Dart plans ‘pop-up’ 7MB bar
Dart-owned beach, the site of the proposed bar
(CNS): The Dart Group has revealed plans to open what it has termed a “pop-up bar and restaurant” on Seven Mile Beach this spring. The bar will be on the property currently offered as a beach location for residents of Camana Bay, formerly the Coral Caymanian. Dart has said that the new beach bar will be a three-year temporary operation and will be leased to a third-party operator, which has not yet been identified. But CNS has learned it is a partnership between a well-known local businessman and a politically connected family.
There is no indication that it was offered to Handel Whittaker, the owner of Calico Jack’s, who is being turfed out of his long-standing location on Seven Mile Beach by Dart.
In addition to the site where this pop-up bar has been proposed, Dart owns a number of other Seven Mile Beach sites that have not yet been developed. However, Whittaker told residents of West Bay at a public meeting at the end of last year that he had not been offered any other potential locations along Grand Cayman’s most famous beach.
Because Dart is not renewing his lease, he approached Dart about moving to Barkers on land the group owns. He is now seeking to remove 180,000 sq.ft of turtle grass from the beach in that location and build a wooden 300ft dock to create a new beach bar resort there.
The announcement from Dart, which was posted on one of its websites, said that the project on Seven Mile Beach will use existing buildings and prefabricated structures to create a low-impact development.
“The facility is intended as a short-term activation of the beach for a planned maximum of three years, as Dart considers future options for the site as part of the overall master plan for Camana Bay,” the developer stated.
The plans have been submitted to the planning department but have not yet been scheduled to go before the Central Planning Authority. They include retrofitting the “existing cottage on the beach site for the bar, and temporary structures that can be removed and repurposed without leaving a substantial footprint on the natural environment”.
Dart also said the local operator, and “the culinary and design concepts for the pop-up venue” would be announced early this year.
Category: Business, Food and Drink
just wondering how dart ‘s Kaaboo festival was granted permission to not need work permits for the two day festival? my business needs staff for one day all the time, but I cant just bring in staff that are already working on a work permit.
Because they are the Dart organization and since they own the show, they get what ever the dam well please.
This is bound to be great. DART has cleared out so much third world dross and replaced it with top quality buildings, businesses and entertainment. And the moaners can boycott away, places are better when the cheap and mediocre stay away.
years ago I traveled through rural Guatemala seeing people washing clothes and hanging them over picket fences made of tree branches, didn’t hear any moaning. That evening we were in a bar with a US news programme showing New York with police lights flashing everywhere and people rushing around following some scat of criminality. Third world dross I don’t think so, – 1st world concept to move to a foreign country, take over its top rated attraction and that ‘your vision is better for that country and for the indigenous people and their culture, ? – I’ll side with arrogant ‘replacement’ and mindful dross at best. ‘Keep your eye on the eight ball’ Ken…
Right on Maple Leaf; better when it is segregated for all the “cool ones”.
Enjoy the $10.00 mini taco’s and water downed tequila!
Wait until he clears out the remaining natives! Or perhaps you are looking forward to that!
Can’t wait to see people fishing out there and no one can stop them legally.
I have money on it, this is a temporary place for the bar that is closing next to the Kimpton whilst they develope the new building in West Bay
I don’t see a problem with this.
Well actually. no. It is more to replace Royal Palms that is closing down soon. How do you not mention that? Or did you not know about that plan..
?..please tell us the secret palms plan…..zzzzzzzzzz
Where does it say it is a secret?
Not a secret at all. This is well known. Pull your head out and pay attention.
Are the people at Britannia, owners and renters, going to boycott Dart properties because of his denial of their access rights? Does anyone know any person there of authority who can respond to this?
There is no boycott planned as of yet.
who cares?
If you were paying rent and other overhead in one of those businesses you would care a lot.
I like boycotts. More room for me.
There is no reason for Planning to deny this if the design is sensible (which with Dart I am confident it would be) – if they do not approve it they would be infringing on the Dart Group’s property rights much the same as Dart is doing with Britannia residents.
This beach bar will bring added value to the tenants and owners of Camana Bay property and this is one of the great things about buying property from the Dart Group; they can certainly maximize the value of an investment! However, if you are not a part of the DART squad you run a risk of being in a situation where your real estate will lose value, be undervalued or bought out for less than value 🙁
Dart are the only owners of Camana bay property.
Everybody else has to pay rent !
What dart wants, dart gets!
Of course he gets what he wants! He owns all the right people.
