Daggaro sells Brac land to dot.com millionaire
(CNS): Myles Newlove, the CEO of Daggaro, has sold the land on Cayman Brac, which has now been cleared, where he had planned to base the controversial Black Hawk helicopter search and rescue operation. This is despite claims Newlove made just a few weeks ago when he told CNS that he and his team were “here to save lives” and had insisted they were going to be good commercial neighbours to the people of the Brac and great environmental stewards. But now, after a local heritage site has been lost and a natural landscape ripped out, the land has been acquired by dot.com millionaire Frank Schilling.
Schilling, who was recently given planning approval for a luxury beachfront development in West Bay, told CNS that he had jumped at the opportunity to buy the land just last week, closing the deal as soon as he could. The former owner of Uniregistry already owns a considerable amount of land in the Sister Islands, including in that area, which he purchased during the COVID-19 lockdown last year, as his interest in developing in the Cayman Islands seems to be growing.
He told CNS that he hoped to create a safe harbour on Cayman Brac, including a mini-marina. He described it as a “little bit of nation building in an altruistic sort of way”, adding that it was not just about making money as there were easier ways.
Schilling said there were a number of people on Grand Cayman who love Cayman Brac and believe that they can spur on the economy there by providing somewhere to keep boats and adding a passenger ferry. But he said he did not support cruise ships going to the Sister Islands.
Meanwhile, Newlove said that the Daggaro project would continue, as the company was now renting offices at the Island Air hanger on Grand Cayman, and they would soon be bringing in choppers to run their rescue operations in the region from Owen Roberts International Airport. Newlove said it was “a commercial decision” to sell the Brac land but they still hoped to get access to the airport on Cayman Brac as it would be an important fuel stop.
When CNS asked if he had acquired or was trying to acquire land in East End, Newlove said the company was keeping its options open. However, he did confirm that, in accordance with international aviation and security laws, his helicopters must fly in and out of an international airport when on search and rescue or medevac flights.
“We are in the aviation business, not the facilities business,” he said. “But we need access to airports to operate.”
Local environmentalists on Cayman Brac are furious with Daggaro and the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Development Control Board (DCB). Just a few weeks ago, pictures of the cleared site appeared on the company’s social media pages, stating that the project was making great progress.
One conservationist said that while few people will be sorry that the Black Hawk choppers won’t be disturbing the peace and quiet of the Brac, they question why they had to lose a culturally and environmentally significant site when it now seems that planning approval was given for a development that was not financially secure.
“It is disgusting that the planning law permits land clearing like this,” one of the local activists told CNS, adding that they will be looking for ways to stop this type of speculative land clearing in the future, especially when an appeal is pending. “We have lost an intrinsic part of Brac culture, an historic site and the natural landscape, as well as an important ecosystem that was supporting birds and the local rock iguana.”
Newlove denied clearing all of the site and claimed only around half of the property had actually been cleared. However, the West End Turtle Kraal has now been lost, as well as a significant part of the flora and fauna in the area.
The appeal against the planning permission which was approved by the DCB is still to be heard, and while the National Trust had already withdrawn its appeal, several local landowners are pressing on with their appeal, which includes Dagarro as the second respondent. Newlove told CNS that the company has not made any decisions regarding the defence of that appeal.
Meanwhile, Schilling has confirmed that he is considering using the land he has now purchased for a commercial air facility. However, as this would be an entirely different project, he would be required to submit fresh plans to the DCB.
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Category: development, Local News
That’s it, it was only a hole with 6 inches of dirty water. Only crabs could live in it.
The crap talk here is so old. …….get your head out da sand. Nuttin changin …Cayman always for sale……..there is no development boom or real estate boom………there is and has only been selling. Cayman has always Whored Itself Out.
So frank and Myles, what’s the story behind VP-CFS, the new Eurocopter EC-155 helicopter that just arrived on island ?
That’s Frank’s personal helicopter. I’ve seen him 3 mornings last week in Brac. Aircraft registry says it’s owned by Brac and Forth.
Are you a director of Daggaro AG and/or purportedly named “Myles Newlove”? Are you an employee or official representative of Schilling and co.? pretty sure you answered NO to those questions, so you are in no position to truthfully answer the question.
