Handel cuts new deal with Dart to take on Royal Palms
(CNS): Handel Whittaker has cut a new deal with Dart to take over the derelict Royal Palms site that the corporation bought over six years ago but then allowed it to fall into a state of disrepair. Whittaker operated Calico Jack’s until it closed when Dart ended his lease there in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. According to a press release, he will bring a similar vibe to this new beach bar, which he plans to open by the end of November.
Since acquiring the site in September 2017, Dart has not made any applications to develop what was once a very popular spot with both locals and visitors. Although the developer has hinted about a future resort there, the site has been left to deteriorate.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Ian in 2022, Dart engaged in a clean-up operation following discussions with the Department of Environment. The beach there began disappearing several years ago, largely due to the hard structures built on the dynamic beach and the knock-on effect from many other inappropriate structures in the area built too close to the water.
At the time of the clean-up, the DoE said that Royal Palms presented an opportunity for a managed retreat and advised Dart to tear down the old bar and let the beach recover.
Although Grand Cayman experienced relatively mild storm conditions with TS Ian, the sea wall had nevertheless crumbled into the sea, and the DoE said that this demonstrated “how inappropriately sited development can result in high public and private cost from chronic beach erosion, damage to structures, and risk to the public”.
Advice supplied by coastal engineering experts Olsen Associates indicated that the site had ample upland space to retreat from the sea and provided an excellent opportunity to restore a reliable sand beach. While Dart has still not agreed to do this, it was allowed to remove the seawall because of the safety hazard it presented and to prevent further damage to the marine environment.
Since then, nothing has happened at the site, which has fallen into further disrepair. However, Whittaker and his partners plan to reinvent the old location with a new version of Calico Jack’s under a new name, creating an attraction for cruise tourists during the day and offering a casual evening venue for eating and drinking.
“When I closed Calico’s a few years ago during the COVID shutdown, I promised I’d be back,” he said in the release “People have been asking me when I’m coming back. I’ve kept my promise and I’m delighted to get moving on bringing life back to Royal Palms in a way that people would expect of me.”
Robert Weekley, a senior VP at Dart, said the group continues to “evaluate our long-term plans”, but in the meantime, they decided it was best to work with someone with an established track record on possible options. “Mr Whittaker expressed a desire to utilise the location and we got the ball rolling. We believe this is a win-win for all involved and provides further economic stimulus during the refurbishment and operations,” he said.
However, refurbishment of the site, including a new wooden deck, will be subject to planning approval, and Whittaker will have to address the problem of the site now being extremely close to the sea and ensure the safe re-opening of the venue without further damage to the marine environment.
The release said that Whittaker has already initiated discussions with the relevant government agencies, including the Department of Environment. He plans to install turtle-friendly lighting and measures to mitigate any noise pollution for those staying at the neighbouring condos.
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Category: Business, Food and Drink
The lord dart gives
The lord dart taketh away.
The slow removal of public beach to his 5 star tourists
‘the knock-on effect from many other inappropriate structures in the area built too close to the water’
You couldn’t POSSIBLY mean Dart’s cheap looking cabana?
I thought Handel was a lay preacher now. Oh well, a bar owning preacher makes a difference, I suppose.
psst…civilized countries have laws to prevent entities or billionaires from owning their countries…bermuda is an example…hijats! lol
Bermuda, the country with a falling population and national debt of close to 3.5bn usd?
Rules on ownership may be one thing, but I am not sure I would be pointing to Bermuda as something we want to emulate.
3:18, We sure would do well to emulate the Canadian built airport in Bermuda and their brilliant bus system. Also, you can clear American immigration there at the airport. But guess we would not want to emulate that experience.
Bet you have not been there for a long time if ever.
Bermuda is a racist shithole
Why? Because they don’t recognize your privilege?
Switch and Bait.
I give you Royal Palms (Inclusive of the beloved Handel) Because I need the public beach for my new hotel Indigo.
This is just clearing the way for an exchange.
100%
Yours must be an exceptionally sad existence.
60 employees at an av of $30,000 before tips is $1.8M a year Handel, – have you thought this through ?
Yeah right he must be nutz, I mean it’s not like he successfully ran a similar business model in the past.
Handel never ran anything he always relied on his staff. His first venture solo failed Capt Morgan’s.
60 employees?
‘He plans to hire a staff of more than 60 for the new operation and indicated patrons could expect an atmosphere similar to what existed at both Royal Palms and Calico Jack’s, including full moon and New Year’s Eve parties.’
from the compass
Dart is clever, when public sentiment is rapidly diminishing get a local guy to do his bidding…
Nothing new, Dart has done this many times in the past. Many locals have fronted for him.
Is it a coincidence that the reopening of this place is announced at the same time as another push to bring in mega-cruise ships is announced?
Dart’s wall on the beach from his private Coral Caymanian residence (where he no longer lives) to the Royal Palms boundary is one of the worst beach erosion offenders on SMB. He has planning in his pocket or those walls would never have been built. Is Dart trying to devalue his “neighbors” properties so he can buy them all out cheap and own all of SMB? All south SMB properties need to be moved back from the sea to reestablish the beach. The turtles don’t need a beach bar!
Coincidence that DART just opened INDIGO and will not want cruise ships guests on public beach come high season…guess where they will now go, yep Royal Palms!
Will they take all the higglers and pushy rude Jamaicans there too..?
The ones enabled by your elected representatives?
