Major mystery development planned in Crystal Harbour
(CNS): An application for a major development in the Crystal Harbour area appeared on the planning website this week but there is no indication who is behind the project, which includes five apartment blocks, a ten-storey hotel, dozens of town houses on canal lots with boat docks, duplexes, a parking garage, six swimming pools and a restaurant.
Submitted by Trio Architecture, the application does not disclose the landowners or the developers proposing the project on block 17A, parcel 170REM1 off Crighton Drive, West Bay. According to the plans, three of the apartment buildings will be seven storeys, the other two are nine, while the hotel is ten.
There are very few details on the new application, such as the overall acreage, but the plans are available for inspection on the planning website in the planning notices section here.
CNS is currently seeking more information on the project and will post more as we find out the details.
The Central Planning Authority last met on 15 December but no agendas have yet been posted for 2022.
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Category: development, Local News
Michael Ryan’s track record as a developer is shaddy at best. Have a go at the game to find a profitable Ryan development.
No one could deny he is a showman.
Where is he?
The NTDP National Tourism Development Plan back in 2007 aim was to develop a fully integrated and evolving internet strategy that would increase traffic and onsite bookings for the Eastern Districts.
An Island Digital Tourist-Related Directory hosting attractions and restaurants for Stay-Over and Cruise Visitors would do just that, market and promote sales
Barbados have officially launched its own Sales & Marketing Platform.
Why can’t we encourage our local attractions and restaurants in the East to create simple web-sites and do the same………………..
https://www.uncommoncaribbean.com/cayman-islands/for-a-true-taste-of-the-cayman-islands-vivines-kitchen-is-a-must/
Barbados now has its own Electronic Sales & Marketing Platform for the Island………..
Why can’t we do the same???????
https://skift.com/2022/01/05/barbados-builds-its-own-online-travel-booking-platform-to-be-a-game-changer/
The Eastern Districts, (Go East) where new development of a sustainable, suitable scale and style needs to be promoted.
We’ve lost the Hyatt, Seaview Hotel, the Great House etc….. thats hotel room accomodations lost, administrative, food n beverage, housekeeping and maintenance jobs lost
We had 14,000 stayover visitors that visited during 2018 n 2019, 4,416 more visitors than the hotels, condos and villas can accomodate. “And we only have appx 10,000 hotel, condos and villa rooms available”
The Go East initiative needs a cohesive, unified vision with planning guidelines.
Local stakeholders need to determine specifically how best to preserve the Cayman experience
and to extend the benefits of tourism to communities within the three Eastern Districts without destroying the very things that make the individual districts
different and the region special and the development mistakes of west Grand Cayman should not be repeated.
There is a need to review capacities and develop guidelines e.g. promoting clusters to avoid contiguous ribbon development along the coast, identifying the appropriate scale and nature of
tourism developments and activities.
Clearly, these tourism-related issues need to be review
A Regional Digital Directory hosting each Island or Country Cruise Ship for guest on board ships to browse and make bookings or reservations for all Attractions, Businesses, Restaurants or Stores on a Tablet in there cabin would certainly increase Marketing options, exposure and badly needed sales income when the Cruise Industry resumes
An Island Digital Directory hosting businesses with web-sites on Tablets in Hotel Rooms for guest to browse, view, make online purchases, bookings or reservations from the comfort of there room or Cruise Ship waiting to be bussed to attractions to be able to pick up deliveries at the Dock when returning to there ship, would certainly encourage visitors to spend much needed foriegn income into the country.
It would also create lots of jobs in Sales, Marketing and Deliveries…………………..
Great ideaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem is simple, during the 1930’s Depression, Canada realized that people were actually not spending because they did not have the money to spend and the only people who were spending was actually governmment employees and people globally were stressed out
So they invested in a Tourism and Hospitally program with natural and restful recreactions that paid off.
