Revised tech-zone campus meets with objections
(CNS): More than four years after Cayman Enterprise City broke ground on the long-promised US$500 million campus masterplan and almost twelve years since the idea was first floated for this special economic zone, CEC has submitted a revised application to the planning department. However, residents in the area are concerned about the project’s potential to exacerbate flooding problems in the area, located between Fairbanks and South Sound, and the removal of about 50 acres of mangrove habitat.
The site earmarked for the project sits in the South Sound mangrove basin, where drainage and flooding issues have become a significant problem as a result of the considerable loss of primary mangrove wetland habitat. Back in November 2015, when the first planned area development (PAD) application was submitted by CEC, the Department of Environment raised concerns that the project would interfere with the stormwater retention functions of the mangroves, a problem that has worsened since then.
Despite the advice from the DoE as well as the Water Authority about the pressing need for a proper water management system in the area to tackle the mounting drainage problems before any more significant development takes place at this location, the project was given the green light. However, even after a public ground-breaking event in 2018, attended by government dignitaries armed with golden shovels, very little work has taken place at the site.
The new plans were circulated to neighbouring landowners on 21 December, and some have already lodged their objections to the project. Some residents have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding transportation access. They are also asking for CEC to hold a public meeting to present and explain the plans, especially given the lack of both a stormwater management plan and a geotechnical survey to address the concerns about hydrology and sinkholes.
Twelve years ago the original CEC project was pitched to the UDP government on the basis that a campus would be constructed to bring jobs and investment, but for well over a decade the special economic zone has existed across the capital utilising various commercial buildings rather than in one physical location. It was initially conceived as a means of attracting new technology-related businesses, and legislation was created to ring-fence entities established in the zone, offering CEC’s tenants extremely favourable terms.
While there are some 300 companies now in the zone, the revenue source for the government and the local job generation has still fallen short of expectations, though people working for the companies have contributed to the domestic economy.
CEC companies are exempt from the usual company and work permit fees. Instead, businesses established in the virtual zone pay a package to CEC, out of which a flat fee of around $1,500 goes to the government for a three or five-year employment certificate for each expatriate worker employed in the zone, regardless of the job.
CNS has contacted CEC about the changes to the proposed development, and we are awaiting a response.
See the CEC plan here.
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Category: Business
Definition of charade. Fooled Government.
Why are local boards and the government approving more development, high rises and rezoning if the infrastructure can’t cope? Greed? Corrupt planning system?
Thoughts?💭
🟢Protect our environment
🟠Halt overexpansion
🔴Stop duplicity
Based on this article, the government doesn’t get much out of CEC. $1,500 for a 3 to 5 year permit? What then, is the purpose of CEC? How do Caymanians benefit here?
I could be wrong but I thought cec businesses had to rent from cec and whilst the fees were low everything else was eyewateringly expensive. I assume CIG gets the profit from CEC commercial rental business?
100% incorrect, this is a private enterprise, all of the real estate is privately owned. All rents go to the landlord, the Kirkconnell family, all IT is done by Kirk ISS and so on.
Why won’t our politicians do something
Thoughts 🤔
🟢Protect our environment
🟠Halt overexpansion
🔴Stop duplicity
Christmas closure notice period.
Who received notices, who didn’t?
Notice period ends Jan 11th or Jan 27th?
No public consultation. Heck, no surprises there.
59 page proposal requesting a 76 acres town with a capacity of XXX dwelling households and 6000 daily campus occupants!
Camana Bay is a 685-acre town with approx. one third the capacity of what is proposed by CEC.
Ya’ll gone lost your mind!
right and they have 300 businesses, many of which are one man bands, after 12 years, so doubtful they will become 3 x the size of Camana Bay in another 12 years. Pie in the sky wishful thinking.
Should stop building development in the west and go EAST. NO TRAFFIC DELAYS. WHEN WILL THE STUPIDITY STOP. Cheaper land east, no traffic, more space. Build in the centre of the island.
Land is certainly cheaper in the East, but this developer is building on land which he owns.
That being the case, CPA should impose strict conditions dealing with traffic and surface water management so as not to impact neighboring properties.
Should impose – true
Will impose – not a chance in hell.
@8:43, Yes agreed but all of the Kirkconnell land is in GT..They don’t own anything out East..That all belongs to DART and Schilling now and they will develop that once us idiot Caymanians build the road for them..
With the flood issue that potentially would render property values less than – similarly to Randyke’s condos, why on earth would anyone wish to create more traffic woes? Here is an opportunity to place this project in the eastern districts. Come on government lets make cayman a great place to live.
Pure madness.
Interesting, given the recent article(s) on housing prices, how much of the campus is given over to residential accommodations (including mixed use buildings).
I agree! How is this CEC when most of the buildings are now residential!!
How many DOJ/SEC indictments and other headlines will it take to appreciate the folly of an unregulated discount express lane to trouble? The CEC/SEZ was an attractive concept on paper, but now we have the benefit of time, and that data to review, to rethink the risk/benefit of the continuation of this project. We are just lucky that FTX wasn’t hosted there as well.
That is not important as it has become clear that this was a political favor to the Kirkconnell family with a nearly zero net gain to Cayman. They publish their shiny reports about their contributions to the local economy. I should do the same for my highly regulated CIMA licenced business that pays full work permit fees and a host of other fees to CIG.
FTX tried to get into Cayman. Thankfully, CIMA stopped it in its tracks.
Make the DEVELOPERS pay to create and implement a comprehensive water management plan for their entire acreage that does not negatively impact neighbors.
Nimbys…
This is a great addition to Cayman why stop it ?
Did you read the article, or are you ok with exacerbation of flooding problems and the unneccesary death of mangroves and natural habitats for animals?
cec phase 1 is 90% complete on site.