That$ right. Money talk$…… and hi$ politician friend$ li$ten.
You can’t buy what’s not for sale
Mr. Dart can buy anything he wants, including politicians.
All the politicians could be in his pocket but he’ll never own this Island Bo Bo.
So they are for sale
Like the American Indians?
Land isn’t being taken by force, people are only tooo willing to sell up and take the money
What I cant understand- How Dart can place a “Pop up Bar” on the beach but a Caymanian cant place a couple beach chairs on the beach and rent them to make a dollar
or sell not even water at Smith Cove
Where is Barbara Connolly- why is she not on Rooster being a champion against this.
Because these are licensed, regulated entities that have health care pension for their employees.
You struggled in school, nah true?
10:51, You don’t understand how Dart does these things? Haven’t you heard about payola?
Simple, the pop up bar property was purchased by Dart, he owns it. Smiths cove is public property.
Straight up! Real question….just hate feedback so far because they dont want US to really come up.
You have not “come up” because you are either illiterate or stupid or both. The comments above do provide reasons it is just you are too dumb or myopic to get that. Off you go, angry little man, and google “myopic”. Bye, bye.
You nuts – she needs to protect her cushy job. You do not take the boss to task for anything.
Why all unna acting like you have KYD $5,000,000 to purchase a piece of SMB and DART took all your chances away from buying it? If DART Group didn’t buy it, some other wealthy investor would’ve.
Just salty that you can’t afford luxury beach front property in a country where tourism is a main industry.
I’m a multigenerational Caymanian and not one of my family members can afford it. Does that warrant me to hate foreign investments that generate continuous tax revenue and keep our economy stimulated so that we can provide jobs, roads, government, schools, etc? No.
i think the bigger issue is have TWO ridiculous tunnels that are so unnecessary.
Wait until something serious happens and equipment cant pass under those stupid tunnels.
another bar ain’t going to hurt Cayman!
I cant wait until he put his toll both and start charging for each vehicle that want to pass those tunnels.
The man that owns the land owns the country. You dont have land you have no country.
But your welcome have a free voters I.D. when you reach 18 and you can use it every 4 years to vote your local politician puppets.
Where would cayman be with out this DART ?? Probably still stuck in traffic on old west bay road.
The roads are gazette as public property. This will never happen
Your question: “Where would Cayman be without DART”?
My answer: Better off!
You realize WB road already had structures across it before Dart built his “tunnel”. See Hyatt and Ritz walkways. The other “tunnel” is built over a road that Dart built. Lastly, you can still get around those height restrictive structures including the Hyatt and Ritz walkways through roads that were built by Dart. You probably already knew all that though.
Where would YOU be without dart. That would be a more telling answer. By now it’s pretty obvious, by those that are open to reality, that the dart organization has stolen Cayman.
Real question; Where would all the expats employed by Dart be without Dart? Let the thumbs down begin.
do you feel the same about the ‘tunnels’ at beach suites and the ritz?
oh lordy. Those are NOT tunnels! LOL
Also, do you notice any difference in height?
Height difference? What height difference? Do you know what the height of any of those structures actually is? What is required? Or is it that you figured you’d just sort of throw that comment out there as if you actually know something while carefully not actually making the claim that one structure is actually higher than another..
Tunnel by royal palms is the foundations for building hotel on top of tunnel!
Take a look again at what’s Cayman’s “main industry,” and get back to us.
Take a look again at what I said. I said it is A main, not THE main industry.
Tourists want to stay on beach front property. Empty lots with trees are nice to sit under and drink beer on a Sunday but they generate no revenue for gov.
Ah financial services! ?
I am more concerned about them 3 10 story lacovia condos. What the hell 3 ten story buildings on that spot!!!!
CIG has signed away this country’s rights to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax income by giving the DART group 40 years 100% duty concessions on all matters relating to hospitality developments by any of the DART entities – it is all written in the NRA Agreement. In exchange for these concessions DART gave us new (very expensive to maintain highways) and the SMB beach park area…
….go read the agreement yourself.
Bad bargain by a Government who couldn’t run a multi-million dollar business if it was inherited with an operational committee – but we have them running a country and a people.
I read it, did you read the third amendment?
No where do I see 100% concessions for 40 years. Hell, they said 50% was too much and removed it! Where are you getting your false information from?
