CIG buys Mariners Cove for wellness park
(CNS): The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the Cayman Islands Government has closed a deal to purchase the site of an old oceanfront resort that was destroyed in Hurricane Ivan and never redeveloped. Mariners Cove in Prospect, Health Minister Sabrina Turner’s own constituency, has been abandoned since September 2004, and despite various private sector proposals for the land, nothing ever materialised. No price tag has been revealed by officials but the land was last listed for sale at $2.995 million.
Responding to CNS inquiries about the purchase, the ministry confirmed that the acquisition did not need to go before parliament.
“We are able to confirm at this time that the transaction has closed, meaning that the purchase agreement and the land transfer documents have been duly signed by both parties and the payment has exchanged hands,” an official from the ministry said. “The Department of Lands and Survey is now in the final steps of processing the aforementioned documents and will be updating the land register in the coming days.”
The land was sold after local realtor Kim Lund’s previous plans for an eco-healing resort fell through. The decision to buy the land was announced at the annual Alex Panton Youth Mental Health Symposium on 18 February, when Turner told the audience she was pleased to announce the government’s acquisition of the property. “This will be the new home of the Prospect Community Wellness Park,” she said.
Turner reportedly told the Cayman Compass that the health ministry was able to secure the funds to purchase the property for the people of Cayman, “but most importantly for the constituents of Prospect”.
While the strong currents, rocky beach and jagged ironshore at the location are not ideal for swimming, the therapeutic benefit of being near the sea is one of the reasons why the site has been acquired as a potential wellness spot.
“There are many times when people stop by Spotts Dock when the cruise ships are not in,” Turner said. “We see this quite often, and this new park will provide an additional space for people to take time for their own mental health and wellbeing.”
No other information has yet been revealed about the plans for the site.
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Category: Health, Local News, Mental Health
Very excited and pleased that beautiful tract of land will become a park!
Even Austin Harris would do better than this . What a let down for prospect who the hell is advising Sabrina ?? Help constituents not real estate company elites my child!
What makes the constituents of Prospect so elite that this project is specifically for them.
I am so tired of self serving elected officials. This is a country the size of a small town in any other country ion the world but in order to get elected, people continue to divide this place.
One man one vote is not working.
Run for Premier, run for Cabinet positions. Let’s get some qualified people into lead this country.
Smiths cove is a wellness park. Is it well used?
Barcadere.
Used by foreign nationals and religious nut jobs only. Parking on double yellow lines mandatory.
ALT looks at it often from his porch
This is a wonderful idea. The island needs more parks. Best thing the government can do next is buy the old Britannia golf course and turn that into our ‘central park’. We need more green spaces to walk, play, train and clear our heads.
Hopefully it won’t just become another gathering spot for misfits a bit like Smith’s Cove has become.
Create more traffic on an already dangerous road… Makes sense. NOT
A large multi condo complex would probably contribute to more traffic. At least park peak times don’t usually coincide with the terrible rush hour traffic.
On an island with a cancerous dump, a road network which can’t cope with all the people, a crap standard of schools and people living in abject poverty, blowing $3m on this seems rediculous.
Par for tbe course, bobo. Pass the rum.
3m? Easily 10 by the time the dust settles.
Smart move by Sabrina. Swoop in and grab some land while the market is at an all time low.
All time low?
Never been a better time to buy.
Said like a true CiReBa member
Oh goody, I love the sound of jake brakes and the smell of carbon monoxide in the morning.
Most complaining Caymanians don’t want wellness. Or jobs. or responsibility. They just want handouts.
‘Tired of ignorant people who can read and write’ puts up an untenable derisive post complaining about the people he/she presumes are complaining. Look in the mirror much 9:35 ? – don’t, it’ll make you depressed 🙄
And most Caymanians are not complaining. They have jobs with responsibilities and don’t need handouts but appreciate things like parks to relax at. Only those who want the money to be spent on only them and are hungry are mad.
There’s already a make shift skate park there built by local skaters.
Honestly, much better to see people skating and being physically active than by a bar.
Black Pearl is eventually going down – please include a skate park in the plans for the wellness site.
I’m all for preserving land for public use but what exactly is a wellness park?
