The remnants of the iconic Royal Palms structure were demolished on Tuesday, paving the way for a new beach bar to be built in its place.
“It’s a new year, new beginning,” former Calico Jack’s owner Handel Whittaker, who is leading the return of the beach bar, told the Cayman Compass in a telephone interview following the start of the works.
The Compass was on scene as the old, sea-battered building on Seven Mile Beach was reduced to rubble by an excavator.
Although sad to see the former Royal Palms building go, Whittaker said he was invigorated to bring the beach bar back and was looking forward to the future.
“We’ve gotten planning permission to remove the structures so that we can start new construction speedily and get the project up and running,” he said.
The demolition of the Dart-owned property, which began on Monday with the bar’s old bathrooms, is expected to take a couple of days.
Employees of the nearby Coral Beach restaurant and bar, which is set to close at the end of the month, looked on as the demolition took place Tuesday.
The employees recorded footage of the demolition on their cellphones.
One employee remarked to the Compass, “It’s so sad.”
Hope for the future
Royal Palms has been a popular establishment over the years; however, it fell into disrepair after a battering from numerous storms and erosion undermined its foundation.
In December, Whittaker applied for planning permission to remove the damaged seafront bar. Whittaker, who is also the deputy chairperson of the Central Planning Authority, recused himself from deliberations, in order to present to the authority.
Reflecting on the demise of the old bar, said, “Personally, I think it has been a thorn in a lot of people’s sides because of the destruction during the hurricanes.”
“We just want to go in there and remove everything,” he added.
He said his team is working closely with the Department of Environment to remove all the debris and make sure that the beach “is totally clean”.
“Hopefully in another six months, we’ll have a vibrant beach there so people can come in and enjoy it like they did years back,” Whittaker added.
He declined to give a timeline for the reopening of the establishment at this stage, saying there is a lot more work to be done in the coming months.
Timeline of Royal Palms
Royal Palms was originally constructed as a hotel in the late 1960s and has undergone a number of changes throughout the years.
Since its closure during the height of the pandemic, buildings on the beachfront section of the property have been damaged by waves.
The beach has significantly eroded in front of the property.
The seawall was damaged during Hurricane Grace in 2021 and again by Hurricane Ian in 2022, triggering the need to remove the seawall and part of the deck structure.
The kitchen was badly damaged following inclement weather in 2023 and was demolished the same year. The oceanside bar structure suffered significant damage during a nor’wester in February 2024.
Last year, a persistent hurricane season left the building housing the bathrooms damaged by the resulting waves.
Do you have special memories of your time at Royal Palms? Reach out to [email protected] with your pictures and stories.
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