The public is now weighing in on the big deal with the Dart Group announced last week. As could be expected with a deal of this magnitude, some residents fully support the deal, some are dead-set against it, and many are somewhere in between.
We’ve heard arguments on both sides, but we are not sure why there’s so much controversy over relocating less than a half mile of flood-prone road, one of the aspects of the deal.
The government has agreed to give the Dart Group a section of West Bay Road. In exchange, the Dart Group will provide the land for extending the Esterley Tibbetts Highway from where it ends now to all the way to West Bay, something the government certainly can’t afford to do on its own. In addition, the Dart Group will pay for the construction of that highway, which is expected to cost US$26 million, and expand the current Public Beach to more than double its current size.
It is true that relocating the road will give the Dart Group a much more valuable piece of land, but the appreciation in value is really only gained if the property is sold. The Dart Group has given no indication that it would sell the property, and in fact has already announced plans to develop a part of it.
The fact is, there are basically no parcels of land left on Seven Mile Beach to develop. It’s hard to argue that Grand Cayman doesn’t need more hotel rooms, especially after the closures of the Hyatt Regency, Indies Suites, Sleep Inn and Courtyard Marriott since 2004.
We firmly believe Cayman needs several more hotels, including another luxury hotel. This agreement will enable the Dart Group to almost immediately develop the former Courtyard Marriott into a much nicer hotel, with some much needed conference facilities. But we also expect, in due course, the Dart Group to develop the rest of its oceanfront land acquired earlier this year, and we believe we’ll eventually see a resort of a higher quality than anything currently here. This could only enhance Cayman’s tourism product, and that should be considered a good trade-off for just losing a section of road that will be replaced by a much better road.
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Your comments about Cayman needing more luxury hotels seem rather counter-intuitive to me. Surely the lesson from the recent closures (and the receivership of the Westin) is that Cayman is in fact rather over-supplied on the luxury hotel front.
If you ask me, what Cayman’s tourism industry desperately needs is some affordable hotel accommodation.
The Westin is a nice hotel but certainly NOT a luxury hotel. I believe it’s challenge was charging more for its rooms than it should. The only luxury offering we have is The Ritz-Carlton and that is just not the right property for every traveller who wants to visit Cayman and stay in luxury accommodations.
There does, indeeed, need to be a ruckus over that road. That road is a publicly gazetted road that belongs to the people of the Cayman Islands. The Premier does not have the authority to give it to whomever he pleases, no matter how sweet the deal.
It is just about the only place on 7-Mile Beach where you can drive by and see the sun set and the sun rise. The rest of the beach is occluded by 7-storey buildings (which the Premier approved) and lots of bush. If we make the mistake of giving this stretch of road to a developer, what’s next? Will we have to give up Bodden Town to a developer and the rest of us relocate out to sea? It’s just wrong to give up a part of our infrastructure. In fact, I believe we should pass a law limiting the amount of land that any one foreigner or developer can own in Cayman. Other countries have such restrictions in place.
Many people rave about the city of Chicago and its beautiful lakefront and Outer Drive. One of the things Chicago decided early on was that no condos, hotels etc. be built right on the lakefront thus preserving the view, beaches, and access of the lake for all to enjoy. Too bad Cayman can’t learn from this (albeit it a little late) in future development.
I would also like to add that Dart could easily and beautifully restore the old Hyatt which would add a lot more to the island – and make it a luxury hotel in a unique setting.
Hopefully this inquiry will not upset folks. I hear a lot of folks say that this road or this land belongs to the people and the CIG does not have the right to give it away or sale it. Such as the part of west bay road in the Dart deal. I am trying to understand why people say that this land belongs to the people. At which point was that land purchased and deeded to the people of Cayman? I also hear a lot folks referring to land as Crown owned, is that the same as being owned by the people?
Also, in hearing people say that Bush has no right to make these types of decisions, I thought the leader of a Country had the power to make choices that he deemed to be necessary to maintain the country’s well being. I am not aware of any country were decisions that the government make are voted for by the people. As far as I know the Government just makes the call.