A $3,000,000 million sweet deal for the sellers
Owned by an influential real estate agent with plenty of connections! He has done well.
The land was not owned by an agent dumbass. It was sold by one.
Wrong. Dumbass.
Try again.
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/03/20/lunds-unveil-plans-for-healing-domes/
Where you go to hear the voices, the voices.
Too bad we don’t have the money to build an actually MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY to help me cope with this PACT of fools.
Promoting wellness in a rapidly declining island society, riddled with discontent across the social stratum. Watch this space….
The land owner knows that a “wellness” retreat isn’t financially viable. So make some excuse for selling and dress it up like “wellness” site and talk the gullible government into buying it? Shocking! The only way this makes sense in my mind is if the landowners donated the property to government or sold it for virtually nothing. Because – that’s what it’s worth…..
What will the entry fee be for those of us who don’t vote in Prospect?
Why not purchase black pearl for the youth. We have no where to skate or go except for Camana Bay which security DONT want us there.
The road is going through there – Red Bay behind Hurleys
Um, how exactly? knock down grand harbour??
According to the other news publication, “The Lunds purchased the land in 2015 through their company Revive Cayman and had plans approved in late 2017 for the spa.”
Where is the business case… how much is it going to cost to fix the site up. The sea wall is crumpling the swimming pools need filling and foundations need removing. At the moment it’s a health hazard… good that the health department have bought it!
Good thing it’s not at the top of a cliff…
Surfing Wellness Centre
For the expats and tourists. cool.
Caymanians invented surfing and are the best surfers in the world.
Apparently they excel at blog trolling too
Maybe you meant couch surfing?
Tentatively happy about this. I think it might be very interesting to know who is the seller of the property. Any time the government purchases land that is not charted for development (it isn’t right? RIGHT?) but for preservation for the people, then I’m in favor of it.
Our resources are being winnowed away, and in some cases just squandered. If we want any semblance of our Caymanian heritage to persevere, we should be doing more of this — governmental purchase of key properties for parks and public spaces.
I wonder wonder about how this project came to the attention of Cabinet, and who benefitted. Colour me curious.
Kim Lund owned the land
Sounds like it has been purchased for tourism related activities.
There was supposed to be built a wellness pod development here a couple of years back. Remax I guess representing the developer was running an advertisement don’t know why it never came to fruition maybe there was
no really interest. But a check at Lands and survey will tell you who owner was and a look at the documents might tell you who it was if it was in a companies name….signatues don’t lie😂
The seller is Kim Lund.
And a large part of the mangroves purchased as well! Great Job CI GOVT!!!
CIREBA bot
I agree that being near the water is good for mental health, but so is a walk along the South Sound Boardwalk, sitting by Spotts Dock, or being close to nature by taking a walk through the Botanic Park or Mastic Trail (the latter two for a small fee). Furthermore, why hasn’t anything been done to ready the BEACH properties in Pease Bay? Perfect place to sit by the sea PLUS one could actually get some exercise by going swimming. Why are there so many decisions being made without Parliamentary Meetings being held and broadcast on Radio Cayman so the PUBLIC can hear what is being discussed? It seems to me that PACT members have a mental health problem: Paranoia. Paranoid of any debate or input from the Opposition or anyone else. Might as well drop the “T” because there is certainly no Transparency. (Isn’t that what the “T” was supposed to stand for?).
Which beach properties in Pease Bay?
Nunya beach.
As long as there is a public access for surfing.
Didn’t she tell everyone she was building a park on Buttonwood? How’s that coming along?
But no money for a glass crusher 😢😢😢
Wellness Park eh? Is that like a jungle gym for our politicians?
Hope the Health Minister will use it and encourage her fellow ministers to use it. There is one Minister in particular that looks like he could could some healthy form of living.
Only one you say?
glass house = mold haven…knock it down…start over…
I hear there going to use it as a set location for the next season of The Last of Us😂
plenty of zombies in goab…
Same beach like FIN mind you.
Love your timing CNS it will be water park soon if climate change has its way .wellness park are you for real ?? Mann you cannot even comprehend the state of mind our politicians or realm our MPs are operating in ?? What the hell are these people are honestly thinking!