According to the Canadian University Tourism and Hospitality Management text, Canada improved tourist numbers by 100 % and foriegn income coming into the country with visitors spending that accounted for almost 49-50% of the country GDP if my memory serves me correctly
We have survived on this model of foriegn income being spent at our stores and restaurants on island for years, so our government need to get back to the basics if we want to survive this economic crisis
For example, if fosters sells food items and the restaurants sell food, but no one is buying there food items or meals, it forces them to down size and lay off staaff and hire cheap labor. This creates high numbers of unemployment and instability
Therefore, we need to find a universal user friendly approach like an Island Digital Directory that can be down loaded on Hotel Room Tablets or browsed online by our visitors coming by plane and boat, to be able to browse restaurants delivery menu’s, retail and jewelry stores stock, water sports operaters services, banks and law firms etc….. while relaxing in there room or in a waiting area to go to a recreaction attraction, where visitors can be able to visit or purchase services and items online and boosting sales and create jobs while adapting to the changes of technology
A simple solution like this should help increase our vistors spending
12:44, We can’t even get the UBER and LYFT apps here.
Such a simple solution to our rip off taxi drivers here and would make tourists so much happier.
Here are 10 steps Congress can take to cut poverty, boost economic security, and expand the middle class.
1. Create jobs, create jobs….
With most of the baby boomers of the 70’s & 80’s who built and started businesses now retired and are no longer investing, spending or building.
The best pathway out of poverty according to the US Gov is a well-paying jobs and to get back to prerecession employment levels since 2007/2009, we must create 5.6 million new jobs.
To reduce poverty here in Cayman, we need caymanians to find ways to finance caymanian owned and operated hotels in places like East End, North Side & Cayman Brac that would create jobs instead of building condos so we can increase the inflow and circulation of cash.
The infrustructure is already in place, the airport have been expanded to accomodate more travellers with additional plans to expand in the future
Caymanian owned hotels is the way to go if we expect to survive economically
We also need our leaders in government to expand our government owned insurance company CINICO to start issuing cheaper home, car and life insurance to ease the financial strain on its citizens.
This would create government jobs while easing high living expences like insurance cost for a lot of prople struggling financially
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2014/09/17/97287/the-top-10-solutions-to-cut-poverty-and-grow-the-middle-class/
More government jobs is the very last thing we need!
Great idea, the problem is that many Caymanians prefer to take large checks from Uncle Dart to sell their land ie Royal Palms instead of investing in Cayman’s future.
Sounds like bull poop to me!
The three Cayman Islands have a total of 7,027 rooms available to accommodate tourist visiting the three Islands.
These visitors are made up primarily of three sectors in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Condos, Villas and Hotels.
Condos and Villas make up the largest category type of rooms with 4,310 rooms available that only provide a small number of administrative and house keeping jobs, while Hotels account for 2,717 rooms available and provide over 150 to 200 administrative, housekeeping and food & beverage jobs in each hotel
The number of Stay Over Tourist visiting doubled since 2010 from 288,000 visitors to 500,000 in 2019 which is approximately an additional amount of 73.6% or an additional 212,000 visitors per year, which equates to 17,666 visitors per month or 4,416 visitors per week and most visitors average age is 36 to 49 and usually stay on island for an average of one week
So with an additional 4,416 visitors a week in 2019 that are renting air bnb condos, and the average hotel housing 400 rooms, why aren’t we making an appeal to build more hotels and create more permanent jobs
Its amazing how we always begin on a path of thinking about the future and keep coming up with briliant ideas only to drift off on trivial topics and development.
Everyone wants a hotel, apartment or a condo on seven mile beach, but no one has or is paying attention to the Master Ground Transpertation Plan, Vision 2008 or the Go East initiative.
Since the Vision 2008 and the Master Ground Transpertation plan, we have for once seen a sensible plan with the Go East Initiative.
It calls for over 14,000 new Hotel Rooms or 5,000 Apartements, Cottages or Bed n Breakfast on the 50% of undeveloped land locked property on the island that is still mostly owned by Caymanians
We have over 1,000 High School Graduates graduating each year with 70% to 80% seeking employment after graduation and our economy is not growing or creating long term permanent jobs.