Some things are not too difficult to check factually.
This from caacayman.com:
VP-CFS Airbus Helicopters EC155 B 6580 Brac and Forth Limited 12-Apr-21
seems like the curtains being pulled over our eyes again Caymanians!!. Anyway, hope the new owners investment will become something that will help out this islands economy.
Oversight from regulatory agencies? What oversight; Cayman doesn’t need no stinking oversight. Just do what you darn well please as long as the back pockets get filled, all will go as planned.
Cayman oversight is a wasteland.
It’s not for us little minds to know. We aren’t consulted about radical life-changing agreements, because we are not represented.
We elect MP based upon our perception of their character and their stated platform. That is the last input we have, thus we are not represented.
Politicians decide what is best for us and they do as they will. Our only recourse — which we are still in the infancy of learning — is Referendum, and that is only if it can be geared up and approved before the deed is done.
This was passed through PLanning without a peep to the people. So, can we also do whatever we choose on our own land, including making covert agreements with foreign corporations regardless of the impact on our neighbors and countrymen?
Better question, is this a Parliamentary Democracy or an Ogliarchy?
“…Our only recourse – is referendum.” Too late, too difficult, too costly.
If we would elect officials with better ethics and insight we wouldn’t need referendums.
If laws were enforced we wouldn’t need referendums.
If we were better educated many things would be different.
Why do we continue to elect such poor officials?
We put the oligarch’s in power.
I bet you Moses and Stran got their boat slip already assigned in the new marina Tek Dat!
Does anyone think Dagarro is packing-up and leaving? Not by a long shot. Watch the EE property acquisition……
East Enders just as harden as Brackers.
Does anyone really believe that Dagarro is what they said they were? I don’t. It is my belief that this “happening” was a cover-up for more hanky panky for certain people getting what they wanted while effectively remaining out of sight. A lot of money has changed hands so far, and it is my belief that there is more hanky panky to come.
What little we know is what bothers us most: that it is a flag-less mercenary outfit based out of Switzerland, that doesn’t appear to respect our preferences. They haven’t bid on or won any USSOCOM tenders, or signed any MOUs for post-Hurricane relief, which makes you wonder who their clients are that would require a UH-60 capability and range in the Cayman Islands. Square grouper hunter recovery seems just as likely at this point as darker company missions to Gitmo and Central America. If it were a flagged DEA base, anti-piracy, or Hurricane response team, we could all understand the objectives and roll out the red carpet.
I agree. This book has more chapters, and I expect they are dark for the hapless Cayman electorate.
“Oh geee, we thought they were nice developers… Such well mannered gentlemen, here’s my land title.”
Cayman, wake up!
Or you could read the article “Meanwhile, Newlove said that the Daggaro project would continue, as the company was now renting offices at the Island Air hanger on Grand Cayman, and they would soon be bringing in choppers to run their rescue operations in the region from Owen Roberts International Airport.”
What’s the status of our dot ky top level domain names? OfReg gifted Schilling all the unclaimed TLDs for himself, plus exclusive resale on future domains, which it appears has been sold to GoDaddy as part of his divorce? What revenue and control is the CIG getting over that public property?
Of course we get screwed!
The retail domain business was sold to a Cayman unit of Godaddy. The registry company kept the .ky registry contract.
But, Mr. Schelling sold most of what were supposed to be the productive assets of the registry company last month. The remnant of the company, which retains the .ky address business, is a shell of high-salaried staff who are now probably eyeing one another like hungry sailors on a life boat and sharpening the knives.
Opinions may differ on whether remaining company might either succumb to an untenable rate of expenses to income or might be bought by someone who wants the technology for the speculative prospect that there will be additional extensions authorized in the future. Perhaps the company can engage in a competitive downward spiral of competing with existing registry businesses on price. But nobody is going to pay a bunch of six figure salaries for people scattered in remote work situations to sit around maintaining a reduced-sized business and wait for the magic money ship to roll into port.
OfReg should be asking some questions about the long term stability of .ky now that Mr. Schelling has new toys to play with, and whether the registry company will be able to honour its commitments.
Technology? What technology are you referring to? Domain registration? If you Google domain registration companies they are a dime a dozen – hundreds of them.