Quote from the premier in:
http://www.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/otphome/publications/premiers-statement-re-nra-agreement-3rd-amendment/Premier%27s%20Statement%20on%20NRA%20Agreement%203rd%20Amendment.pdf
“Be that as it may, we campaigned on re-negotiating certain aspects of the agreement and we also advised Dart of this in meetings with them prior to the elections. In particular we were unhappy with the 50 per cent hotel tax concession aspect of the agreement. The PWC value for money report indicated that we were right to be concerned. We understood then and indeed still do understand the value and importance to the Cayman Islands of the development done by Dart.
**** However, we could not allow the 50 per cent tourism tax and various other aspects of the agreement to remain because of the harm to government revenues and distortions it created in the market. “
MM you’re full of it:
https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/06/cig-dart-deal-adds-13m-to-duty-cap/
“But he said the administration had always been aware that Dart would be seeking something of significant value to replace the 50% room tax cut if they were to achieve that renegotiation. He said it was a significant achievement to get that taken out and replace it with an increase of just $13 million to the overall concession package. McLaughlin said government had also managed to pin Dart down to making a $400 million investment over the next decade, narrowing the time of the original 30 year deal.
As well as picking up the entire tab for the expansion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway all the way to town, Dart has also offered government land near Camana Bay for a new Sunrise Centre and further plots in West Bay for community projects or cash.”
When you play with fire, you will get burned. When you play with Dart, you will get forked.
Gold spoon generational douche
another story to make a mockery of the anti-dart brigade…
dart, who has never closed a beach bar, is now creating another beach bar…..but people will complain about everything.
Hemmingways was closed to public…Tikki Beach…Surfside…soon come Calicos and Royal Palms. True, you can still hire a room at the neighboring hotels and be admitted there I suppose, but these won’t be “general public” facilities anymore, and the charm will be gone (ie. infused with bad ideas like rock chipping the charm out of the barefoot Calicos parking lot).
I can still go to both Hemingway’s (Tillies) and Surfside (Coccoloba) without renting a room, so can you. Tell the truth, when was the last time you(or anyone else) went to Tiki?
https://caymannewsservice.com/2019/01/dart-court-beach-facilities/
yawn…
hemmingways is being re-furbed
tikki…already closed or nobody went
surfside…closed years ago
dart is damned if he does and damned if he don’t.
here are the facts: dart is the best developer cayman has ever had….in terms of investment, quality of development, employment, sustainability, environmental protection.
if you don’t like dart….please stay away from his properties…it will be a lot better for the rest of us.
Duh! We do!!
Because you are broke?
an underlying truth is that ultimately we will never recognize a true reality, only individual perceptions. What you’re missing is that they are a great many people that don’t align with yours or Darts perspective but are having it unwillingly imposed upon them. I do stay away from his properties and by extension yourself and so therefore ask the courtesy be reciprocated of not further invading whats left and where I choose to dwell.
Well said. Probably over the head of the person you are addressing.
Environmental protection? Stay off the crack – Camana Bay is an environmental catastrophe, mainly caused by development planning centred purely around vehicles (a concept the rest of the civilised world ditched 20 years or more ago).
Dart’s solutions consist solely of more asphalt, more car parks, more roads, concrete over everything. Environmentally, Dart is probably the worst thing that has happened to 7MB.
And don’t get me started on his kitsch, derivative architecture, which looks like it was drawn up by 8 year olds.
100% Born Caymanian
Bull Shit,!!! The Politicians them that has thier hands in Dart’s pocket done know the plans for this project are long ago approved. Smfh!
The rate Dart is going he will soon own these three Islands. What our so call Politicians waiting on to give him permission to change the three names and name it Dart’s Island. They are all quick to be judgmental & criticized the previous Gov’t that’s in power about they were selling out or Country to him & now the tables have turn & those same ones are allowing him to do the same same thing they claimed the previous Government did.Lol! Money is the route of all EVIL, God help us & our poor children.
Only Cayman this crap could happen.
They took & threw his ass out of Bahamas or one of those small countries for the same thing. But yet those donkeys Politicians we have here just spreading red carpet for him to walk on as if his our all mighty God.
calm down!! He already owned this property. From a very long time ago.
1995
Give it a break,I’m a 3rd generation Caymanian.Dart did not steal any land from us poor Caymanians he BOUGHT it all from very wealthy Caymanians.Reseach and shut up the poor us BS.
The white South Africans actually paid for their lands in South Africa.
Now the manic left ANC is forcibly snatching their farms with no compensation and plenty of bloodshed.
It is ironic that the same socialist fools that support the political agenda in South Africa would be horrified if the Caymanian people wanted their land back.
So, if you are busy supporting the ANC, please spare a thought for the Caymanians.
