Designers wanted for tourism waterfront project

| 18/01/2023 | 86 Comments
Seaside patio concept for waterfront attraction, artist’s rendition from application documents

(CNS): The tourism ministry has opened a public bid for architects to design the proposed waterfront tourism attraction project in George Town on North Church Street. The planned facility will be situated on land the government purchased over a year ago for around $5.6 million to develop a new tourist attraction and entertainment centre with bars, restaurants, a craft market, a pool and a beach area where local people will also be able to train in hospitality skills.

The request for quotations for architectural services, including drawings for inside and outside of the proposed facility and the related work, was issued last week, and qualified designers have until 17 February to submit their bids to design the centre.

Draft drawings submitted with the bid show three buildings which will house the restaurants and dining areas as well as the kitchens, and extensive outside space where there will be outside dining, the market and the waterfront facilities.

The project was proposed in November 2021 by Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, who said it was a “visionary project” that would become self-funding. “The benefits of this site and the government’s vision for it are almost too numerous to mention,” he told parliament as he announced the plans for the project. “But most importantly, it is an investment in our people that will provide reoccurring benefit to current and future generations of Caymanians.”


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Category: Business, development, Local News, Tourism

Comments (86)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    another Royal Watler Cruise Terminal in the making… look how that is going.

    bet you they already have chosen venders in place on life long contracts from backroom agreements

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Government pays 5.6 million for land to develop, 0.0 million for land to protect then blames native species declines and reef illnesses on everything else.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    I hate to think of the traffic chaos during construction of the Kenny temple. Between this and the cruise ships bringing the waddling dead.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And the resultant trash daily. Sandra shared a post from someone at Whitehall Bay Dock at the Catboat Club. Its bloody awful

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      • Anonymous says:

        That’s the drunks by the liquor store. Saw the guy with the dreads taking a dump there too one morning.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Nice drawing! The easy part will be building it. $4-$6M should get it done.

    If it is fairly busy it should do about $2M a year in revenue! Only issue is, it will cost about $2.5M a year to operate.

    I would love to know what the Cardinal Avenue project cost, better part on $1M I would guess. Annual maintenance should not be more that $60K.

    Some trees, a few benches, bathrooms, they should be able to upgrade Kenny beach for about the same. Add that seawall and you are well above $1M. Should be able to keep the place in good shape for only about $120K a year.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Government and especially ignorant government ministers, should stay out of running any business.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Gov built a Craft Market and then moved the Craft Market to a new location under a “rented tent”. Now the original Craft Market is not in use. Kenny’s new venture will be sold off in years to come to a private company that will operate it successfully.

    Kenny has “NO” business experience nor and education to be taking on this type venture.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    As someone who just docked on a cruise ship, please implement recreational cannabis dispensaries – I understand you medically prescribe it.

    I just walked by about 7 alcohol shops, and a guy smoking a cigar outside a cuban cigar shop. I smelt the tobacco so obviously there’s a double standard going on here.

    take my tourism revenue! sheesh. it’s legal everywhere now.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    So with everything that is going on with the beach our government are proposing to put a in a seawall!

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  8. Anonymous says:

    I’ll suggest murals and photos of how pristine and beautiful Paradise Cayman WAS BEFORE all the development.

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    • Anonymous says:

      or maybe just hang up some pics of cayman brac?..
      even better why don’t you go live in the brac….you will love the lack of development!!!!

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Kingston Plan soon be implemented all smoke and mirrors folks soon there will be need for a pier added to existing dock smart move Kenny B smart move 👑💰

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  10. Anonymous says:

    But we can’t afford to buy a glass crusher 🤔🤔🤔

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    • Anonymous says:

      Can’t open a mental health facility on schedule, or even initiate a facility for drug treatment for the addicts living across the road from this “attraction”.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    I think these boys have lost their way. Government is there to govern (clue is in the name) and facilitate the economy and business sector and fill in gaps where the private sector won’t. These boys want to be wanna be developers… very sad what cayman has become.

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    • Anonymous says:

      There will be lots of contractual favors too.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Which is of course the whole point. We cant even set up a trade school for work young Caymanians may be prepared to do but we can spend millions on a hospitality training centre for a business Caymanians have no interest in working in. Trying to pretend at the same time it will be a tourist magnet. Because tourists will flock to a location where they cant swim , cant access the beach, to be served food and drink by trainee students. Yeah right.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No business plan,
      no business experience,
      No budget
      No construction knowledge
      Bottomless pit of our money,
      Wonderful opportunity to buy votes handing out work to GTC hangers on.
      Remember Mac’s turtle farm fiasco..?