You can register a .com name though any of hundreds of registrar companies, but there is only one company which runs the .com registry and makes all .com names work. There are not as many companies that run registries.
Uniregistry pioneered outdoor lunch seating technology at Governor’s Square.
Ha I would never bet against Frank. Greatest operator business guy I ever worked for. Rockstar
Great post.
Unfortunately it wizzed over the heads/brains of 99.9% of the readers/electorate, who unfortunately have the ability, to elect intellectual giants like Mr Bush.
Excellent comments.
Offreg..remind me again who is the head of Offreg..?
Caymanians were being taken for fools, because they are fools. Even Bermudians can stand up for their rights.
I take no satisfaction in the truth of your statement. We (not all) have sold out our country and now just jump up and down and blame others and in actuality do nothing to take responsibility for our status.
You can bet it wasn’t “We” who sold out our country. The people of Cayman Brac had NO voice in any of the “helicopter” boondoggle! The whole thing stinks!
Who sold ‘da land? ‘mericans?
Nope – Caymicans! Look in the mirror, you’ll see dollars (CI).
“No Voice” means you were silent. Brackers sold the land at some point! Don’t blame others. Brackers owned that land years ago – they SOLD it for $$$$$$$$. The truth may be bitter, but it is the truth.
I agree, the whole thing stinks. But if you have the willingness to look back at the inception – it is OUR OWN FAULT! WE SOLD OUT!
Yes. “No Voice” also means that it was all a done deal long before Brackers were told anything about it. CIG comes from the camp of ‘better to ask forgiveness than permission’, however they never ask forgiveness either.
People will sell land, and that’s their right. I believe the government sold us out by making this agreement without our input.
Hell yea!
What do we want? Investment and jobs! When do we want it? Never!
What did we get? Not investment & jobs. (At least not out of this round.) So what is your point? Not made.
Sarcasm was implied. Sheesh, just try to understand the conversation.
If you need it explaining you’re not ever going to be a part of the solution.
Daggaro has chosen the path of least resistance. Bet there will be too many conspiracy theories by those in Cayman. People in Cayman Brac do not want anything to change. They are quite happy living on government hand outs.
what makesyou fools in grand any better!
atleast we don’t have people sleeping on the streets!
Because Brac Admin cultivates laziness and drug use and pays the rent for all the useless people
I knew a stupid, hateful comment like this was coming! Its this mentality about Government handouts that persons like yourself like to pin on the poor people of Cayman Brac. You think that we are second class citizens of this country. You think that all of us get government handouts? We are also people of the CAYMAN ISLANDS! Many Braccas have built this country that you enjoy. I see many persons from Grand cayman come over on the Brac and housed and supported by NAU. That’s Government handouts of Braccas also i guess. Just because you hate everything about the CAYMAN BRAC people, doesn’t mean we are not just as much part of this Country. We are mostly hard working, honest people that deserve just as much piece of the dream that is “THE CAYMAN ISLANDS”!
Brackers WAS hard working people. But not the younger generations of today, facts are facts. I for one worked hard full time for 55 years, up to 16 hours a day, i never asked,wanted or ever received anything from Government for charity. And there are plenty more Brackers like me. But I must say the young ones are different.
That’s not just a Brac isolated “fact” tho. Can be said for most of the WORLD!. I can add myself to the group of persons that has NEVER applied for or offered any type of help/charity from our Government, and always worked private sector.
Stop re-electing Moses and Juliana.
Dart inherited his money, so I see why he needs to do things like Camana Bay to feed his ego.
But Frank made his money himself. Why not just be happy, enjoy life and be proud of accomplishments so far?
Instead he wants to compete with Dart, with the helicopters, planned towns, and worst – wrecking the environment.
It’s as if this guy can only use his money in Cayman.
oh man, if you only understood how wealthy Mr Schilling is…..his money is all ovah the world.
This is just his home project.
I am happy someone is doing something to keep Cayman on the map.
Dear Ken Dart and Dagarro. People in Grand Cayman do not grateful how lucky they to live in Covid free paradise with magic money and no economic pressure and easy life. Please please come to Honduras and Guatemala and Jamaica (and Cuba) Secretly run by Chinese. We have money. we welcome you and give you special deal. Dont be afraid of people who hate you in spoilt lazy place. We love you
And give more!
