Government spends $60k on new GT loos
(CNS): The tourism ministry is investing sixty thousand dollars of this year’s budget to help out tourists who get caught short while visiting the capital. Government officials revealed Monday that the ministry is in the process of providing “much needed relief to visitors and shoppers” in downtown George Town with the development of permanent public restrooms. The new 288 Square foot public facilities which are under construction behind the GT library, adjacent to the bus depot, will provide separate male and female loos with wheelchair access.
On 20 February, tourism counsellor Joseph Hew, who was acting as tourism minister in the absence of the Deputy Premier, Moses Kirkconnell who was at a tourism conference, visited the site to evaluate the progress.
“Public rest rooms are a basic amenity that have been conspicuously absent from the George Town area for many years and I am pleased that is now being rectified,” Hew said. “The new facilities are centrally located in a part of town that receives a great deal of pedestrian traffic and will therefore be a welcomed addition to the area. On busy cruise ship days in particular, passengers will be able to continue shopping and enjoying the sights, rather than having to return to the North or South Terminals when nature calls. ”
Caystar Construction was awarded the building contract following an open tender process which concluded in December. Construction is expected to be completed in June 2014 at a cost of $60,000 which is budgeted for in FY2013/14.
Category: Local News
Down right silly and ignorant are some of these comments against the TF.
Toilet facilities are long overdue in the GT shopping area. And it has nothing to do with any one government – until now none (UDP nor PPM) of the past governments saw having adequate TF as a priority. Not that they probably didnt think it.
We should not care which government, but just be happy someone is finally doing something about it. As for the area its being built in, you can never please everyone. What is imperative going forward, is to enure, proper monitoring and scheduled maintenance takes place. Upkeep consistently will assist much with CIG spending less in the long term. Yes many will think more money spent to pay staff but this is a necessity that cannot be helped. Shifts may just have to be tweaked. If not has to be budgeted for.
Cayman is a tourist destination as such TF in place should have been a no brainer. The dump, airport expansion and cruise landing all very crucial. Especially the dump, but it doesn't mean all other ares has to come to a full stop just because those (the dump issues) are long over due.
Each ministry has a budget and can spend it within the scope of thier responsibilties once its for legit reasons agreed by the decision makers with in thier areas. Someone there saw the need hence the upgrade for TF in GT. The ministry responsible for the dump need to decide on a solution like yesterday. God knows enough solutions have been bandied about for them to decide what is the best plan of action.
All with the negative comments regarding TF upgrade. Ask yourself how you would feel as a tourist if the shoe was on the other foot? What you would rate a country you visited as a tourist, where you could not find TF and when you do they are locked.
Or as a local how many times you have been in GT shopping and have to go into a resturant feeling uncomfy because you are not buying but had no choice as they were the last resort to releive yourself. That has been the case many times and it's embarrassing for the toursit and for locals alike. I say it's about time, and I applaude the persons involved in making it finally happen.
Imagine, the tourists patronize the shops who won't allow them to use their bathroom facilities, but rather send them out to find a government owned facility. If you are accepting customers you should provide basic restroom facilities for those who are visiting your facility, shouldn't you? Bet you Fosters and Hurley's don't do that, so why should any other store.
19;47
The disgusting thing here is, the Planning department gave all these establishments and businesses, the green light to not install toilets for their patrons. The banks are the worst.
That's more money down the shitter.
That location doesn't make any sense. It is much too far to expect tourists shopping in and around Harbour Drive to walk for a restroom.
I thought there were already "Batchrooms" on the Royal Watler Terminal?
More public money down the toilet.
Oh s@$t!
Loos?? You mean batchrooms!
boy they can spend money! fix the dump please. it's making us all sick!
Say what!!! Are they mad??? CI$60,000 for 288 square foot – that's more than $200 per square foot. Oh my goodness who the hell is approving these expenditures?
"…who the hell is approving these expenditures?
The contractor's relatives.
So that works out to $208 per square foot for bathrooms?
Isnt that a bit expensive?
Not really that expensive, it's just about the same as the PPM paid for the oneat Clifton Hunter High School…
60K for toilets without following the rules of the FFAR????…Who is the Minister responsible? Please report him immediately to the UK Government…
288 sq ft thats about 14 x 20 for $ 60 g's. Will it have Marble counter tops , Pietra Firma's Lux Touch floor tiles, seemless roofing and solar power ?
Actually, the solar power is a good idea. That building sounds about the right size for solar powered lighting to work. And what does it need besides light and good ventilation?
Caught Short! More like short sighted. GT only had two bathrooms (toilets) 1 male and 1 female for the 1.8 million cruise ship passengers who visited Cayman in past years. Imagine being the last person in there in a busy cruise ship day!!!! Now after 15 years of making our guests beg for toilet access from GT shops and restuarants the penny finally drops and we build a few toilets. Glad it is being done – pity it takes 15 years to improve our guest experience.
well the turtle is the national symbol……
Good news.
Who they gonna name them after?
The Honourable W. McKeeva Bush Commode.
Gotta wonder at the thinking of these people. Isn't that just the most convenient location for tourists! Should have been on the old Tower Building site instead of the Christian Heritage Clocktower. Could have just called it the Clocktower Memorial Toilets, in the vain hope that the clocktower will never be built.
Phew, that's a relief!
The same cost of Princess Juju's vacation in Doha….
She got a medal for how wonderful the postal service is.
While we are at it, some signs in and around George Town directing tourists would be welcome. Can't tell you how many times I have had to direct tourists to locations that are to my mind non-existent. The poor tourists keep walking around with a piece of paper asking for a location that even to born Caymanians no longer exists.
Which also leads me to wonder whether there are any protocols that dive operators have to follow before allowing tourists to go snorkelling. I don't know whethere this has been happening for a long time or whether it is because it is being reported more often in the press but there seems to be quite a few elderly tourists dying either during or after snorkelling. I was wondering whether dive operators ask the relevant questions of these tourists before taking them out on boats to go diving. I would think that questions such as how long have you been diving, are you on any heart medication etc. would be questions that dive operators will need to ask of tourists. It would also perhaps be best if persons over a certain age would be precluded from going diving or snorkelling.
Pity they didn't do this as a redevelopment of the craft market. More central for the curisers and it would have remained something different from the other stores in town. Instead we get another big jewellry store. – At least it cost Government less than my idea would have, and its needed, so I guess its not all bad.
Good job . A few years ago I wrote to the tourism office, environmental dept and spoke with various people about such need. I work on the waterfront and had to go against office policy and allowed visitors in to our private toilets so many times. Thank you Progressives. This ties in nicely with the Town upgrade. Joey we now need more garbage bins along the road sides and please remind the environmental dept to empty the bins on a regularly basis. these little things do matter tremendously. Also please ask the cruise ships to remind their passengers to look around for a bin before leaving their empty containers on the steps and sidewalks . we can all do this.
Lunchtime Grindr-fest.
If you want a high protein lunch.