Cruise port scales down

(CNS): As plans for the development of the George Town cruise berthing facilities move ahead with a new partner, the chair of the Port Authority has said that it now has a very different scope from that proposed by Dart. Local contractor Royal Construction with its partner, marine contractors GLF, is planning a scaled down proposal that will be financed on cruise fees rather than through an expansive upland element. DECCO, Dart’s contractor, pulled out of project at the end of last year after the developer was unable to reach an agreement with government over the terms of the lease, on which it was intending an extensive upland development that would finance the whole project.

As the Royal/GLF proposal is considerable less complex or ambitious, focused on the two cruise piers – four berthing docks -- and an upland terminal, costs are expected to be considerably less than $150 million. This means the contractors will in turn have a considerably smaller shortfall to make up between the cost of the project and the cruise lines guaranteed passenger fees. Although it is not yet certain how the contractor will make up the shortfall, passenger arrivals are likely to far exceed the figures which the cruise lines would be able to guarantee as a result of the increase in cruise passengers generated by the development.

Chair Stefan Baraud told CNS that negotiations with the cruise lines were now going well as they are all very keen for the Cayman Island to take on this project and develop the facilities. With substantially different plans, the contractors will also be looking at the design and construction methods for cost savings on the original estimates in order to get the basic berthing facilities and terminal completed in the first instance.

“Significant progress has been made and the contractor is moving at a pace that makes me confident that the project will be underway this year,” Baraud added. He said the next major milestone was on 17 February when the new plans for the berthing docks will be tested at the Star Centre in Fort Lauderdale on the simulation, mock-up in various weather conditions and circumstances.

The other major issue is the Environmental Impact Assessment. The chair said that Royal/GLF are already talking to the Department of Environment and the next stage will be to see if the work done by Dart is relevant and sufficient for this particular development. Baraud said that as yet the EIA which was undertaken by Dart has not been handed over as there are still commercial issues relating to that.

Without the deep pockets of Dart, the Royal/GLF partnership will be securing outside financing in order to begin the project, which the chair said should be in place before the end of next month and if all goes well with the simulation exercise and the EIA, the change in developer does not mean a dramatic change in time line and Baraud said he is still anticipating that the project will break ground this summer.

Getting the construction underway would be a significant boost, not just for the local tourism industry but the construction sector as well, as the developer estimates there could be as many as 200 jobs going for local people.