Your written communication skills is as poor as the ability of the electorate to get ethical officials in office.
I understand your intent, but if you want to be taken seriously you need to have good communication skills.
THIS is part of why Cayman cannot govern itself properly! Poorly educated masses that simply cannot get past the manipulation of those with money, education and foresight for the long-haul.
are as poor…
LOL – You got me! Nice play.
It would appear that 10:28 was written by someone not Caymanian or resident in the islands judging from the context. So we all poorly educated ? Racist statement much ?
Caymanian is not a racial group, snowflake.
Section 18 of our Bill of Rights reads:
“(1) Government shall, in all its decisions, have due regard to the need to foster and protect the environment that is not harmful to health or well-being of present and future generations, while promoting justifiable economic and social development.
(2) To this end the government should adopt reasonable legislative and other measures to protect the heritage and wildlife and the land and sea biodiversity of the Cayman Islands that –
(a) limit pollution and ecological degradation;
(b) promote conservation and biodiversity; and
(c) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources.”
Is section 18 of our Bill of Rights being threatened or breached?
A good document. But if it is not enforced it is a pipe dream. Currently, Cayman is not willing or capable of enforcing the laws it has.
Just remember it is the Cayman Islands’ reputation that is put in question when these ‘so-called’ legit transactions go bully up. Foe example, Cayman Brac has seen, in very recent times, at least 2 persons walk in and wave lots of money around and purchase land and build properties to have these same persons now on locked down in the US and I don’t mean COVID -19 Lockdown.
To me this was the plan all along. Dwindle the carrot before the politicians and hook and line so far up the throat, they couldn’t see beyond the $$$. Now an historic site has been destroyed for what?
Historic site haha! That is a stretch. It was bush and a well. Lets create something special on this land that will actually be a historical site to those who inherit it.
This “site” was “proclaimed” a historic landmark off of no real evidence or “accurate historical accounts” of anybody from this area. I am from this area and can tell you that it was only a natural well, used by SOME OF MY PEOPLE for keeping turtles in as a natural “Turtle Trough” nothing more! How can a hole in the middle of the island be a “Turtle Krawl”.
If you were really from this area, you’d know it is far from “the middle of the island.”
Agree that it’s really not so ‘historic’, however the wholesale bulldozing is obscene. NOWHERE should that be allowed. Remove what bush you need, but save as much as you can. I can’t imagine a real Caymanian* ever choosing to devastate an entire chunk of native bush.
*real Caymanian defined as one who truly cares. It matters less where you were born than how you treat the land and sea. All over the world, people can legally immigrate to another country, meet the requirements, take the tests, pay the money and become citizens, with full benefit of citizenship. Only here — of all the places I’ve been — are there degrees of citizenship. We need to stop this crap right now. If we don’t like what is happening, we need to change the requirements, but those who’ve been through the process shouldn’t be marginalised.
I don’t know how many people outright purchased their citizenship in the giveaway days, but I suspect they are relatively few.
It it very close to the center line between the north coast and the south coast.
Mumbichi.. you seem to be very passionate about this and i feel you, and respect that.. and agree that i don’t like to see areas cleared, but this is private property! What if they didn’t clear the area for the Airport? Whos to say how many natural “sites” were filled in all over the islands.
I am from this area, and it is practically center inland (Approx 310M to north ironshore and 450M to south shore) of the WEST END of the island!. My people used the hole and i know the TRUE stories and been there many times as a child, did you???.
No! It was a hole with bush surrounding it! That’s historical!
These days very rear yeah.. LOL
depends what the bush looked like!
….happened to original health city proposal based on which concessions were given
I always suspected this helicopter rescue project was beyond my comprehension. My simple logic told me that if true they were a front for something big. I just couldn’t fathom who were the clients and where the funding was coming from.. i resigned myself to wait and see these helicopters flying in and out of the Brac rescuing like Superman.
Well that what you get
We should be learning from decades of snake charmers and avoiding our mistakes of the past. All developers should, at the very least, offer a viable plan, with proof of financing, and post a sizable proportionate government bond in escrow, not just for land purchase and clearing, but for every phase of operational lifespan, including decommissioning and remediation, a corporate social responsibility budget, and provide a history of social responsibility. Such minimum barriers would disqualify most of Cayman’s developers, and rightly so IMO. Adios to all these cowboys.
