West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush has set his sights on a change in local building heights from the current maximum of ten storeys to 30 storeys – and he is taking a motion to Parliament to get government to commit to a policy on it.
Bush, in his first motion since demitting the Speaker’s Chair last month, is seeking to have government consider “implementing within the next five months a policy to increase building heights to 25 or 30 floors.”
It is one of two motions he has filed, the second is seeking committee stage amendments to the Gambling (Amendment) Bill 2022 for Cabinet to “devise a system to allow the numbers game to be legal with fees and proceeds to be paid to government”.
‘We have to manage our land space better’
The West Bay West MP, speaking with the Compass on Wednesday, stressed that Cayman needs to start thinking about building upwards, not outwards.
“Cayman is a developing country, we have to manage our land space better in all areas. As it is, there are those who think we should just stop development but that is a pie in the sky talk. We have to manage better and using less land is the better way, while keeping people’s property very valuable. Increasing building heights will use less development footprint,” Bush said.
The veteran legislator and government backbencher has the support of Bodden Town East MP Dwayne Seymour, who has seconded the private members motion which is set to be debated next week when Parliament meets.
It is not the first time building heights of 30 storeys has been raised this year; In fact, just last month, Deputy Premier Chris Saunders offered his support for policy changes to allow buildings to go “much higher” than the current 10-storey maximum.
Saunders, in a speech to Chamber of Commerce members in October, voiced his support for allowing building heights of up to 30 storeys in Grand Cayman.
He said he believed developers could be incentivised to build higher inland and “free up the beaches” as the 10-storey building limit “is not going to work”.
Bush has long advocated for a change in building heights; when the Kimpton Seafire Resort – the first 10-storey building on Seven Mile Beach – opened its doors, he suggested building heights of up to 30 storeys as the future of local tourism.
He later advocated for 50 storeys “even if only for one building, for tourism, residential and commercial businesses” in his New Year’s message in 2019.
Local legislators have previously debated changing the cap on building heights in the jurisdiction.
In 2019, then-Premier Alden McLaughlin opened the issue for discussion when he announced Dart was considering an “iconic tower” in the Camana Bay area that would “greatly exceed” Cayman’s current 10-storey height limit on buildings.
Neither McLaughlin nor Dart officials, at the time, stated exactly how tall the tower would be, but the proposal was for a mixed-use structure, with hotel, residential, retail and entertainment spaces.
The COVID-19 pandemic came along shortly thereafter and nothing further was heard of the iconic tower plans.
Bush, in his new motion, contended that the development of upscale building could be better facilitated by increasing the number of permitted storeys.
In the grounds for his motion, he called for better utilisation of available land to support this island’s “growing needs for infrastructure”.
He said this would “support the Island’s continued growth and economic success in much pressing areas of housing and to support the development of new forms of commerce, whilst reducing the development footprint, thereby reducing the land area required to support these key areas”.
Introduction of legal lottery proposed
Bush is also seeking an amendment to changes heading to the House that will increase the penalties for those held for illegal gambling and operating an illegal gambling house.
His proposal, if accepted, would allow for the creation of a system to monetise the numbers game for government.
“Fees and proceeds are to be used for education, housing, and the monthly stipends to the elderly to be increased in accordance with the cost of living at any given time and for their medical insurance to be improved,” Bush sets out in his motion.
He told the Compass he believes the government has to do something about the illegal numbers game and “increasing the fines are only part of a solution”.
“Since it’s not going to stop, it is time to make it legal and create a system where the money stays in Cayman. License people to sell it and share in that money instead of all of it going overseas. Government takes proceeds from it and uses it,” he said.
Related Videos
Skyscrapers in Grand Cayman? That’s exactly the opposite of what people want to see. It would be an eyesore that would only hurt tourism and real estate values. Why is this guy still dictating policy? Please can we use some common sense here.
The changes of building heights on Grand Cayman are very disappointing to me. I have owned property on Seven Mile Beach since 1980 and have Residency status. Original buildings were purposely no higher than a Casuarina tree, three stories. Then to Seven, ten, twelve, and now McKeeva Bush is proposing thirty stories!
Why would anyone who grew up on this beautiful island want to spoil it with such tall buildings? I’ve learned to become accustomed to looking like Miami Beach but this recent proposal is way too much.
People of Cayman, please campaign against any taller buildings. We can’t revert to the quaint Grand Cayman Island of 1980 but let’s stop spoiling it right now.
These are some very logical options for Cayman. Upward development is long overdue, and it would be particularly helpful to have some multi-storey apartment complexes for those who cannot afford the currently housing that is being built all over the island. The introduction of a National Lottery in Cayman would provide a multi-faceted improvement to everyday life: proceeds could be used for education and a formal and well-funded social welfare system for Caymanians; improving Government finances; and hopefully putting a damper on the illegal numbers rackets. Lotteries in the U.S. and elsewhere have provided billions of dollars for education. That alone would be a great benefit here.
Wow…here we go again!! What is the real motivation for pushing these 30-story buildings? Whose Special Interest agenda is being advanced here!? How will this benefit the middle and lower class Caymanians?? Have the advocates of this Private Member’s Motion on the 30-story buildings polled or consulted with the young people of these Islands on their views on this…and whether they support it!!?
How will this impact the already over-strained Carrying Capacity of these Islands? What will be the impact on Cayman’s infrastructure IF this proposal becomes Government policy? What about the social and environmental impact, including access to and use of our beaches and public open spaces?
These are just some initial questions and concerns…