In other words, with most of the worlds Baby Boomers of the 70’s & 80’s who invested, spent and built developments like hotels and businesses that created long term permanent jobs, are all now retired, not spending, not investing and not building businesses and hotels to create permanent jobs.
So we are all faced along with the other increased people around the world facing high unemployment and poverty according to the world bank, of what was increased from 88m to 124m over the past 10 years because high numbers of unemployment and opportunities being deminished, now face living poverty or long term unemployed
Our Department of Commerce & Investment only deal with issuing business license and collecting fees, where it should have been expanded to take on-board the responsiblity of the Master Ground Transpertation Plan, the Vision 2008 and the Go East Initaitive to attract investment or allow land lock property owners in North Side, East End and Cayman Brac to be able to access funding to build hotels, condos, a proper water attraction park and businesses in-land on the water with dredged canals from the North Sound like Dart did with Camana Bay, to create permanent jobs and give Seven Mile Beach a break on development
in other words, spread out the development and over development and stair the country on the path of low unemployment and prosperity
Lets face it, the mean reason we have so many stay-over visitors increasing year after year, is because they come to enjoy the sea and the sun and most of them usually return to buy a home or condo on the water or the beach
We already have the infrastructure in place, our air-port has been expanded to cope with 500,000 passengers a year, eventhough uncomfirmed news outlets advise that we have been processing 1,000,000 passengers a year during 2018 and 2019.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/theme-parks-are-built-for-density-disneyland-finally-reopens-but-its-now-make-or-break-for-the-industry-11619807321
Your solutions are dredging and hotels. Groundbreaking.
Dream on, Bro.
So glad I didn’t decide to build there.
Who cares. Don’t be so nosey. Build it already, is it illegal to make money now?????
No. it’s only illegal to build according to zoning laws on the land you paid for and paid Stamp Duty on.
*nosy
Well said Ted
Our economy and prosperity is driven by freemarket forces , which seems to have escaped the treehuggers.
Subject to all the laws being obeyed, what does it matter who developers are.
Construction income and duties have saved Cayman during the pandemic , so build buy sell , or be quiet.
Why the secrecy over the developers, I wonder? Credible companies involved should take care as one controversial development may spoil a good reputation.
For starters, Mr. Dart…. and some of the others like to remain unknown.
Do you have any idea of how many properties are owned by Dart?
Too many !!!!
Chinese takeover by stealth. The Caribbean is becoming Beijing’s b***h with unaffordable ‘loans’ and infrastructure projects.
They are well known for using surrogate ‘developers’ and fronts to purchase real estate.
This is very true.
An excellent area for Chinese Communist Party officials and their surrogates to get a solid base for their money in the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean.
The Party and their officials are coming here so people had better wake up. When one has unlimited no interest loans backed by the Chinese State one can do anything.
China is playing now the long term game in this region to counteract American influence.
HAHA, This is amazing, can’t wait to see the bumper to bumper traffic, going to these places. You know they will all have to go the long way round with all those speed bumps, pot holes and puddles you could get home quicker living in Bodden Town. Dart owns the land that the access road is on so don’t expect that to be upgraded anytime soon and look out for sink holes over that way!! After you purchase your swamp front million dollar condo, call me I got oceanfront land in Nevada for you.
Wow. Why so pessimistic around Christmas? Lighten up.
Haven’t been down since the pandemic. This island doesn’t look the same. Over built. Too many high rises. Would never know it’s Cayman except my plane ticket says I landed there.
McKeeva Bush and Michael Ryan quietly run this place.
PROJECT APPROVED.
World Class. Dubai look out.
Unless it’s Dart doing the development of course.
And wait to see if the close Cardinall Ave as well. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I cannot wait to vote again. Sick of the lies and pork.
7:06, But there is absolutely no one to vote for because the talent pool is so small on these 3 Islands.
1:53 pm Dart may own the roads but the beneficiaries of those roads (ie Crystal Harbour property owners) have a duty (under the easement granted to them) to contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the road. Therefore, levy big fees to the hotel developers who will likely chew up the road during construction.
