The Dart group has submitted plans to build a five-storey health centre across the street from the recently completed Health City facility in Camana Bay.
The proposed $49 million Centre for Health and Wellness, to be developed by Dart-run Cayman Shores Development and Decco, would open in 2026 on Cerasee Way, just north of the new Health City facility and south of Cayman International School.
The 119,339-square-foot facility, scheduled to be reviewed during the 28 Aug. Central Planning Authority meeting, would include a restaurant, as well as retail space and a pharmacy, on the ground floor.
Dart described the proximity of the health centre to Health City’s Camana Bay location as forming a “state-of-the-art healthcare hub”.
The current application is part one of a two-phase plan for a “medical wellness development” intended to create a lined street front and complement master planning for the area south of OLEA and Cayman International School, the applicant wrote in the CPA agenda.
In a public statement about the development, Dart said the “purpose-built facility” is intended to meet demand as the healthcare industry grows in Cayman, offering “traditional healthcare and complimentary health and wellness services”.
“The Centre for Health and Wellness will provide a welcoming and convenient environment for health and wellness clients, as well as improve accessibility to healthcare services for residents and visitors alike, bringing a wide variety of experts together under one roof,” Dart said on its website.
Key features would include medical offices, two generators, elevator dimensions to accommodate gurneys and 393 parking spots, as part of a shared parking scheme.
The Department of Environment noted that the proposed site includes mangrove forest, “although [the forest] has been impacted over time by the development in the area.” Under the National Conservation Act, mangrove removal requires explicit permission.
“Mangrove forests are a critical part of our natural environment, providing several ecosystem services which include assisting to mitigate the effects of climate change,” the department wrote in the planning agenda.
“They also function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water. Inland wetlands in urban areas are particularly valuable, counteracting the greatly increased rate and volume of surface-water runoff from areas of hardstanding and buildings.”
The department encouraged implementation of a “sustainable drainage system” to prevent inundation of surrounding areas as a result of the development.
The National Roads Authority also encouraged “state-of-the-art techniques” to manage stormwater runoff, noting, “it is critical that the development be designed so that post-development stormwater runoff is no worse than pre-development runoff”.
The development would fall under the Water Authority’s West Bay Beach Sewerage System through Camana Bay’s sewerage system and would supply piped water through Cayman Water Company.
No objections to the application were noted in the CPA agenda.
Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment.
Related Videos
