.

PROPERTY TITLES FOR ZACARÍAS: “WE WILL RESCUE ARTISANAL FISHING”

In its social side, the almost 200 families that live in the community of Zacarías, within the development area, will benefit from the cadastral regularization, with the transfer of the property title and delivery of the definitive deed to the residents. MARAEY will also encourage local culture and fishing with programs for the recovery of the Maricá Lagoon, repopulation of native species, and the rescue and dissemination of the family memory of Zacarías, through the creation of the Casa del Pescador Artesanal.

“We are going to urbanize the community with all the urban infrastructure of the project, such as road paving and sanitation, whose wastewater treatment will be done with tertiary technology, the most modern in the world. The community is an asset and a substantial part of the project. MARAEY can only be understood through the respect and appreciation of Zacarías and it’s fishing culture”, , says Izquierdo.

MARAEY has already signed agreements, of great socioeconomic impact for the municipality, with some renowned institutions such as Senac RJ, in addition to the Maricá City Council itself and Codemar. The protocols of intent provide for professional education and training for the use of local labour for the construction and operation phases of the enterprise, as well as in other businesses.

BOOST THE ECONOMY: “INVESTMENTS, GENERATION OF TAXES AND MORE JOBS DURING CONSTRUCTION”

The project also incorporates four five-star hotels, which will receive an average of 300,000 tourists per year: a luxurious eco-boutique hotel, a luxury themed resort (of the Rock in Rio brand), another designed to be the convention hotel in the most emblematic seafront in the country and the MARAEY Golf Resort, around an 18-hole international-level sustainable golf course.

With a Smart City philosophy, that is, with an extensive implementation of Information and Communication technologies, the project plans new homes of different types -focused on quality, design and energy efficiency- with integrated services such as education, health, commerce, sports , leisure and business. “Between the construction and the consolidation of sales, the project – which will have more than 11 billion dollars of private investment which will boost the economy of the state for the next 14 years and will generate more than 50 thousand jobs” , concludes, Left. When fully operational, MARAEY will generate more than 1 billion dollars in taxes per year and 36 thousand jobs.

MARAEY, the biggest sustainable tourism-real estate development in Brazil, built in Maricá, began together with the State Institute of the Environment (Inea) in the process of creating the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN), committed to the first phase of the project whose works will begin this very year. With 440 hectares, which correspond to more than half of the development area, the RPPN will be the second largest in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the fifth largest in Brazil, with the guarantee of comprehensive and perpetual protection of the local ecosystem.

Once the project begins, MARAEY will also begin work to recover another 165 hectares of native restinga vegetation therefore expanding the area of preserved vegetation in relation to the situation prior to the project. The protection of this large extension, the conservation of the fauna and flora of the Maricá restinga, the preservation programs, management and monitoring programs, together with the creation of a nursery for the production of cuttings of native vegetation. This will guarantee the preservation of the endangered species that live in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Maricá.

With a building occupation of just 6.6% of the land which is half the limit allowed by the Management Plan decreed for the region. MARAEY promises to go further and, for that, it will have various environmental programs to carry out research on protected species of the APA, as well as recovery and reforestation of currently degraded areas within the APA.

The executive director of MARAEY, David Galipienzo, explains the project’s academic agreements with the Environmental Reference Center (CRA): “It is important to note that, in addition to the RPPN, also in this first phase of the project, we will create an environmental research center -with the support of the most recognized universities in Brazil, such as UFRJ, UFF, UFRRJ, UFES and FURG- that will implement a monitoring program as well as various scientific studies, to better understand the ecology of the endemic and/or endangered species of the APA ”.

With more than 800 animal species -including 67 types of mammals, 223 birds, 61 reptiles and amphibians, 368 insects and 84 aquatic species- in addition to 522 different species of flora, the conservation unit will be open to the public. “MARAEY has always had absolute respect for biodiversity and for the conservation of the APA and in turn the designed MARAEY project always respecting the APA zoning. Also prioritizing the conservation of the best preserved areas. As an example, after the environmental diagnostic studies of the APA for the EIA/RIMA, the company adapted the project to avoid the occupation of flooded areas, dunes and arboreal restinga areas”, concludes the executive.