So is Alden. 3rd gen at least. That did not stop him selling out. What is your point?
9.02am Talking about donkeys your English and Grammar makes you sound like one .At least Dart and his associates, albeit not “100% Born Caymanians”, are educated.
Perhaps Dart can sponsor some adult education programmes, to teach proper writing, grammar and punctuation skills.
Like the ‘Orange Russian’ up north,dart’s key to success is uneducated people so , nah, that ain’t gonna happen.
At least we now know how long the Batabano dredging application will be debated.
This is just what Dart wanted to do with the lot next to West Indian Club property, the former Coral Caymanian some years ago. Needless to say it didn’t fly as Planning would not pass the temporary building system. Then this same idea morphed into Tiki Beach (aka Tacky Beach). No doubt Dart has and will be greasing the wheels at Planning Dept. to get this done in short order. This proposed piece of temporary garbage will most likely cruise through permitting XXXXX.
You do realise this is the same property right?.
Greasing wheels – hell he owns it lock, stock & barrel!
This will be a real test of who controls Cayman’s future. The Cayman people or Dart!
Here’s a clue: It won’t the Cayman people if Dart isn’t stopped!
It’s already happened my friend. There is no larger any stopping going to happen.
Dart
How cheap! I hope this is not allowed. If a man cannot open up shop to rent chairs on family own land how could this venture be supported by the CPA and the DCI? Same rules should be applied here?
What family owns the beach where these chairs have popped up!
West Bay next to Alfredo’s…..short term memory ?♂️
They own the beach? Hahahaha no
They failed to do the paperwork properly that why rent chairs is closed down on order. Dart will do paperwork properly as they have team of lawyers.
These people need to be stopped. This is ridiculous. One rule for them and another rule for others. They clearly saw well Hemmingways did and want a slice of that.
Exactly how stupid are you?
My guess is the initial comment was a shot at humor 🙂
wrong on all counts.
Thank goodness for the Dart Group as they have made Cayman grow and be the prosperous hub that it now is and always going further. They do not need regulations because they only do things the right way. Can’t wait to see this latest project open.
5:23 is a Dart troll!
Troll. Oh and ignorant shill. British? Yankee? Doesn’t really matter. Ignorant shill.
Nope a maple leaf trying to make Mexican food!
Get real dreamer. The financial, tourism and real estate industries made Cayman the prosperous hub it is long before Mr Dart stepped foot on Cayman soil. He has made his mark yes, nobody can deny that, but you are dillusional if you truly believe what you wrote.
Cool! Hopefully it’s as hospitable as Hemingway’s was.
Rip Hemingway’s! That place was the best to take kids early morning and no one cared if you did a little swim in the pool or used their chairs without buying anything. They just walked around with smiles while setting up for the day. And the service when you’d stay was unbeatable.
Free shit is the best shit.
God no! Free attracts the cheap ground and the cheap are dull and miserable. Very expensive shit is the best shit.
I agree, that’s why Hemingway’s staff knew which people came and were also patrons other times and who was just there to let their kids crap in the pool.
Because: Greed
Magicians keep you focused on their face by constantly talking, thereby distracting you from the magic trick done with the hands. This is exactly the same process…. Look at the new ‘temporary’ bar without realizing that Royal Palms is slowly disappearing right in front of your eyes to make way for the new Hotel complex.
please explain how palms is disappearing??…it is busier than ever.
I don’t know either but that’s bevause I don’t like to go their with how they treat tourists
A few years ago RPBC were complaining they got very few cruise visitors,now there is no where else so they are getting lots but are unable to manage them properly.Hopefully Dart will close it as soon as this new project is open.
All the cruise shippers appeared and started filling the place after Dart bought it. Speaks volumes.
Yet the operator remains unchanged….
Sadly.
Yes. Suddenly, like SMB, it’s always crammed full and creaking at the seams with cruise shippers every day.
Do you think Dart built that new tunnel to go nowhere? Open your eyes and see what is past the end of your nose. Royal Palm’s days are numbered. Where do you suppose they will truck the cruise ship passengers then? They keep shifting the goal post.
Let Gov’t make you think they are really interested in cruise ship business. At the end of the day they will end up at Barkers out of sight and mind after Dart continues to develop the best beaches on the island for “his” high end customers. He won’t keep prime beach property for the couple of dollars that a drink, lounge chair and maybe a lunch can buy when he can sell space at the same location for millions of dollars per unit.