It will be nice with trees & park benches to sit and listen to the ocean – then get stressed trying to exit onto that road! Or speedway 🙁
And soak in the sounds of jake brakes, air horns, modified mufflers, booming bass, and the carnage of accidents.
Someone give us a clue. What size is it or does the government not know?
25B8 is 2.86 acres or 124,582 sq ft, meaning they paid roughly $24 per sq ft if they paid the list price.
A good initiative, to secure waterfront property as a public park. Hope the valid and honourable intentions are seen all the way through asap.
Let’s be able to use it by late 2023!!
2 probable outcomes:
no work ever started on this, land sits unused and vacant;
or, sold to a developer friend of a minister at a loss to public purse within 5 years.
*2 outcomes
corrected for you
wellness park? from the folks who created mount trashmore???….maybe start by start by buying a glass crusher
from the poeple who can’t an airport parking ticket system to work properly…..yep they are now buying ocean front real estate land and are going to run wellness park…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
yippie…more looking at sea on cayman alcatraz….how about tackling your water authority exorbitant rate? that would help mental health and we be able go on vacation for a change…
2 cents a gallon is hardly exorbitant, be real – the gallons in the store are literally 100x+ the price and come in plastic.
AND when is the actual park in prospect going to be finished so it can be used for family as opposed to a parking lot for the weird mart next door?
I believe that would be Alden’s park to screw up? Besides, drug dealers need somewhere to park too (and dump their trash).
Ah yes, you are correct. Well true to form Alden lets the trash his constituents create build as long as it’s not on his road.
Now ‘ Sabrina’s Park’.
While i think it is wonderful that this land will be government owned and a place for people to go and enjoy, I don’t particularly think her comment “but most importantly for the constituents of Prospect” is appropriate and is quite divisive in it’s tone. I hope she did not mean it the way it came across.
I am thinking the same. I hope it will be properly developed and managed for ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!! Minister Sabrina, unless you paid for the land with money solely from your Prospect constituents can you kindly clarify your ridiculous statement.
Thank you ma’am.
Okay, what money do those people have? Most the houses aren’t even livable due to slum lords and drug lords.
She is not elected by the people of Cayman but she is elected by the constituents of Prospect. What do you think she meant? She’ll be paving driveways next.
Oh but the money in the treasury belongs to “WE THE PEOPLE”
I was thinking the very same. we will have to see.
I was thinking the very same. we will have to see re her choice of the name and meaning.
Well done Minister Turner; this is a great initiative and I hope the PACT Government will see this project through as expeditiously as possible.
Congrats to the $3,000,000 sweepstakes winner!
Lets see how many years, and years, and years, before this is actually turned into a park. Maybe a few years before it even gets started.
aye….whats the latest on the glass house?…wasn’t that site meant to have been turned into a park???
Glasshouse, Tower Building, Victory Avenue, Kenny Beach….
Keep it going!
Don’t forget the park on Seafearers way!
That was the Tower Building
It’s Harbour Drive.
I have suggested many times and get tired! The Glass House can easily be “cleaned” of asbestos, if it exists!
Then hand the building over to the Museum, who currently have an office/warehouse behind Pasadora place storing hundreds of artifacts that at the moment the public will never see!
It will benefit the Country by Education on our Heritage and Tourists/Cruisers alike who can walk from the dock.
This will definitely be a “beautification” of down town
George Town that will benefit everyone!
The Glass House should have been rehabilitated (if possible) many years ago to become the new home for CIMA in order to stop the paying of high-end commercial rental rates for its offices. Waste of money, nothing new there unfortunately.
Unlikely there is asbestos, unless there is Sprayed-On Accoustical Ceiling, fireproofing or vinyl asbestos tile. None of those except the VAT are very prevalent here in the Cayman Islands.
Mervyn you are so right. I cannot understand why “governments” would lock this building up and just forget about it. Buildings with asbestos are remediated all the time. All of the artifacts should be displayed so that locals and visitors can see a part of our history and culture before it has all deteriorated. So sad.
There has been no action on the land near the Lobster Pot, not even an application for planning permission. Hope springs eternal.
This has Kenny Beach written all over it.
sabby beach….and both will never happen
Leave Kenneth alone.
Say no to crack
Yeah, still hurting over Miss Cayman universe poor man.