Dart begins work on overhead link
(CNS) UPDATED: The Cayman Islands’ largest investor has begun work on an overpass and new road that will link Camana Bay to a five-star hotel planned for Seven Mile Beach. The Dart Group received planning permission from the CPA last month for the work, which will effectively create a tunnel along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway with commercial property above it. A second underpass is also planned for the West Bay Road but the developer has not yet submitted an application for that part of the plan.
Alongside the plans to create Cayman’s first road tunnel, Dart will be financing an expansion of the highway to four lanes that will go through the tunnel. Camana Way, which currently links the Dart-owned town centre to the West Bay Road, closed Monday as work began on the first part of what is anticipated to be a $300 million project to stretch Camana Bay from coast to coast.
A spokesperson for Dart said Monday said early work on the expansion and realignment of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway would include utility infrastructure and the removal and relocation of more than 350 trees to the Dart Nursery. “Pedestrian and cyclist access from West Bay Road to Camana Bay is available on marked footpaths. The first footpath can be accessed just south of Burger King on West Bay Road, and by Solaris Avenue in Camana Bay. The second footpath runs from just north of West Shore Centre to Forum Lane in Camana Bay.”
The Dart Group continues to press ahead with development around the Camana Bay area, despite the ongoing talks with government over the ForCayman Investment Alliance and the controversial NRA agreement. The premier recently revealed that the amendment to the deal originally signed by the UDP administration is almost done. The Progressive government has been negotiating with the Dart Group since taking office in May 2013 and has not yet settled the contentious issue of the 50% accommodation rebate that the former premier, McKeeva Bush, gave to the developer.
A recent report by the auditor general found that the process surrounding that deal, which included several controversial issue in addition to the concessions, such as a crown land swap, the closure of a stretch of West Bay Road and circumventing parliament, was unlawful.
Category: development, Local News
People need to learn more about this man and his apparent positive works of investment; he already owns 25% of the Cayman Islands – that is dangerous in any country for one individual to have more power than the country’s people. He has already been thrown out of many countries but our government already have themselves so deep in a hole with him that they can’t get out and they are pulling the Cayman people in with them! Maybe we can’t believe everything on wikipedia – but if Brazil, USA and Argentina all had their problems, Cayman can look forward to much worst.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Dart
Brazil and Argentina’s problem with Dart is that they borrowed money and now do not want to pay it back. Kind of like the people who scream foul when a bank takes your home for not paying the mortgage The USA’s problem with him is that they feel all the money he invested into Cayman should have went into their pockets. In this case their loss in Cayman’s gain
Oh and as far as how much he owns in Cayman, don’t blame the buyer blame the seller, He couldn’t have owned so much if people weren’t looking to sell out and Cayman has been sold out to the highest bidder. Cayman is lucky that Dart is doing these beautiful thing with all he owns.
Anonymous 10:41,
Do you work for Dart, or did he pay you to write this comment?
Nope Don’t work for Dart, but I wouldn’t mind if I still needed a job. I just have the ability to read and sort through False News, Rumors and Scare Mongering to see what the truth as it is. And I am also smart enough to see that what Dart is doing in Cayman is helping secure the future on my own investments in Cayman that if left up to the CIG would end up worthless. Development and infrastructure upgrade like this and other like IronWood and Shetty are going to make Cayman the exclusive high end destination that it deserves to be. And I am pleased to say that a part of it belongs to me.
You might also go back a few years to the early 1990s and take a look at what Dart (in fairness he wasn’t the only one) was up to in Russia during the early 1990s as the Soviet Union collapsed. I was working out there at the time and it was insane – property deals were being done in hotel lobbies with briefcases full of US dollars changing hands.
What I find interesting is Dart pouring money into a British OT that in the next few years will very likely be facing a debt crisis comparable to that in Greece. It’s quite clear that if this happens the UK government won’t come charging in with a bale out plan so is Dart simply laying the foundations for an even bigger buy out?