Wake up and smell the salt air on the beach front property. He’s a businessman – it’s all about the dollars and cents (or sense – take your pick).
The tunnel opposite Royal Palms is the foundations for a development over the road, making free land .
Ready for the 50 story building that Dart puppet Mac suggested to get everyone used to it.
‘pop up’ businesses for 3 years? LOL….that’s longer than most restaurants survive! Someone must’ve gone to a yoof conference…and been short-term activated….really, where do people get this garbage
I presume that this means the rope barrier and restrictive signs would be removed and the road access opened up so residents & taxis can reach the site.
Already approved, when the boss speaks the underlings jump right to it. The CPA and liquor licensing will fall over themselves to get this thru and have high praise for the owner.
perfect for his britannia tenants!
Dart’s taking those people to court to take away their access rights. I doubt they’ll be supporting his properties and interests until they know how badly off they will be after the ruling.
I’m a Britannia resident and I fully support this. The golf course was a dump!
You are such a freaking bott. SMH.
You must be a new resident. Britannia was a first class property and at one point the finest in the Caribbean. Dart is playing “developer hardball” with those people. He may have finally run into the force that can put him in his place. Those owners are not greedy, not Miami Beach wannabees, they are wealthy, educated and resourceful landowners. They love Cayman, they respect the land and the people. I have known many of them for decades. Let’s see how that resolve measures up against The Developer.
That doesn’t change the fact that most of my neighbors get their jollies by whining! Oh btw, the golf course is a DUMP!
This is true. Those are the ones who know Caymanians have hospitality and never exploited it! Ok….
Dart doesn’t have any Britannia tenants
you dont think so? he controls our lives!
2:22 was throwing chum into the water.
“But CNS has learned it is a partnership between a well-known local businessman and a politically connected family.”
No surprise there.
Dart owns a lot of people here, the politician is not a surprise, he has been a Dart puppet since the beginning, but the local family member is a disappointment.
Share the info!
As a resident of Camana Bay I look forward to this added amenity!
You seem kind of special.
But will they be able to rent beach chairs to their patrons?
No prefabricated temporary structures please!!
Keep Calico Jack
And Royal Palms.
Close them both.There will be other bars where the staff can rip off managent giving free bees to thier friends.As for the operators of RP we commend you for being the only ones to stick it to the Kirkconnells.Dart may want to take a better look at the books.Oh and btw 40% of our cruise visitors are riff raffs!
I sure it will be great. But make it sufficiently expensive to keep the riff-raff away.
RIFF-RAFF???
go on and laugh yourself in half…
Locals*
Trolling for what? Laughs? Wine money?
I don’t see it as trolling. The poster makes a fair point. Expensive maintains ambience. The lower classes are so boorish and dull. That is one of the joys of the bars and eateries of Camana Bay; their price point ensures a certain civility.
5:46, I couldn’t agree more! There’s so many cheap nits out there!
Wow. Just wow. Starting to see what inspired the Kmer Rouge. Can you even get an inkling of your place in the world? No you can’t.
Just make a 22 mile long artificial island about 10 miles from here, and build your sh*t there. Oh and dont forget to take those die hard robots with you. Leave the lil’ beaches we got left man.
go to the brac…but have got a feeling you would be back real soon…
I’ll have the Big Mac with fries
So those bastards are opening up previously restricted access beachfront for public use? How dare they!
Agree, last week you were all bit….ing about having no place for cruise passengers to go. You don’t want them North, you don’t want them South. You just don’t want Dart to do it. Get a life.
#boycott
We allowed Mac to become a rich with political iron, and he allowed Dart to spread — the plague which enriches Dart and other wealthy folk, and leaves the rest of us to wonder what has become of the fair island we once enjoyed. My children will probably not be able to enjoy any part of their own shores.
We had better take lots of photos and happy videos of us and our families playing on the beaches, so we have something to remember them by (the beaches).
Now I understand why the proposal in Barker’s has been so quiet by the politicians from West Bay. Anyone familiar with “quid pro quo”.
Are they a band?
Oy, your children will. No one owns the bloody beach and especially the ocean. Anyone can use any beach on Grand Cayman and theres not a damn thing anyone can do legally to stop you. Rememher that.
Boycott progress? Times are changing and I know its a tough pill to swallow.
Here’s some progress macboi. Ice is melting,big things coming down earth progress pipeline. Go listen to your kaboo music. Nothing you can do now but ignore it a while longer. Progress!
Kaboo sucks!
But you can get a taco at Kaboo in a Dart foam container!
yes…please do. you won’t be missed.