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  12. Anonymous says:

    No Dock 😔 ken ken stop playing games and stick to your Kingston Plan you 😈

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Check the sandy beach in the picture though. LOL.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    I want a Kenny B statue on it too. In the style of The Thinker please. This will mark his meteoric rise to the Premiership. What a hero!

    Lol!

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Such a half-baked stupid scheme but what do you expect from someone who’s well…half-baked and stupid. This should be fun to watch.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It won’t be fun because he’ll be wasting our money.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Please take a trip to Bermuda. There are many areas in Bermuda that are left as parks, natural areas where people can go sit and enjoy nature or on a park bench that overlooks the Harbour/ water. Why does everything in Cayman have to involve building, building, building? Keep in simple. Shade trees, green areas, park benches, lighting, beautiful walkways. No pool necessary.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    The area would be better served with a nice open space, a park or garden, with shade and some benches for sitting and enjoying the peace and quiet. There are already enough bars and restaurants.

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    • Anonymous says:

      How would you get peace and quiet right next to a boat ramp. LOL. ya’ll need stop hating so much.

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    • David Myers says:

      Oh yes! YES, YES and YES again. PLEASE!. Don’t let it be anything like this illustration – utterly sterile and monumentally BORING! PLEASE, we DO NOT need another one of these!

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Does that sign have the requisite planning permission, as required by law?

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  18. Anonymous says:

    from the people who sturuggle to run a parking meter system at the airport…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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  19. Anonymous says:

    An absolute waste of money and resources. Really more restaurants? Caymanians can train the world class restaurants we have here already with a properly implemented program. this could be a green space for beach goers with BBQ grills. But Kenny has to build monuments to himself just as Barbara tried to do.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Some covered picnic tables with table service.
    A casual food serving kitchen with restrooms available when open.
    No pool. The ocean is right there.
    Parking.
    If training is one of the goals then it has to be basic and small for trainees to succeed. Then they can move on to larger establishments.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Does anyone know what they are doing with the old green parrot place?

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  22. Anonymous says:

    From the same government that gave you The Turtle Farm, Cayman Air and CINICO comes Kenny’s Kitchen. Yet another hole to throw money into🤡🤡🤡

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Leave it as natutal as possible. No more restaurants or businesses.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    Plant some shade trees, install some picnic benches, build some washrooms with change rooms and showers.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I agree, plant some tamarind, sea grape, cocoplum, almond trees. Some thatch trees, mahogany, ironwood, Mahler.- in other words all local trees. Then Some colorful bougainvillea, croton and local lantana. These plants are available locally, will grow easily with minimum stress. Please give it a local flair, with bright painted picnic tables with attached benches and canopies of cayman thatch. Put a bit of our culture before it completely disappears.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Please include a boat ramp too. The one by Lobster pot does not have enough parking. Lobster Pot likes to post signs about no parking for the boat ramp in their lot, but don’t care if patrons use the boat ramp parking. Dive boats too pick up divers there and they also take up parking bays.

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  26. Anonymous says:

    you cannot design, build, and equip a reatuarant and bar for 1 million dollars. design & fees along with other soft cost will run 200k, construction estimated 800k – 1M, fit out equipment furniture and fittings will be another 600K plus overages lets just put it at 2M

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Is anyone aware that the lil Ironshore key by the boat ramp is now leased out to private sector to be developed soon??!!!

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  28. Anonymous says:

    Sounds like its not going to be so public after all unless your spending a dollar.

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  29. Anonymous says:

    What’s left to design? “Draft drawings submitted with the bid show three buildings which will house the restaurants and dining areas as well as the kitchens, and extensive outside space where there will be outside dining, the market and the waterfront facilities.” Sounds like Kenny has already designed the facility??

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  30. Anonymous says:

    If it’s done right and might be a place Caymanians and residents can go for a meal and/or drinks, which serves as a social gathering spot, then I’m looking forward to it.

    Since Royal Palms is no more, it would be nice to have such a place. Obviously, parking might not be as plentiful as Royal Palms was, but it sounds interesting in theory.

