Artist’s rendering of the proposed Crystal Azure Beach Resort on Cayman Brac

James Fox, Director of Operations for the Crystal Azure Beach Resort said the developers believe Cayman Brac is truly a special island and represents the perfect setting for their luxury resort development.

According to Mr Fox, the resort will be a five-storey, Mediterranean-style, boutique resort with sixteen luxury beachfront villas and ten hotel suites, supported by upscale, full-service amenities.

He said via email that the two-bedroom villas would be sold on a pre-construction basis and would have preferred access to the resort’s services.

These would include a gourmet restaurant, bar and lounge, room service, housekeeping, on-site dive operation, spa and fitness facilities, concierge services, children’s activity center, boutique shopping, and private secured parking.

Mr Fox said the resort would feature the Island’s most luxurious (and only) infinity pool with spa and swim-up bar. He said resort construction is scheduled to begin in late 2006, and pre-construction villa pricing will start at US$350,000.

The developers claim that Crystal Azure has been designed with the highest possible construction standards to help minimize storm damage.

The design includes solid concrete construction with steel reinforcement, high impact hurricane resistant windows, high wind resistant roofing materials, stand-alone desalinization water plant with cistern, and solar powered electricity with a back-up generator system.

He said that an additional design precaution developers have taken is to elevate the entire resort by designating the first floor as private and enclosed parking for villa owners. The additional floor increases the height of the resort’s living space to more than thirty-three feet above sea level.

“Crystal Azure will be a unique resort on the Brac because we’re focusing on more than just the discount dive traveler,” said Mr Fox.

“Our resort will be the first luxury resort on the Island and we will attract an upscale clientele that’s focused, not just on value, but the full-service amenities we’ll offer. In fact, we’re already getting strong interest for our pre-construction villa sales and have three reservations completed.”

The new development, however, would necessitate considerable investment on the part of the Cayman Islands Fire Service, according to Senior Divisional Officer Larry Bryan, who heads the Brac Fire Station.

The resort would be the first five-storey building on the Island, and fire regulations require the Service to have a ladder truck for a building of this height.

“This would be a bigger truck than the ones we have now, and we would also have to hire more staff,” said Mr Bryan.

He explained that the Domestic Service would need five officers per watch, a jump from two currently on duty per watch. This re-grade in the service would therefore add another ten officers, bringing the full complement of the Domestic Service to twenty-two.

Mr Bryan also pointed out that a new fire station would also be needed, since they could not house these additions at the Gerrard-Smith Airport, where both the Domestic and the Aerodrome Services presently operate.

However, he noted that plans for a new station for the Domestic Service on the Brac were underway, in any case.

The resort would be 60-feet high and DCB have mandated a 30-foot setback on either side of the building because of its height. Plans have been approved subject to standard constraints such as plumbing and electrical work.

Sister Islands Representative Moses Kirkconnell said, “The important thing is that someone came, purchased the property and made an application to build.”

He believes this shows that the Brac is open for business and is suitable for this type of investment. He is encouraged that developers and investors are now looking at Cayman Brac and realizing the tremendous potential of this Island, he said.