$8.5M building will house workers on Brac Bluff
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(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government is footing the bill for a 38-suite block on Cayman Brac to house the construction workers who will build the proposed $50 million high school on the Bluff. The CIG announced the start of this CI$8.5 million project last week, which is being paid for by the public purse. According to Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connlly, the MP for Cayman Brac East, the project will promote development on the Sister Islands.
A press release following the recent groundbreaking, where the golden shovels were out in force, described the project as “pivotal” and “designed to facilitate long-term overnight stays for developers and construction teams involved in the new high school and gym projects, as well as other future government initiatives. Additionally, it will serve visiting school and sports teams, fostering the growth of sports and events tourism on the island.”
O’Connor-Connolly, whose portfolio includes education, district administration and lands, said the project aligns with the government’s strategic priorities and removes a barrier to more development on Cayman Brac.
“By removing the obstacle of accommodation for future construction teams, which has historically been a deterrent to developers, development in Cayman Brac will be encouraged in a manageable way,” said O’Connor-Connolly. “This will lead to the implementation of projects that enhance the lives of Cayman Brac residents and improve essential services. Furthermore, the accommodation block will promote and facilitate the growth of sports and events tourism due to its potential of utilisation by visiting sports teams and schools.”
According to the release, this project marks “a transformative phase for Cayman Brac” and the government’s commitment to “enhancing infrastructure, future-proofing for resiliency and supporting community development”.
Officials said the project will significantly reduce lodging expenses associated with the new high school’s construction and create new opportunities for sports and education programmes that require inter-island travel to Cayman Brac.
The block is being constructed between the Cayman Brac Sports Complex and the multi-purpose hall and is expected to be ready in November. The government has already allocated funds in the budget this year for the new school, but it has not given a start date.
Planning permission for the school, which will be able to accommodate 200 students and 40 staff, and the housing block for the workers was approved in December last year, according to the minutes of the CB&LC Development Control Board meeting.
According to the planning application, the workers’ accommodation project comprises two single-story buildings with a total of 14,106sqft on an 18.13-acre site. It is designed to resist hurricane-force winds, with all the windows and doors designed to meet hurricane-wind pressures and be impact-resistant.
See the minutes in the CNS Library.
See promotional video below:
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Category: development, Local News
Can’t someone stop this lunacy? Madam Governor? In the name of good governance?
Someone do something, please!!!
Where are they going to house the workers that are going to build the houses to house the workers?
You won the internet with that one!
Did you have to ask that question?
Now they are going to have to build a building to house the workers building the building to house the workers building the school.
maybe the trades school can train our own to build this, instead of more work permits from our neighbors….oh never mind. That trade school never happened. More future wotes for Jujube.
Stop the freakin’ madness someone please or we gwan send in the NS posse!
So, where are the workers who will build the soon-to-be $10M facility currently living? They should be staying where they are and building the new $10 million dollar high school, and then going home — wherever that is — after the high school is built.
Look at the adjacent sports complex. Completely run down. The ‘Olympic’ pool is green and mossy and a disgrace; it will cost several million just to restore these prexisting things to their former glory. BTW, where in the world is the track asphalt??? Anyone who has run track knows that the sand, gravel composite normally used is harsh enough to crash upon. I think they used asphalt because they knew that maintenance of the facility was not in the future budget, and that is much of what is wrong with the capital projects which we build. You don’t just build a thing and then walk away. No, there are future expenditures which must be extended into the budget for maintenance and upgrade.
better to give out scholarships and refurbish the high school they have now….
Someone needs to stop this runaway train soon .
Politicians know from experience that their past misdeeds are soon forgotten and by election time.
Mac Bryan Seymour and Saunders are all beneficiaries of the hand out system to gain wotes from uneducated supporters.
Scholarships to the free public school?
this is so beyond screwed up. Just with a snap of her fingers this school and its ludicrous budget is approved. And now $8m just into the housing for the workers. SMH
This is what happens when we have a government of uneducated politicians. We need to elect our financial professionals who have built the financial industry that pays for all this and have them run the country and budget properly
I’m sure 90% will be Jamaican so in addition to all the perks they currently receive from Govt we’re now providing free accommodation.
Well done JuJu, it used to be MacBeater that made me vomit in my mouth whenever I saw a picture of him, now it’s you. Step down you daft ****.
This can not be a true story
Effective planning at its finest. Visiting sports teams spend big $$.