2 mins of google
https://www.prismagrandcayman.com/
contact
nparent@silverfin.ky
Silverfin Development Company is a Cayman Islands based development company founded by Michael Ryan, one of the leading developers of world-class resort and residential projects.
Well if it’s him it won’t get built. By the way has be paid back the millions he owes government yet ?
No,no, no, NOOOOOOOO.
Fin doesn’t look anything like the initial design.
Yep. So true 6:50. Amazing they got away with all of this at FIN.
Fin is ugly so inappropriate for this island
Thanks Mike. Is Mac going to have the exclusive listing of this?
Yesssssssssssssss!
The Same Michael Ryan who has fleeced these Islands for Millions of dollars -repeatedly – on his shady dealings ? Ok got it, just wanted to be clear, I wonder what could possibly go wrong this time?
Oh no. Not Ryan again. He still owes the government money from the botched deal @ Safehaven/Dragon Bay/Ritz Carlton
1:18 pm the famous developer who owes the government millions. What a mess.
Well its not like Crystal Harbour needs to lawyer up.
Hopefully it’s a Trump Tower building all in shinny reflective gold.
A developer with a series of failed projects may lack the credibility to finish another. One way to gain the illusion of success is to propose an even bigger project.
Diagrams are cheap.
ratio’d
Should be renamed to ‘Congestion Harbour’ – it’s a dump anyway around that neck of the woods.
hope they sort out the legal access first through the golf course…
Dart will make Safehaven Road a toll road. Our first toll road in the Cayman Islands. That road will be very busy if that development goes through.
Isn’t it crown land, so leasehold not freehold?
Not anymore, Dart bought the freehold several years ago, they own from Regatta straight through Waterways to Safehaven.
Dart has the freehold now on over 50% of the Seven Mile Beach Corridor. It was a big mistake when the CIG gave the freehold to the whole Safehaven area to Dart a few years ago.
Waterways and Turnberry Villas 1 & 2 are now at the mercy of the mighty Dart.
11:53 am Government didn’t “give” it away. It was sold to Dart for fair market value.
10:01 a.m. what a stupid question. Leasehold or freehold has NOTHING to do with whether it’s Crown land. Both Crown and privately held land can be freehold or leasehold.
Guess we all cannot be as brilliant as you 10:01.
More likely make Safehaven Road part of a gated community.
…… there goes the property values in Diamond’s Edge ……
Cayman Sh*t hole continues to destroy itself by once again raping the environment.
What’s the problem? More homes/residences are needed..build up as land is scarce…so a few nearby neighbors have their overpriced homes reduced by a $1m or 2…whomp whomp, should have sold before the news broke
…congrats – you appear to be bountiful in both attributes being bitter AND twisted….
You never got on the elite property ladder yourself, did you…? Shame.
11:21, Yeh, just what I need a ten storey hotel and 5 and 7 storey buildings a couple of blocks from me.
Looking forward to some bigger traffic jams on the Highway.
Our infrastructure already can’t handle our numbers, and you think it’s okay to build MORE? Maybe in some distant time when we’re smart enough to build a rail line or other dependable, comfortable transportation, but right now EVERYwhere is choked up with traffic!
We have been overbuilt for a decade, and quickly ruining any semblance of the paradise which people wanted to visit. Little Miami here we come.
You are right, traffic is so bad it’s taking me now 12 minutes to get to town, instead of 9. That’s a 33% increase! What a nightmare!
1:52, Takes me 30 to 35 minutes to get into town now. 10 years ago it was 15 minutes.
1 hour on the road a day is a nightmare living on a dinky island.
Prob dart
Is there any development anywhere on the Island that CNS or its readership would NOT be against?
Sure, how about affordable housing for low to middle income families… You know, just plain, hard-working folks. Kind of like the people who work at the million dollar condos and homes for the rick and wealthy. We keep your home in repair, looking nice, safe for your families; why can’t we have just a bit of the same.
This comment woefully misses the concept on supply and demand.
Whatever type of housing is built elsewhere:
– this location was never going to be used for affordable housing
– the increase in market supply can only improve prices elsewhere
– the revenues for the government (which is in need of them) will help support many Such hard working honest folk.
