Following apublic meeting in West Bay in connection with Cayman Airways recently,another was called in George Town, and factions were...
CaughtBetween Ports
A recentpublic meeting at the George Town Town hall last Tuesday night,served to underscore the strong and almost polarized views formajor expansion development of the port facilities on Grand Cayman.
Artist's renderingof the original 'Plan C' for a Southern Development.
With a decision imminent on the exact locationof this facility which is badly needed here, the meeting on Tuesday,21 August, attracted just under 300 people split down the middleon whether construction should be done on the north or south side.
Tourism Minister Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE,JP, had called the meeting to sound out views of the people andamidst an atmosphere highly charged with emotions average Caymanianresidents, business persons and professionals including architectsput forward their case for location of the port.
Mr Bush, who was accompanied to the meetingby Permanent Secretary Mr Charles Clifford, Director of PortsMr Errol Bush, and Port Engineer Mr David Burnett, opened discussionswith an observation that debate over this port re-developmentwas on for a long time and that upon assuming his ministerialposition he announced the project will be going ahead.
"Much debate has taken place sincethat time and I believe that we must now make a decision and moveon with a plan. The Port Authority will be formally approvinga plan within a few weeks and I encourage all of you, particularlythe business owners, to let us have your views tonight,"he said.
Views of the people showed the divergenceof opinion as influenced by the vested interest of representativesof the business community whose arguments for the port developmentbeing in the north or the south appeared firmly anchored by theamount of commerce each side expected a location in its zone wouldyield.
Consistently, consternation was expressedby some that the original proposal 'Plan C' which located developmenton the south side appeared about to be set aside and replacedby another proposal that threw the project to the north.
Earlier Mr Bush attempted to set the competingsides at ease by saying that regardless of where the port is eventuallylocated, its increased capacity will ensure commercial spin offfor all.
"Because the present facilities arelocated centrally, and serve the larger share of the businessesin George Town, of course this area will receive the bulk of re-developmentfunds. I don't know how any of you could believe otherwise.
"However, you must bear in mind theconstraints, which the port faces and you must bear in mind, thatall of the George Town business community should have a chanceto get business. This is what I want to accomplish with the developmentof facilities."
It emerged that the businesses of the north to which side Mr bush appeared to lean despite his earliermiddle of the road statements had contracted their own architectsto come up with an alternative to the original Plan C. It is understoodthat should this one get the go ahead , the private sector iswilling to take on the bulk of its financing .
Figures being bandied about at the meetingwere of estimates that development of the port on the north sidecould cost some $4 million in the first phase then run into $10million for the second aspect of that project.
Work on the port in the south is projectedto cost about $10 million in a single effort, but skeptics saythere could be cost overruns that can take it way over and abovethis figure.
The development on the south side, however,will in its single phase of construction cater to the need forcargo offloading facilities and comfortable disembarkation ofcruise ship passengers.
On the other hand, if the project is locatedto the north side, the facilities there will initially cater tocruise passengers only.
As information on the yet to be fully definedproposals from both sides was coming out Tuesday night, one businessmanof the north said that the plans from that side would not be takingaway cruise industry commerce from businesses of the south, butensuring that his colleagues get a percentage of that trade. Hesaid they are getting none of it at the moment.
An idea supported by the minister is forremodeling of the Old Forte building as a facility for cruisetendering.
Mr Bush's lean towards development of theport in the north appears to go in tandem with a desire for animmediate push towards increased tourist arrivals.
"I consider cruise tourism to be anextremely important component of our tourism industry and thecruise ship facilities must be the first phase of the Port re-developmentplan and here is why.
"As the entire Caribbean suffers dramaticdecreases in the number of stay over visitor arrivals, and wein the Cayman Islands anticipate a very flat season, the economicimpact and value of cruise tourism becomes ever more importantto sustaining the local economy", he offered.
He added: "Cruise ships and their visitorsprovide the volume of tourists necessary in the short term andon a day to day basis to keep many categories of business operating;whereas without the cruise passengers they may have to shut downduring the traditional slow season."