Quite frankly you’re probably right, However, I personally think Dart would do a better job running Cayman..
Pity they could not have thought of a tunnel under the road by the Public Beach instead of taking the Public Road and diverting the old road!
Something like that would be flooded out on the regular, this is an over pass that they are building not an underground tunnel. The actual road will be above sea level not below like what you’re suggesting..
imagine the economic mess cayman would be in now without darts investments…..
thank you ken – from all the expats.
Well, if all the expats left, we would be even happier. We could return to the beautiful islands that time forgot before you came here and imposed your will on us.
You will get invaded by someone else… You’ll forget to defend yourselves
You are a baby.
Yep, the market for hemp rope is a great basis for an economy.
No one imposed their will on you. It is your inept and greedy politicians who have sold you out.
Yep – exactly. And our people are fool enough to vote these same people back in! I am a fifth generation Caymanian; and I would love to see my country return to it’s state back in the 90’s – almost no crime and no poverty amongst my people.
But I certainly do not feel that these things are the fault of any person who comes to our country to enjoy it or benefit from it; every doorway they enter through to get in here is held open one way or another by some blood Caymanian – ya make ya bed, ya lie in it.
Do you really think there were no expats in da ’90s?
Mr. MM, your 9:15 post really hit the nail on the head! Good post!
Don’t forget, Don Dise bought the 400 acres that would become Cayman Kai in1962 not 1992.
Caymanians imposed foreign will on themselves – no one could come in here and take anything from us without someone signing over their grandpa land or some elected official signing over the whole country… expats simply came where they were invited to come – it’s not like the old people weren’t trying to warn us about what over-development does; but the younger Caymanians were greedy and wanted money and sold this place out. Can’t blame the buyer, gotta blame the seller.
Speak for yourself puppet
I don’t have any feelings about Dart one way or another, but it is getting frightening how depend Cayman has become on him and his money. I wonder what happens if his money runs out or if he is no longer around………
Answer: a whole boatload of abandon buildings to smoke crack and take naps in. Life goes on. Life always goes on….
You meant the John Gray High School buildings left vacant by government?
His money will not run out and he will not leave – he really doesn’t have many other countries that will give him tax-free status and allow him the rulership our ki$$-@$$ politicians have allowed; no other country has leaders as ill-informed, corrupted and worthless as us really.
However; he is making Cayman not just his home – he is making it his entire country. He will probably soon be some kind of diplomat at this rate. He already owns a quarter of the country (as of 2013, more by now) so he has more here than the government.
The problem is his investments are made for the comfort of high-earners and the wealthy; which is causing prices to rise as we attract people who can afford these things and want to move and live here to enjoy these things… as the prices and cost of living rise to accommodate the wealthy persons he is attracting – the middle class begins to struggle; some end up in poverty and those in poverty sink deeper into poverty and then crime increases… the evidence is very clear.
His investments are really doing nothing at all for the Caymanian people themselves; and as elected leaders; all decisions for development and investment in any country are supposed to be weighed according to the benefit it poses to ALL of the native sons and long-standing residents…. Darts investments are strictly priced and designed for individuals and families with a minimum of CI$150,000 per year… our government is the traitor, not those who take advantage of their stupidity and corruption… there Alden I said it… was that treasonous? Our officials do not even know the difference between treason and freedom of speech!
Not disagreeing but if there is a market for middle-class native sons why don’t you develop for that market. George Town is empty at the moment and land is still available and relatively cheap in certain areas of this island compared to SMB and many other parts of the world.
We can’t just keep blaming the people who are actually doing things.
I don’t blame people who are doing things. I just don’t like anyone taking advantage of unthinking politicians who are giving our country away.
Dart didn’t start the trend of Cayman trying to attract rich folks. Cayman has been doing this like forever. It has always tried to portray itself as a vacation destination for the wealthy Tourist as well as a place for wealthy retirees to settle down and enjoy the good life. It’s become a part of Cayman’s culture to cater to the rich and step on the poor
The difference is that DART know’s what they are doing. And you can see the results of know how in what they’ve done.
yah. he know how to handel politicians.