Cayman Brac with its plethora of restaurants and activities and shopping venues.
THey couldn’t house them in the already built $9M hurricane hilton which is sitting empty and unused???
Meanwhile the people of BT still have no adequate hurricane shelters.
The Cubans said thanks
Exactly, and even they’re complaining about the inhumane conditions.
In what world does an island so small need that kind of school? Juju really proving more and more how idiotic she truly is. We need to be able to vote in the Premier, not let these grifters choose who gets in.
Ready by November? Can build a 36 unit housing complex quicker than it takes to replace a part in the weather Doppler radar…. Whaaaa say! Now that’s efficiency for ya ! (A joke dis)
Mental Health facility open yet?
All of its capacity was filled before it even broke ground.
First mandatory patients ought to be our politicians.
You will notice that the writer did not say which November. It most likely will not be this one.
CNS: Can you advise which Company has been selected to carry out the construction work for this and the school project? Enquiring minds wanna know. Thx
That’s precisely what goes on. Selective processing.
Not one mention of how many local it will employ or offer housing and work.
Arch & Godfrey/McAlpine are literally in the phot op.
Yeah, word on the street was that McAlpine was getting it and that was long before the bids even went in.
Fix our roads on Brac, finishing the piped water, hire more staff for garbage collection/dump, fix all of the public boat ramps.
Whatever happened to the Hurricane Hilton at the Brac Sports Complex?
And yes we definitely (not) need more toilets – especially in Watering Place.
Where is the business case to support sports tourism in the Brac??? Really??
There are rental accommodations, Airbnb etc. on the Brac that could have been used to house the workers versus spending $8.5million on housing.
The UPM government will not survive the next election but it would seem as though they don’t care.
It doesn’t require a lot of housing if the out-of-work Brackas are employed to do the construction.
Where are they going to house the workers who are building it?
That’s them, with the golden shovels. They don’t have any intention of finishing this. It’ll get mothballed like John Gray, shortly after first government transfers clear the starburst payments to underwriting recipients.
This!!!
Madame Premier you are the best, this is a fantastic business decision. You can spend our money to get the most from it. Please do more and we want you as the Premier again and again!
so where are the workers who build this going to stay???
welcome to wonderland….
Cayman overrun by Permit holders, mainly Jamaican and Pines, its now time for the Brac to get overrun. The writing is on the wall, the Brac is next in line for rapid development and work permits holders/permanent residents.
Signed.
L T B told you first.
Agree but you’re not the first. A certain organisation has been buying out the sister islands and ugly concrete sprawling developments are inevitable in the future regardless of any of JuJu’s whimsical fancies.
Another example of government working for and paying developers to charge government and the rest of us ridiculous prices for poor quality buildings.
Government ARE the developers..read the article.
And no Police building ? Only rooms rented at Stake Bay. What a mess. Money and more money talks all the way.
lol please this is the Cayman Islands where there seems to be a bottomless pit of money.
I can’t believe an entire government thinking like this???
Where is the auditor general in all this accounting for our hard earned money???
The entire government not really thinking at all. Julie is the fastest speaker, She certainly has the gift of gab and can speak longer sentences than the rest of them put together. They hear her blab but the rest has no understanding so she gets away with her expensive plans.
Cayman is somewhat of a dictatorship because not one intelligent mind will go against her, everyone things of what can I get out of it. Shame on you for being part of this scam that makes no sense.
So where are the people that are building this housing staying while they build it?
Shouldn’t this be the responsibility of the Contractor to build this into their quote for construction. what the hell are we going to do with these building sitting on school property once they are done construction..Lord knows what type of condition they will be in..
Why not invite some of the Cayman Brac Developers/Contractors or even some from Grand to build more housing for these workers. Why does she think that Government has to spend money on this…Does she really believe that Public Works can build this faster and more efficiently than the public sector?
Julie getting herself another plaque for putting up another expensive white elephant on the Brac..
Heck, Elvis could erect a few buildings to accommodate the workers. Nun true?
what the hell are we going to do with these building sitting on school property once they are done construction.
There is always a need for one more crack house on the Brac.
Wait, so another $8. WTF..Why wasn’t the public consulted on this..
This woman has gone mad with the public purse..
Lord help us until next April when we can remove her..
Juju self-approved an additional $150mln in “Nation Building” out-of-budget spending back in December and nobody batted an eye. She’s going to spend the entire BNTB loan amount, and slap it onto the final bill that comes due after her retirement.