Honestly – there is no reason to see this as a bad thing for Cayman generally – just perhaps the wealthier neighbors of the site.
Typical reply from the elite, bought-off..
Typical reply for someone with low intellect. No engagement on the substance of the points – just envy.
You must be one of those geniuses that thinks the way to lower home prices is to reduce supply.
Who will be buying them? The poor? Is this the route to Mac’s 100,000 population?? We are stuck on the roads now, wait until later, we won’t be able to leave home.
I suspect it will be those with means, but that’s not really the point. The Island needs an increased housing stock at all price levels and the government needs revenue to support Caymanians.
I think if they flip the concessions so that whatever the developers apply for in concessions they stamp that on as an extra tax and apply that towards duty waivers for middle income housing. Does that work?
I would go one further – no concessions at all for most developments.
The government should be taking money in from these, not handing it out. But if they do, I don’t see the concern, provided that they abide by the building code.
We’d be in favour of the rapid development of a sense of right and wrong, with awareness and application of the rules and standards that should already apply to setbacks, environment, neighbourhood zoning etc.
Sure. 100%. But is there a reason to assume that those restrictions are being breached here?
Another paid development supporter trying to drum up business and downplay the abuses.
By asking for facts?
People like you are part of the problem.
8:54 am Have you bothered to check the zoning of the subject parcels? It is zoned Hotel Tourism and has been for YEARS…..maybe Crystal Harbour owners should have checked that when they did their due diligence before purchasing in that hood.
No we fully support the 50 storey building to be announced next year by Dart.
Dubai Caribbean here we come.
You mean to say, “Dubai-Switzerland-Caribbean Pandora Papers.”
Looks a fantastic development and idea.
You can tell from the architect’s sketch, can you?
Can’t see the neon lights..
This has been in the works for years
…with investor monies received (i.e. on deposit/in escrow) and nothing has ever come to fruition, until…
Ooooffftt…..the NIMBYs will be choking on their G&Ts. A 10 storey right in their back yard.
A little late for April Fools jokes.
A new 50 storey building will not be an April Fools joke.
The 50 storey building is at Camana Bay not Crystal Harbour.
The Burke family has a part in this, I suspect. Call up Troy- he’ll verify (or not!). Suddenly the sad Holiday Inn Resort starts to look a lot happier, value-wise…
Never a better time to buy.
Just giving my crystal balls a rub.
Someone needs to order more “padded” envelopes.
Talking about conflicts of interest look no further than the CPA and governments Procurement committee!
Too tall is all.
Damn does
Anyone have a
Reasonable
Theory about who this could possibly be?
heh
This is not a mystery project. A well known Caymanian family.
WHO? Names, please.
Fin Developers…
Fin is so so ugly. totally inappropriate for cayman especially the neon lights hideous!
Michael Ryan, a very well known Caymanian.
Why do you say he is Caymanian? I thought he was Canadian.
Because he is.
Never.
Canadians deny any responsibility, it seems.
10:30 a.m. He is BOTH Canadian and Caymanian. Has had status for years.
Michael Ryan doesn’t even live in Cayman. He is lying low in Costa Rica.
How did he get status? Does anyone know? Has anyone actually asked?
Richard, Lying low with Costa Rican citizenship too. A $200,000 U.S. investment in real estate and live there one year and you to can become a Costa Rican citizen.
A safehaven if one needs to protect oneself financially.
7:50 pm Check the Compass advert for the project. The land is owned by LAND LTD. This is the original developer of Crystal Harbour, the Crightons.
https://trio-design.net/
https://www.trioarchitects.com/
Websites show some shiny projects, a “team” with photos, but doesn’t really speak much about who the principals are.
They’re architects not developers.
