George Town’s $6M park takes shape

George Town’s long-awaited Central Scranton Park is showing signs of transformation and, with a $1.9 million increase in its funding allocation, the Tourism Ministry is looking to take the project over the finish line.

With an overall price tag of more than $6 million, the park, which had been in limbo for some years, has moved from an overgrown grassy field with old fixtures to a bustling construction site.

Martin Drive resident Vilora Sinclair expressed joy seeing the park take shape in her community.

“ It’s a pleasure and it was something that had to been done from a very long time, and I’m glad to see that it’s now getting done,” Sinclair said.

For years she said she drove past the park area watching it slowly decline; now she said seeing it progress has given her hope.

“ I am very excited to see what it’s going to look like and not only for George Town Central, but to have everyone unite as one in our district. It is well deserved and it’s not only for central George Town. Everyone is welcome,” she said.

Sinclair said in the absence of the park, she and others in the community would go to Truman Bodden Sports Complex to exercise; with the return of the community space residents will be able to congregate again.

Work progressing apace

Amid the sound of heavy equipment at the enclosed park area beside Myles Road, off Shedden Road, Deputy Premier Kenneth Bryan and his ministry team were briefed by McAlpine project manager Leo Gadsby on the project.

Bryan said things are on schedule for a November completion.

“We’re really excited. We have a really strong team at McAlpine who has been doing some great work progressing,” Bryan said, as he gave the Cayman Compass a tour of the site.

Bryan, the George Town Central MP, in whose constituency the park falls, said the foundation for the seniors’ building has recently been approved, clearing the way for work to commence.

A tender is now out for the construction of a 1,400-square-foot youth centre.

Bryan, who grew up in the area, said the people in his neighbourhood have been asking for a park that “they can be proud of, that they can be a part of”.

“I think this meets the mark with a commitment to youth, a commitment to seniors, and then there’s a living, quality space for people to enjoy. So I’m really happy to say that I was a part of that, but this is not my initiative. This is the people’s initiative,” Bryan said.

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He said the government wanted the space to be “historically protected” and maintain the heart of capital.

“It’s quite hard to visualise it right now because it’s in the construction phase, but I can promise the people of the Cayman Islands when this is finished, they’re going to be so happy with it,” Bryan added.

Gadsby, of McAlpine, echoed Bryan’s enthusiasm, saying that he was pleased to be part of the community project and to see the residents’ interest.

“ All the residents have been so supportive when they’re chatting to us through the fences, asking us what we’re doing … We’ve had the Scranton Park Community group come around and tour the site with us as well. So they’re being kept up to date,” he said.

Gadsby said his team is aiming to deliver phase 1 at the end of June and phase 2 soon after.

He said the feedback has been “resoundingly positive”.

Green space for all

The park was designed by the Public Works Department and architectural firm Chalmers Gibbs.

In addition to the buildings, there will be an archway to the park from the Government Administration Building which Bryan said will have a keyed entry for civil servants who wish to use the space for lunch breaks or meetings.

In the middle of the site, there are two ponds which have been worked into the design.

Kelsey Vitullo, landscape architect at Chalmers Gibbs, told the Compass the project will incorporate native trees and work will be done on clearing the ponds, which are murky at the moment.

“The existing conditions that you see today are temporary, and we have created a design that will essentially make [the ponds] look better and hopefully when you come back to the site, once it is done, [they’ll] be completely new and revived ponds,” she said.

She added that the team has worked with the staff from the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on integrating water lilies into the ponds and they are looking at other plants that do well in water.

Vitullo said it was “ a complete honour to be one of the key collaborators” on the project.

“ I think it’ll help redefine this area. It’ll add life. It’ll add another green space that wasn’t otherwise here,” she said.

Jody-Ann Griffiths-Reid, project manager with the Public Works Department, said it was a great moment seeing the buildings going up and, as this is the first project she has worked on in the Cayman Islands, she is excited to see what it will look like in the next couple of months.

To the community, she said, “Feel free to visit once it’s finished. It will be here to give you that sense of peace and it will also be here right in central George Town. A nice, cool, relaxing area for everyone.”