Dart holds ‘do’ for final beam in new office block

(CNS): Despite not having put the roof on, officials at Camana Bay held a ‘topping out’ event at the town last week as the developers laid the final beam in the framework of the Dart Group's latest building. Government officials as well representatives from Dart Realty and DECCO the developer’s construction firm held a ceremony for 94 Solaris Avenue, Camana Bay’s latest commercial building.  Key stakeholders including local contractors and subcontractors, construction workers and future office tenants were also present when Jackie Doak, Chief Operating Officer of Dart Realty, praised the spending work of the construction teams and spoke about the project and the firm’s commitment to the development of Camana Bay. 

“A topping out ceremony is usually held to commemorate the completion of the building’s structure. Today, as we lay the final beam in place to complete this building’s framework, I would like to thank our local construction partners and recognise the many men whose hard work has taken this project from ground-breaking to topping out in just six months,” she said

Doak said that this was the latest milestone in a long-term development plan that has had and will continue to have a significant impact on Cayman’s economy. She also announced plans to construct a sister building to the north of 94 Solaris Avenue, providing more office space in the nearly fully occupied Town Centre.

Since construction began on the Camana Bay Town Centre in May 2005, Dart Realty says that it has contracted over 200 local companies and provided jobs for over 4000 local workers resulting in a total economic impact of US$826 million to date.

Premier McKeeva Bush who was also present thanked Dart for what he said was the developer’s “continued confidence in the Cayman Islands” and said that, “the 20-30 year build out of Camana Bay and the proposed projects associated with the FORCAYMAN Investment Alliance will ensure further growth and a positive future for the country,” he added, speaking about the recent deal government has signed with the developer to swap crown land in exchange for more inward investment from the Dart group.

This latest commercial block under construction in Camana Bay was designed by Washington D.C.-based Torti Gallas and Partners and supported by local architects, the Burns Conolly Group. Scheduled for completion by July 2012, the 68,000 square foot, five storey building will house Class A office tenants and offer restaurant and retail on the ground floor.

Anchor tenants tenant Mourant Ozannes will be taking the top two floors and AON, a Cayman based risk management and insurance firm has now signed a lease to take the second floor of the building. Dart said that Mourant and AON join a long list of ‘best in class’ businesses that “see the Camana Bay Town Centre as the perfect place from which to grow their operations.”