Right again, Mr. MM.
@Anonymous 8:16
His money won’t run out, but the last option would be very welcome.
I am currently on vacation in Barbados. I was last here 5 years ago and cannot believe the extent of the downturn. Multiple hotels, bars, restaurants and shops have gone under, many residential areas have fallen into disrepair, numerous new developments remain half built and are starting to collapse and the roads are an endless succession of pot holes. There has also been a big upswing in both street begging and obvious intoxication. Barbados has not had a Ken Dart and the contrast with what has happened in Cayman in the last 5 years is very stark. It used to be a dream of mine to live in Barbados but not any more….. Ken – thank you for using your money to keep Cayman as a place people still want to visit. Some of us at least are grateful.
I second that, Thanks Dart for making my investment in Cayman worthwhile, please keep up the good work..
CNS: the public still has no info on the terms of the leasehold/freehold swap at North Sound Club and surrounding former Safehaven/Dragon Bay lands.
4:17 commenter,
And the public never will have the truth on that “swap”.
Who wants to bet Dart makes faster progress than this than CIGov does in the painfully slow road widening projects??!!! Schools are back in in less than a month and Smith Road widening has barely begun. The beginning of the new school year is going to be frustrated by endless traffic jams and headaches. And for giggles and squits, the George Town revitalization program of concerts designed to shut Harbour Drive will only exacerbate the problem when the main alternate road is shut. If people think it was and when Harbour Drive and Godfrey Nixon was closed, just wait until end of August when Harour Drive and Smith Road will be closed – now that will be a transportation nightmare…
Thank F I was born with two legs and feet, time to dust off the Wompas.
Hopefully short term pain for long term gain.
Generally in Cayman its long term pain for absolutely no gain.
smith road will not be finished this time next year……
When finished it will be a tunnel.. I know they do not want to use that term but that is what it will be. google tunnel definition and you get “an artificial underground passage, especially one built through a hill or under a building, road, or river.” This will be under a building and like the Kimpton the finished grad is planned to be above the road. They can’t have it both ways. It will be a tunnel.
But it’s not underground is it dufus?
If he carries on at this rate we will have a Formula 1 course to rival Monaco!!
Which would probably make 10 times as much as what the “mega ships” will bring if we build the pier.
Now the NRA need to start setting aside a little money each year for bridge maintenance in 40 years.
They are pedestrian bridges on private land not vehicular bridges.
The actually bridge will belong to Dart and have to be maintained by them..
and also his money will run out eventually and he won’t be around forever? Then what?
The Auditor General gave his opinion that it was unlawful. Only a court can find it unlawful. As the Auditor general is a lawyer, his opinion doesn’t mean much more than anyone else.
It has been proven time and time again over the last thirty years that no one gives a rat’s ass about what the Auditor General thinks.
5.00 pm, people do care. The people they vote for don’t.
Can we, the ordinary taxpayers, not just agree to sell the government and its assets to Dart, say in return for his assumption of the current national debt?
I would happily agree to that, he would run this country way better than the CIG has..
By sitting back and allowing our governments to deal like they do with Dart has in effect allowed Dart to continue to purchase and rebuild our country as he sees fit. All without having to assume any debt.
Go Dart go. Keep up the good work.
Dart Does, CIG Just Talks
in dart we trust!
There goes the neighbor hood.
Is this going to now cut off any large vehicles from getting north of Camana Bay? I guess it doesn’t matter too much since Dart owns pretty much everything north of there anyway but just wondering if another development needed to be built do they now have to take equipment by boat?
Have you heard of West Bay Rd? Its that really long stretch from The Wharf to Calico’s.
Diverting speeding, overfilled, dump trucks through the tourist area of 7 mile beach= genius
The long term plan calls for a tunnel there too!