Loved Calicos and RP when there were no damn cruise ships in. Real shame they are gone. Zero character anywhere left. Good luck Handel, hope it is a huge success.
Glad this is happening! Hope the prices are not Dart prices, but Calico prices. Hopefully, live music, too!
Good luck!
Bring back the local bands so we can dance again!
Ha!
It was a ghastly place before with crappy too loud music, and underdressed grotesque monsters swarming around. Please don’t bother bringing it back.
Or how about you stay at home or away from these “ghastly” places?
Maybe you did not see the real Royal Palms before the pool and turned into a crap venue!
Nice to hear! Royal Palms in its prime on Sundays sunset brunch after party was by far the best party setting in Cayman!
Friday nights!
Both facilities are built too close to the water and contribute to beach erosion. Dart is too cheap to move them back.
Who built them there pray tell? Expats?
Yes, actually.
Not exclusively, but in multiple instances, yes.
Enabled by whom?
Nobody has time to play your stupid games, colonizer.
Will there be buses to take the cruise ship passengers there or a conveyor belt?
Unforunately Handel’s Hands will be Handcuffed on this by Dart. let’s not forget Dart was behind the original closure along with Calicos. We can forget about this being anything like the old Royal Palms. $15 dollar cocktails+18% gratuity, a highfalutin beach bar for the elite is what’s in store. Just like everything else new that opens around here now. Nothing left for actual locals.
Priced out of Paradise
Priced out of Home
And our government allowed it!!!
At least we still have Rum Point with $19.00 cocktails and gratuity whacked on top, but it’s a much nicer setting than the trashy location that was Calicos . You just have to go and order one cocktail , then get back to the boat as quickly as possible.
But even rum point is a dump now compared to what it once was
Finally some good news. Great opportunity for a Caymanian to put some local hospitality back on Seven Mile Beach. Wishing Handel the best of luck!
Please have live music
but not on a sunday!!!!!!
There’s no music at your church on Sundays?
Is that a caterpillar under his nose or have his eyebrows come down for a drink ?
Why you getting personal? Anonymous perfect you are not and he does not care!
Need to clarify the headline. They are not re-opening Royal Palms the beach front bar. They are re-opening the pool and restaurant close to the parking lot.
Is it going to have a new name like what ‘calicos’ has unfortunately become?
It’s going to be called “Your Mom”
and like the Cheers theme song .. ‘where everyone knows her name” …. LOL (da wha ya get)
dart is doing what many caymanians should have done! lease instead of selling! hijats! lol
Yeah, why don’t those moron Caymanians just inherit a styrofoam empire and have virtually-unlimited amounts of money and therefore be able to land bank? What are they, “hijats” or something? 🙄🙄🤦♂️
lots of caymanians had land they sold. lol so yeah……… OP is right.
cant buy something thats not for sale.
No but they force your hand by either getting approval for some crap that the area was never designated for i.e. residential now became commercial.
Kurt’s PPM gifted DART 500 aces of crown land via the NRA agreement (value >$500mln) for around $5mln cash and $10mln in dubious promises – and DART didn’t even bother to honour the conditions on their end. None of it was listed for sale. There were no other bidders invited to the backroom. They didn’t win the ReGen tender on merit either, it was awarded by another time-honoured PPM mechanism, screwing over all present and future CAYMANIANS. There need to be investigations and arrests into these institutionalised thefts.
You do realize that the old blood Caymanian family SOLD Royal Palms to Dart. What did they do with those millions?
I don’t know – what did they do with it?
Again, majority of Caymanians did not inherit millions and millions of dollars and cannot afford to land bank like a culture capitalist can afford to, and are therefore put in a position where they often have to sell what little they have (I.E., land) to survive. Your point is my point.
Neither did the majority of Americans. Your point again?
This doesn’t have anything to do with them. Please do try to keep up with the conversation or don’t bother taking part.
LOL it was the Kirkconnell’s that sold to Dart. I love your line” sell what they have to survive”. The sad part is that most Caymanians don’t really understand how they have been sold out by a few very powerful Caymanian families.
Happy that Handels involved, the others…not so much
Handel out front as always.
Good to see he has a handle on the situation. I wish him good fortune.
Chris Johnson 16@1.14pm – more like a handlebar on the situation…
Maybe he can bring 60% of the beachfront back.
DART should not have any more applications heard or approved in the Cayman Islands until they deal with their derelict property portfolio and regularise their obligations and deliverables under previous agreements. There should be serious consideration to re-appropriating properties that are not being kept up to prescribed standards. Take down the tunnels, take down the Hyatt. Cancel PAD project and remove them from DEH contract negotiations. Time’s up.
The various derelict properties are truly a disgrace. A billionaire hoarder is still a hoarder.
It was derelict for 14 years prior to Dart buying
Bulllllshiiiiit
I believe that was a reference to the Hyatt, which would mean it is indeed factual, whether you like it or not.
12 years.
Careful what you wish for.
This bad actor can shove off any time, we’ve seen enough.
the “tunnel” is to there as a wall for Ken’s property. He couldn’t build a tall stone wall so he tricked everyone and built a tunnel there instead and said it would be used for something productive. As one can see, it is just to block off everyone else
They should both come down now. Time’s up.
You can cry in to your spilt swanky all you want, not going to happen sweetie.
Well done Handel… hope you will have control over who in high office hangs out there , to pester women , and those who conduct their clandestine business.
Wishing you luck.
Not all heros wear capes! Thank you sir!