After significant beach loss and repeated battering from severe wave action, Coral Beach has announced it will be closing its Seven Mile Beach establishment at month’s end.
Crown Jewel, trading as Coral Beach, issued a statement Friday afternoon announcing the conclusion of their lease agreement with landlord Cayman Shores Limited, a subsidiary of Dart, saying effective 31 Jan. it will cease operations.
“This decision comes after a prolonged period of environmental challenges, including ongoing beach erosion, diminished beach access and the demolition of the main bar building due to storm damage which have significantly impacted the ability to deliver an pleasing beach experience that guests to Seven Mile Beach deserve,” the statement said.
Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, in an immediate reaction to the announcement, described the situation as yet “another blow” to the island’s tourism product.
“Coral Beach was a highly trafficked area for cruise tourism passengers, and this will put even more heavier burden on the Public Beach, which is causing some difficulty as it is. [This is] even more reason for government to push to find a resolution for the beach re-nourishment approach,” Bryan said in a brief telephone interview with the Cayman Compass.
Bryan declined to comment further on the beach sand re-nourishment plans that are under discussion with the United People’s Movement administration, instead saying, “I am looking forward to the minister for sustainability to make further announcements in the new year”.
He said he had to respect Minister Dwayne Seymour’s position, as he is the one who is leading that charge on that issue.
The Compass has reached out to the minister for comment and we are awaiting a response.
‘Disappointing’ to see Coral Beach close
Last month a request for quotations went out on government’s public procurement portal Bonfire, seeking qualified bidders to help design the best solution to restore sand stripped away from Seven Mile Beach.
The beach erosion, exacerbated by recent storms, has been the culmination of years of gradual losses along the beachfront.
The tender for that RFQ is now closed. There have been no further updates on that process.
Cayman Islands Tourism Association president Sharlene Brenkus, in a brief comment to the Compass on the closure and the impacts on Seven Mile Beach, said, “Beach erosion [is] a very critical and important situation.”
She said the association is looking at the matter and will provide a detailed comment on the overall beach erosion issue next week.
CITA’s immediate past president Troy Leacock also weighed in on the closure, writing, “It is [unfortunate] this business is at the intersection of the two most critical issues for Cayman tourism – cruise visitor decline and beach erosion. And both issues need to be addressed URGENTLY”.
He told the Compass, “It is disappointing to see another local business driven by tourism and community support close its doors.”
Crown Jewel managing director Kenny Rankin, through the company statement, acknowledged that the impact of the decision to close will greatly “affect our dedicated team, trusted suppliers, service providers, and the local artisans who have been integral to our operations”.
He added, “To them, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation. To our loyal visitors and industry partners, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your Cayman experience. It has been our privilege to host you, and the cherished memories created at Coral Beach will live on beyond our closing.”
A Crown Jewel spokesperson confirmed that the closure will impact more than 30 employees.
“A few of them have been reassigned to other positions in the group. The remaining employees have been given 4 weeks notice, they will be seeking other employment,” the spokesperson told the Compass via email.
Coral Beach, which opened in fall 2019, saw thousands of cruise ship passengers and other guests flock to its beachfront facility annually.
The company statement said, however, that the “shifting natural conditions have made it increasingly difficult to sustain the safety, convenience, and comfort that our guests and tourism partners rightly expect”.
It said that persistent beach erosion has reduced the beachfront, “complicating seating arrangements, water activities, and accessible pathways essential for a secure and enjoyable experience”.
It said despite ongoing efforts to adapt, “the environmental challenges now limit the venues’ ability to uphold these high standards and maintain a level of quality and care Coral Beach was once known for”.
In 2021, Coral Beach bar and restaurant announced that it was closing the Seven Mile Beach establishment “for an extended period” and eventually reopened.
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The opening and closing of attractions is a normal part of life in our part of the World. Sometimes due to natural disaster like hurricanes, sometimes due to changes in population, land values or general economic circumstance. Florida is full of examples (the ghosts of Miami theme parks and beach bars past). The key is to replace what is lost with something better that takes us to the next level. We don’t have to decay and shrink, we need to replace and renew. Recognize the virtues of the place we collectively call home, and plan for the future by building infrastructure to allow people to experience what is so great here. We need a port to allow passengers to safely visit our shores. We need a shaded walkway to extend from that port to the beach. We need to replenish our beach. It’s not hard, it just needs to get done. The Lord helps those who help themselves. We need elected officials who will take the bull by the horns and get it done. We need people in our Country who will roll up their sleeves and do the doing without worrying about getting a little sweat on their brow, without fear of public opinion and reaction. They greatest risk is doing more of the nothing it seems we have been doing.
Don’t allow building so close to the waters edge. Shorelines Change. There should be regulations and backs to prevent property damage. Sad that Coral Beach has to close. You can’t control the changing sea line.
Still waiting for the government to do anything SMB is about 3 miles now TheWest Bay dock has not been repaired for 3 years and waiting for a bad accident
There is a viable theory that walls cause erosion. Since the location is closing, why not remove the wall and see if nature restores itself? We’d have an answer one way or another to help guide decision making on this erosion issue.
Again, there are viable solutions for managing the beach and nothing has been done. Beach replenishment/retention technology is nothing new and these problems can be fixed by taking action instead of watching valuable properties get destroyed. It completely undermines confidence in the government’s willingness to protect citizen’s property and public beach access when they sit on issues like this for years. This has been going on since at least the early 2000s when the reef balls were installed at the Marriott, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that further action would be needed. At least there is a government RFQ in progress now, maybe something will be done soon.