Dart’s waivers exceed $11M
(CNS): The public purse is light by well-over $11 million on the development of the Kimpton Hotel on Seven Mile Beach by Dart Realty and its construction company DECCO due to duty and fee waivers. The results of an FOI request by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller also show that the developer was given the red card permit to construct the hotel well after work had started on the building, something the independent member said no one else would get away with. Concerned that government authorities are simply overlooking infractions because of the size of the developer, Miller told CNS that enough is enough and government had to stop bending rules to suit powerful individuals.
“We have got to put a stop to this. As government bends over backwards for these developers, Caymanians get nothing in return,” he said.
Miller pointed to the massive waivers given to Dart on the hotel project, which he said he did not believe were justified. He queried exactly how many jobs had been created on the hotel project for local workers and exactly how Caymanians would benefit from the more than $7 million waived.
The FOI request, which was granted in full and given to Miller within the lawful timeframe, revealed that planning fees of almost a quarter million dollars were waived for Dart’s development, as well as a whopping $2.65 million waiver on infrastructure fees. In addition, almost $1.7 million on building permit fees were scrapped and over $2.7million was waived in affordable housing fees, which Miller described as "outrageous".
However, answering a question in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday posed by East End member Arden McLean about the size of the waivers so far, Finance Minister Marco Archer said that, as at 26 November, the concessions regarding fees, duties and taxes had now reached $11.8 million. In addition to the revelations in the FOI response, there was also $2.4 million in stamp duty waivers, and import duty waivers of more than $1.2 million.
Arden McLean asked if the cost of the waivers were to offset the cost of the road. Archer responded that, to the best of his understanding, he believed this was the case.
Although Dart has committed to a major project that is expected to generate jobs and which includes covering the cost of the Easterly Tibbetts Highway Extension into West Bay, in addition to the significant duty and fee concessions, the developer has received and a stretch of the West Bay Road, turning a huge swathe of his land into beachfront property, multiplying its value by many millions of dollars.
As government continues to negotiate with Dart over the ForCayman Investment Alliance, which was entered into by the UDP administration, the developer is still receiving significant duty waivers, despite the minister of finance’s promise when he came to office that he was going to examine the duty and fee waivers and put an end to the government giveaway.
However, when answering the East End member's questions, Archer said that he could not predict how much would be given away to Dart as a result of the agreement.
Miller declared that this government was continuing on with the disaster created by the former administration.
“The ForCayman Investment Alliance was the worst thing to happen to this country,” he told CNS, as he pointed to the massive fee waivers and the infractions that the planning authorities were simply ignoring. “How did Dart get a red permit weeks after he had already started the hotel?” he asked, noting that a local trying to build his house without a red permit would have been stopped. Miller even queried whether the planning department would have bothered to issue a permit at all if he had not made the FOI request.
In the wake of the controversial planning law changes, which government ushered through the Legislative Assembly recently, Miller said he is exceptionally concerned that the changes are all designed to meet demands of developers and that laws are being manipulated for these investors against the best interests of the local population..
Given the massive waivers that Dart has received, Miller said he wanted to know exactly how many Caymanians were given jobs on the Kimpton project and what the people of Cayman are getting for their $11 million.
According to the premier, half of the people working in government earn less than $3,300 per month. The duties and fees on the Dart project if they had been collected could have created almost 300 jobs in the public sector.
See FOI request posted below
Category: Politics
My only prayer is that any further development in this country by Dart is allowed strictly by the same rules that everyone else in this country has to live by. I am a born and bred Caymanian who has paid duties on every slice of bread I have consumed since the day I exited my mothers womb, and suddenly in walks Mr. Dart telling us he loves us with all his heart and looking for (and getting) special treatment because he already has more money than he will ever know what to do with? If THAT is not a humongous crock of sh*t of the very highest order then I don't know what could ever be.
Argentina Bond Fight Judge Griesa Gets New Ken Dart Suit
google it
I googled it , he asked them to pay back what they owe him, what's wrong with that.