    Let’s see how it ultimately pans out, but, as a Towner, I’m looking forward to it. Anything entertainment (restaurant, bar, etc) not too far from home is convenient.

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  31. Anonymous says:

    nonsensical idea from top to bottom and one that will never be built hopefully.
    whats the latest on the glass house boyo’s?

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  32. Anonymous says:

    So no business case to justify this purchase or project! Hope the Auditor General looks into this.

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  33. XRebellion says:

    Casino operators cannot be trusted.

    Thoughts? 🤔

    🟢Protect our environment
    🟠Halt overexpansion
    🔴Stop duplicity

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  34. Anonymous says:

    Bet they hire a consultant to do the bid documents and BP. Deloitte?

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  35. D. Irty sherts says:

    what a joke. fa’ real…what about education of the youth instead of creating a bar that will train the youth. donkey land is where we live.

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  36. Anonymous says:

    Why not make a green space out of it with benches and such? Lord knows we need it

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    • Cheese Face says:

      I picked up my kids from school, they had to go back an hour later for their Xmas play. I drove all around town looking for somewhere to sit down and let them have a snack, nothing not a damn thing anywhere, concrete jungle.

  37. Anonymous says:

    They wanted to build a port for all of theses ‘attractions’.
    The People voted no, gov were pissed off so instead they just gonna build all the ‘attractions’ and not build the port.

    Just need another place to dump the thousands of tourists from the cruise ships at the expense of the Caymanian people.

    Pretty sure the rental space not gonna be cheap for the ‘craft market people’.

    No beach left in Cayman so better to just build restaurants, bars, and teach poor Caymanians to cater to them.

    Cig is like, oh and the bill is 140million, too the people for ‘the people’.

    ohh the logic is terrific…

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  38. Anonymous says:

    1. Who asked for this? Better to leave an open scenic spot to relax. But simply split it into 3 cabana sections: Domino elders, Kids, and Quiet Space. Some cement bbq grills, and restrooms. $200,000 tops with labor by PWD n NICE.
    Lights n security cameras at nights.
    2. No better use of that Mill$$ cash?
    How about education tutoring and incentives for lower groups – not just the high flyers?
    3. And since when has any govt project become self funding?

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  39. Suns out buns out says:

    Spoiler alert: a rum punch & burger bar next to a construction site will not “become self-funding”.

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  40. Anonymous says:

    Two thoughts on this:
    1. No chance this ever becomes self funding. This is gonna be another burden on the public purse.
    2. The sign on the land says “coming soon”- that must surely be on Cayman time if we don’t even have a design yet!

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  41. Anonymous says:

    So the government is now in the business of operating bars and restaurants or will they be renting the space out to private enterprises?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Family and friends need only apply.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Has there been a business case made out? Madam Auditor General, Enquiring minds want to know.

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    • Anonymous says:

      If they’re thinking of something like Oistins (Barbados) I’m all for it… Free for aĺl, freshly prepared local food for sale, local and international music and dancing). Everyone (young and old, tourists and locals) used to go every Fri night and then it got so popular (gridlock) they started doing Sat too. Been running for years and remains a firm favorite. Would love something like that here. Been suggesting this for almost 2 decades!

      But it doesn’t get my vote if the same players who already screw us all over on-island are involved. We need to open up the playing field so the little man can take part.

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  42. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians will never demean themselves by kowtowing to cruise foreigners or slinging drinks in the tip-centric hospitality trade. Their money is in winning corrupt political bids and skimming money from the public entity to line those benefactor pockets like an annuity. Why else do you think Kenny is so punch-drunk on “the vision” for this place? $100 says this RFP winner was selected long before it was posted to the government website. Why else would they have building drawings on an open RFP to architects?

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    • Anonymous says:

      ‘Why else would they have building drawings on an open RFP to architects?’

      Maybe because they might be plagiarising a design that was in place before Govt bought it ?

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    • Anonymous says:

      The award will go to some draftsman from GTC .

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  43. Anonymous says:

    The last paragraph though. Dying 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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  44. Anonymous says:

    Put the Coast Guard there to preserve and protect life.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Good idea. Let them spin some stories about that time when they were a commissioned enforcement unit, with equipment, responsibilities, and duties to the public…tourist love folklore

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