Insane. She is such a grifter.
Does building this reduce the cost of the other building?
Government going into the hotel business? So the gone from $50m to $60m. Why isn’t the opposition opposing? Where is Wayne the sustainability guy? Why isn’t the auditors questioning this decision?
Haven’t heard a word from Weenie since he got demoted. Is he still around?
Did Turks or BVI do anything this bad before the British Government had to step in?
Stop squandering the People’s Money. Seems like someone is ONLY plandering to the people of the Brac she just wants to have her name on a Big Building 😉 Will we see her sitting on some construction equipment for a photo op 😠 What about cost overruns 🤷♂️ This building may end up costing $10 – $12 million and the School itself could end up costing $100 million 🤯 Talk about fiscal irresponsibility 😡
grifters
Cheaper to use ship containers and they are very comfortable to live in.
Cheaper to rent a whole ship
So sick of this government always spending the people’s money in private. There was no public consultation on this like every other project this government has undertaken.
“Officials said the project will significantly reduce lodging expenses associated with the new high school’s construction”
So free housing for foreign construction workers or will they be paying rent and utilities?
$800 a square foot, somebody needs to go to jail. ASP
8.5 million! Where does the corrupt get these numbers from. Caymanians honestly smile and laugh with this woman at church every Sunday, ya’ll deserve what you are getting. The Brac will soon be concreted like Cayman was and the locals will be priced out of the market. YAWNNNNN! I’ve never seen a people give up everything so easily without and army or military taking it.
where is the petition gang? there must be a way to stop this madness from becoming a reality.
Looks like a prison or roadside hotel.
“Visiting schools and sports teams”? Really? Once every couple years, maybe.
can’t cure stupid
Where are the the construction guy building the accommodation block going to live!
Moses had a far better plan…
https://archive.caymannewsservice.com/2011/03/10/hurricane-hilton-happening/
https://archive.caymannewsservice.com/2013/10/16/hurricane-hilton-transformation-planned-on-brac/
Why not just house them in the otherwise always empty Hurricane Hilton?
Why the hell does the brac need a $50M school in the BLUFF??
Waste of money.
So the school is only being sized for 200 pupils, an increase on 50 compared to the present student body. For $50m! Refurbish the existing school for maybe $10-$15m?
Absolutely no way the accommodation blocks should cost $8.5m, even allowing for getting materials to the Brac. And what will they be used for afterwards?
Don’t stop the carnival!
What? How many April Fool Days in one year?
Why why why. For who who who???
This type of reckless spending will bankrupt our country and leave our children a ton of debt that will cause them to sell their birth right.
Read the whole article and you will see why this is being done.. makes sense .
Somebody gone bananas like the outfit!
The future of our country depends on CBE. They are smart people and I’m sure they will make a change in 2025
Just when you think government cant make dumber decisions….
CI$8.5m for 14,106 sqft is CI$602 psf which is more than it would cost to buy an apartment in Britannia in SevenMile.
What’s it being built out of, platinum?
Pastor Alfredo
I am a local builder and although it is more costly due to the logistics of building in the Brac, $602sf is ridiculous. A&G going to make a mint.
boneheads!
Settle down children.
In the absence of affordable housing, The units have to be constructed to accommodate workers.
At the end of the project they will be prepared as dormitory housing for rent by US and Canadian sports teams For Winter training camps…thereby generating income to CIG as well as the Brac economy.
Please be careful who is housed so close to the classrooms.
Ridiculous. No international sports team will choose to stay on the Brac over Grand.
Much more attractions and amenities than the Brac.
Just when we thought this couldn’t get any more bizarre.
Electoral reform… now!
Top of the line Pottery Barn Edition Airstreams are USD$161K, sleep 5, would have been cheaper, each with integrated lounges, multizone A/C HVAC, and Miele appliances, and could have been sold after the construction period with high resale value. How do we get to KYD$8.5 min for a concrete cellblock? And does that really mean KYD$17-20mln by the time it’s done?
Because the budgets are well padded XXXX.
and yet still always somehow manage to end up woefully short.
The school that nobody asked for.
So, will the be allowed to use the pool?
I have a 2 questions: hmmmmmm, what will the housing buildings be used for after the school campus is completed and will the campus retain the original name of Layman Scott High School?.
27 @ 3:55pm – Nope! JOCC High School and White Elephant Activities Centre!