What i find amusing that the very people I have heard complaining about expats taking Caymanian jobs are some of the very people who employ them.
No CNS the public purse is not short of $11m ….those fees were agreed as waived and therfore could not be budgeted for as receivable. If they were due and not paid then that would be a legitimate 'short' . Stop sensationlising.
Um sure thing anony"mouse" expert at Thu, 04/12/2014 – 00:07. If YOU say so.
Those in the know can smell and see a rat when there is one.
I wonder at the time-line for the Permit (14/11/14) and the FOI request made on the (7/11/14). Those who suck on Darts real life Monopoly game keep floating the jobs that he creates for expat labour and foreign merchants. Should consider the Caymanian people who have lost their peaceful, happy and crimefree Country. Like the North American Indian they too will be on a reservation, built by Dart and gready politicians. In all you getting try to get some understanding of the monster we are grappling with.
They haven't LOST anything…..they SOLD it so stop whining.
Ezzard has done it again, he does know how to stir thing up.
I hate to say it but Ezzard is right but too late. The requirement for processes such as red cards and everything else that once was associated with proper procedure are now gone at least for those with a politician in their pocket or on speed-dial.
The changes to the Development and Planning Law that the current government just brought in change the law so that developers who are able to 'persuade' politicians, ie. which group is not likely to include small Caymanian developers or people who want to build a house for their own family, now only need to go to the politician in charge and provide 'reasons', in an envelope or otherwise, as to why these certain developers don't need to comply with the law that the rest of us do. Simple as that. The 'real estate consultant's' dream. The rule of law as it was is now the rule of the back room meeting and the envelope.
The Kimpton will be the first gay-friendly hotel in this neck of the woods. Alden will have to come before the people in 2015 to change the constitution.
Have I said anything inflammatory?
And what does that have to do with the subject at hand..?
You are hoping that after a bit of cruising at the bar I might end up wanting to get married?
Dart is bringing global diversity measures to Cayman. One must understand the magnitutude. These trivial matters are just that, trivial:
https://www.kimptonhotels.com/kimpton-cares/lgbt
I have heard that this might lead to more earthquakes.
PS: I have had lots of it in the other hotels too, and the world did not seem to end.
You can't have your cake and eat it too. Government has hired half the local population, thrown money down the drain, and there is corruption at every level of government. One billion missing, who knows where it went? No biggie. Now they have no money for key infrastructure when it's needed most, like a new road or a port or an airport or a proper waste management facility.
So they have to partner with the private sector to get stuff done. They pay for it now, you pay MORE for it later. That's the way of the world.
Tell you what Ezzard. Borrow $300,000 from the bank to buy a house. They give you $300,000 now, and you pay them back over 20 years. Now, add up your monthly payments over those 20 years, and you will see you pay the bank back more than double what you borrowed. It's not corrupt, it's business! Don't like it, stop wasting the peoples money so you can afford to build it yourself next time.
Sorry CNS but the usual solution to a slow news day of an anti dart story with a few Ezzard sound bites isn't going to work this time! Darts impact on the local economy is very evident to all and certainly contributed to the increased resources that CIG has to fund those COLA increases. Find a new dead horse to beat cos we're really tired of this angle.
well you have to work for someone so who cares. He who pays the piper calls the tune and all that
while Dart is good for the economy at present make no mistake that he will try and get away with as much as he can, Like most astute businessmen he tries to cut deals behind closed doors but unlike most smart businessmen he keeps getting caught ……. creating a huge PR problem for himself. Dart also tries to control every aspect of the business like liquor , food etc for his upcoming hotels- that is also a bad idea. The biggest problem is that both UDP and PPM are sell outs. Kurt Tibbets negotiates behind closed doors and won't tell anyone what he is giving away. Just as bad as Mac. Please Cayman remember that both PPM and UDP are bad for us …. as is Dart in the long run because we all will be working for him in 20 years time.
I sure hope Stan Thomas got better value for McKeewa's 'consultancy fees' than the Cayman islands did.
Mac got a lot of consultancy fees from all kinds of people and he is still free to walk the streets and spew his poison.