Next he will buy the Alexandria Hotel and get permission to build a marina in the salt-water pond behind it. Remember the one that Cleveland couldn’t get permission for?
Now that’s a great idea
Build it Shilling!
Won’t happen
That’s not a saltwater pond, nor are all the ponds going west from there.
Frank the tank with the old bait and switch. Nice try but what he’s about to find out is that nobody wants his marina either.
what is with you people the fear of everything is ridicuulas, a marina is a great idea for the island
“You people?” A traditional put down used by racist people to talk down to natives.
5:50 If you get wet in the rain, is it because of racism? Put that shite away. It shows what a moron you are.
This is a great time at last Drive a wedge between those who actually know what they’re doing and those are too dumb to save themselves let’s make this a stand!
En vogue. When you disagree with another person’s idea just call them a racist or if they are of a darker complexion than you are just brand them an Uncle Tom. Why not just discuss ideas, agree to disagree etc?
I call a spade a spade. You call it a shovel if you want to.
Spade or shovel just because you don’t like their argument it does not make then racist.
A spade? Really?
4 48 Perry?
Great idea to bring in the Marina. Bring in foreign workers and more restaurants, coffee shops and for goodness sake a decent ice cream shop. Can we please bring the Brac up to the 21st Century at some point?
The old regieme and old ways of thinking have got to go.
This lies squarely at the feet of Moses Kirkconnell.
Try wriggling your sorry ass out of this one, fellow.
Its their land that WE sold to them. They can do what they please. No one to stop them!
The problem is Companies using Cayman Enterprise City to front for these transactions with minimal oversight. I am not really shocked that this deal was touted by Moses Kirkconnell, using an entity that comes from CEC which is owned and run by the Kirkconnell family. The new PACT government needs to increase oversight over CEC and Tech City another Gene Thompson boondoggle.
Dagarro is not at CEC. Their offices are on the west bay road & moving soon to GT.
…and then back to Switzerland
No CeC here . Thank you
Now what? They paid. What you wanna do? Give money back and send to Honduras?
Don’t worry out new premier, minister of sustainability and climate resiliency is on it
Daggaro fooled everybody and must have forgotten all the promises they made and the strategic advantages that the Brac was supposed to provide for the project.
What happened or what changed? There is more to this story and we deserve the truth before things get more confusing and government gives away anything else.
This was obviously the plan all along.
Cayman pretends to be sophisticated and able to govern itself.
Truth – Cayman has little ability to self-govern. Crap like this happens weekly in Cayman. It is pathetic how incompetent the Cayman populace is to do anything other than say what they want. Power and money overwhelms all of the good intentions.
You elect fools! Expect nothing but foolish decisions.
I won’t apologize for the tough love.
Sad, but true.
Happy with this change of ownership.
Nothing could be worse than what we had!
Well, wasn’t that a brilliant way to bring money from abroad into the country by Daggaro.
Well done.
Guaranteed nothing will ever happen with the helicopter project.
1:45, Not as good though, as the scheme a few years ago to set up a new airline to be headquartered here to cover the Caribbean and South America. That one was a real doozy.
But who are the real people behind the Daggaro money?
They are not from the Cayman Islands.
Russian or Chinese interests?
The Newloves moved here from silicon Valley in California.
They are going F#@!% Up the Brac the same way they did here Wow! no wonder the PPM were so hell bent on regaining power BIG Plans nah! It explain the recent big purchases of the sister islands by certain politicians and their minions!
If anyone didn’t know
You can register(move) your boat in the sister islands and avoid plenty of duties and taxes that you would have to pay normally.
Now you know….
Destroy the environment so the rich can hide their billionaire wealth.
But we all know this.
Same price to register your boat in the sister islands as on Grand. And you only pay duty if you import the vessel here.
Unless it arrives under its own power…
From Jamrock
Not true any more…
I support private land ownership and the rights that come with it that include being able to clear it..
But this rather unnecessary loss of habitat is a sad sight. It only goes to show he wanted to “fill in the hole” as soon as possible to reduce controversy. Ironically, it seems as if the controversy finally hit the critical point.