A 10-storey residential block proposed for George Town will “bring life” to the capital, according to the building’s designer, Eduardo Bernal of Arco Architectural Services.
The Eldemire, a $95 million, 210,000-square-feet project by developer Legoland Real Estate, will be located on Boilers Road, and contain 157 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. It will also have commercial space, a gym, a rooftop swimming pool and underground and ground-level parking.
This is the second time planning permission has been sought for this project. Legoland’s original plan for a 162-unit, 10-storey apartment block on the same site was denied planning permission by the Central Planning Authority last year.
Board members cited several reasons for turning the project down, including the impact of traffic on Boilers Road, the lack of recreational or commercial amenities for residents and the number of residents exceeding the nearest residential zone requirements, even though the building itself would be in an area zoned general commercial.
Commercial outlets added
The new plans call for a building of a similar size, but five fewer units and an additional 2,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. That space could be occupied by retail outlets, including a convenience store, a laundry, a day care, or hairdressers, but not cafes or restaurants, which would require extra parking.
Bernal told the Compass that he hadn’t included commercial space in the initial designs, as he thought there were enough shops and services in George Town itself, but he was happy to include the space on the recommendation of the Central Planning Authority, which would be used by the building’s residents.
He said the proposed recreational facilities – the gym and the swimming pool – met all the requirements for a residential apartment block.
“You would maybe have more amenities in a luxury hotel,” he said, “but this is not a hotel. This is a building for real Caymanians who will be able to live here for a reasonable price and who work in the area, so why would I include amenities to make it like a hotel?”
This building meets all the planning requirements, said Bernal. “There is absolutely nothing outside the permitted rules.”
Traffic claims
Regarding concerns over the apartment block increasing traffic, Bernal said he believed it would reduce rather than increase traffic to the area, because “instead of having 150 families coming from Savannah or wherever to George Town to work, they are already there, so the cars are not coming in and out every day”.
He said he believed that The Eldemire’s 157 families would bring life to the area by being able to walk to work, visit nearby shops and eat at restaurants, helping the capital to diversify its economy from cruise ship passengers.
“The idea of a vibrant urban centre where you can live and work and find spaces of leisure is not new,” Bernal said. “It is simply good urban planning. Densifying the core avoids expansion of the population into pristine areas of Cayman that need to be preserved.”
Protecting the rest of the island
Bernal said that planning rules were set up specifically to encourage the revitalisation of the capital and to protect the green spaces elsewhere.
“This is one of the things that I wish the CPA, or some of its members, understood,” said Bernal. “The fact is, the zoning downtown allows for 10-storey buildings, and it specifically says that the density is not defined. The density is to be calculated based on the design of the building.”
If density were the issue, he said, the same building could contain just 60 apartments rather than 157, by making each apartment have five bedrooms, but that wouldn’t serve the community or the island.
“The density allowed in downtown is on purpose very high,” he said, “because the objective of the development plan is to ‘densify’ downtown, trying to bring people in, to have an area where people live and work in a small space, instead of spreading around the whole island and losing our precious green areas … The 10-storey [building] should be promoted as something positive for the island.”
He said the concept is similar to Camana Bay.
“What is Camana Bay other than a hub of concentrated activity, where offices, apartments and activities of commerce happen all together?” Bernal asked.
“When the people writing the development laws decided that George Town was going to be 10 storeys high in a certain area, what they were trying to do was to give Cayman the opportunity to have a second area similar to Camana Bay in George Town.”
“As an architect and somebody that loves human design, I see nothing but positive aspects for these projects for Caymanians.”
The plans will be discussed by the Central Planning Authority in a future planning meeting.
Related Videos
It would certainly increase population density in an already busy area. And the traffic claims are dubious: these 150 cars don’t need to drive far, they are already here.
Not buying the rationale. Anyone living there and working say at Camana Bay will need a car to get there. Unless there is a proper public transport system, cars will always be required. 157 and two cars at minimum, will place strain on an already pressured infrastructure.
How incredibly faceless: Can’t we do better than this for a structure that will remain for there years to come, representing the character of GT and its Caymanian people?
“Cruise tourism” and “revitalization of George Town” are mutually exclusive. Every local I know avoids George Town when cruise ships are in town. Build a cruise berth and that sentiment will grow even bigger. Habits are formed to avoid George Town. Businesses are moving out of George Town for this reason – and no surprise Camana Bay keeps building more 10 store office towers. George Town will be left with only businesses that cater to cruisers and will have no value to locals. So which is the priority – cruisers or revitalizing George Town?
What local shops? The only local shops in George Town sell souvenirs and jewelry for cruise boat people.
I’m all in favor of the redevelopment of our capital but anyone living here will have a good walk to Kirk Supermarket for groceries if they don’t have a car.
Hopefully we do get the second coming of Lil’ Hurley’s on Walkers Rd soon to go along with these residential developments.
I think this can address availability and affordability. Traffic will always be an issue. There is traffic IN Camana Bay at rush hour times. The issue is without residential in central George Town we will never revitalize GT. I hear and read people complain about the small businesses in town being closed and the fact is, we need people in Town to support those businesses. And maybe it will invite a return of offices to Town as well. Traffic is never going to improve and we have to accept that. All we can do is, at best, create walkable communities to minimize the worsening of traffic.