This sort of clandestine development & nondisclosure of ultimate beneficial ownership will never cease in this jurisfiction because of the high-level lawyers, bankers, “big money” tycoons & politicians behind the business. Some neighbors are even lucky IF they receive planning notices, which is a requirement of the developer to inform residents of any proposed commercial projects. As Lands & Survey who also engage sneaky practices of changing land designations in strictly residential use neighborhoods to residential-commercial use classification, again, without notice- only to see a commercial building being constructed & finalized next to a quiet residential home or vacant lot. These Government Agencies are so corrupt.
Adjoining owners (‘Neighbours’) get notified if their addresses are up to date (read: go down to Department of Lands & Survey and ensure your address and zipcode are current) and that they bother to go down to their Post Office and actually claim the registered or certified notice waiting for them…
Under Development and Planning Law, only CPA, Parliament and CPA again can change the use designation of land- a process that requires two separate public notices advertising any proposed change of use. It cannot be done by civil servants deep within the Department of Lands and Survey. So, go down to the Department, ask the nice young man behind the counter to show you on screen what your immediate residential zone is, and understand better where the neighbourhood commercial zones are in relation to your parcel- cost? Nada. Knowledge of the zones surrounding your home- priceless…
Zipcode?
Law lol. They just do what they want
You know this is Cayman not the US right?
9:04, Might as well soon be the USA as we are clearly headed for South Miami Beach, Caribbean.
Yep, welcome to the banana republic.
You would be amazed at the amount of planning notices we recieve, whereby the deadline for response passed 3 weeks before it arrived in our PO box.
True. When these developers, & their croonies at CI Government Lands & Survey Department, don’t want alert neighbors/residents on proposed developments they will create a way, or take advantage of loopholes in the system.
So why in this day and age don’t they:
+ email you
+ give you 3 months notice
+and expand the area of notification to half a mile, at least.
Its because they do not want any objections…..
It reminds me of that stupidly called previous attempt
Grand Plazataza (Palazzoooaaa…??!)
Yes- Precisely the motive.
Let the complaining begin!
I can’t imagine how the upscale elite will be reacting to the density of this project.
Exactly. This just ruined the day of everyone that lives in Crystal Harbour!!
This development is all in! Five 7 to 9 story buildings, hotel, restaurant.
Maybe a 4 to 5 year construction site!!
Going to pop some popcorn and watch this one!
There goes the Crystal Harbour hood. A new hotel and 7 to 9 storey buildings.
At least 99% white
Don’t worry the Chinese are coming there. A perfect place to put one’s money.
@ Better get your popcorn! “Upscale elite”! – they’d have you believe. not so upscale or elite when you scratch the surface….
This won’t go over well with the denizens of Crystal Harbour!
It is with good reason Ministers Jay Ebanks (Planning & Housing) & Cabinet Secretary Rankin are in quarantine. This is exactly what happens when there isn’t proper oversight of, or collusion, in the planning & development processes.
No they are idiots so no surprises
Lol.
Doesn’t matter. The denizens of Crystal Harbour are not withers.
Excellent. Of course, most CNS readers are anti development, even though no mangroves will be destroyed, and this is out of the way.
Lots of duty on sales and resales.
Build the crap
It will bring more crappy residents
To a crappy little island
Love it
Do you whose money is pushing this project? Who the ultimate beneficial ownership are? And, Why the development need to be a “mystery project?”
That’s all Cayman has now, let’s face it. Tourism is dead and will be years to revive ,if it Is able to. Snowbirds from the U.S. and Canada got culled from being able to run offshore years ago, so we lost all their cash revenue in company fees and local directorships to buy and flip condos on 7 mile, a rental car and thousands spent at dive stores, shopping , restaurants , boat upkeep and groceries.
The new wave of developments will keep construction revenues and the stamp duty on purchase rolling in and every time one of these parcels gets flipped, not a bad source of revenue for CIG on a never ending galactic expansion ratio . COVID will probably rule until 2024 judging by how things are now , most likely developers /slash / investors are looking at the long game to be best positioned for then would be an un-educated guess. Then we have the financial industry to benefit , for a while longer at least.
George give it a break bro….
George owns some property there. Of course, he wants to see it go.
Cayman 1960-80’s sounds lovely
The mangroves there have already been destroyed.
The next Ivan is coming next year.