For those of you who keep saying Dart will pack up and move – let me also educate you on the facts! Dart is not wanted and has been banned in over 12 countries. He has painted himself into a corner and its called Grand Cayman – The Cayman Islands Government would do wise to recognize this fact.
For the skeptics just google Mr Dart. The Government of Argentina's words, "Dart is a Vulture" Maybe what he should do is just buy up another 100 or so companies and lay off some of you expats to creat better profits for himself, hell just buy everything that people are willing to sell. Lets see how you fear then! Buy the apartment complexes and raise the rent, buy the liquor stores and raise the price buy the bars and say no slippers and torn shirts ( i.e calico jacks and rackams and billy bones) where so many of you classless hang out. I would never go to someones country and then complain and complain and bad mouth the locals – why not just leave – Cayman was booming from the 70's long long before the 95% of you BS talkers even knew she existed!
FACTS!
Idiot talking…move along
Who the F are are you to call out me as classless based on where i have a drink?
Please educate me more on this where did you find these facts? I want to read up a lot more on this thanks for the info
for 14:43 – "Tens of millions" lets do the math – 4 thousand feet of seven mile beach which sells for 75,000 a square foot vsa highway pales in comparrison (300 million to be exact). Lets not forget to add in the 50% tax he gets on all room fees which will also equate to millions each year, year in year out throughout the life of his hotel and any other hotel/hotels he so wishes to build! The road was a fixed one time cost whereas fees may be subject to inflation. You sir seem to have attached yourself like a barnacle to the shared idea of many that all the glitters in gold. I would also assume you do not work in the financial industry as you're valuations are inaccurate to say the least and a whole other list of adjectives i will avoid using.
Caymana Bay was a blessing – i can admit that without quam, That benifits all, but this for Cayman Alliance was heavily one sided in favor of Dart. Cayman has lost its way, this is what happens when a countries people lose themselves.
Grand Heffe
It wsn't 400 feet of beach it was road, he already own the beach side and the inland side, what road is worth 75,000 a sg ft. Not saying Dart didn't get a good deal but so did we..
CNS, there's no FOI attachment, and even if there were, $11mln in waivers against a highway to West Bay costing tens of millions, doesn't irk me whatsoever. I think we all understand that to have been the deal – and so far, a very favourable exchange for the people of Cayman.
I would have sworn we had a road into West Bay before we ever heard of Dart. The current "tens of millions" highway is very obviously primarily to serve Dart's own purposes and is completely unnecessary for local exit/access to and from West Bay. In actual fact we are giving Dart 11 million dollars to take the road we already had away from us, again to serve his own purposes. To top it all off the 11 million in duty waivers on the construction will be peanuts compared to what we stand to lose in room taxes forever honerably. You win, Mr. Dart, we lose. Simple as that. Congratulations to you and our forever honerable Government.
Now you guys built a road recently to the East End…the E/W Aterial ? Have you seen how shit it is ? Basically one lane..bad cambers, dangerous for cyclists and cars. Dart builds a dual carriagway from WB albeit mostly 2 lanes until Caymana Bay that is nice to drive on and safe …see the difference?
Go home.
I might but remember my permit covers your standard of living…
That's right jerk. So if we can get you to go home maybe we can recover our standard of living.
Caymankind.
That's right. Go home.
That makes no sense. Wompers and mosquitoes for you then my friend. CNS is just like Rooster.
Don't blame other people for your own inadequacies.
12:11, your post makes no sense!
The typical response …..
Have you seen how shit your english and grammar is?
08:24 – I do not have the patience to comment in detail on your poor execution of the language. SMH.
Dart has the money to build a multi million dual carriageway. That is precisely why he sbould not be wringing Cayman out and hanging us out to dry. Will the whole world finally UNDERSTAND this?
Especially while claiming to love us with all his heart.
You are constantly sold down the river by your own people. So what you doing about it. One big fat nothing I wager.
I assume that is the reason you chose to run from your own country?
Actually no. I had a very good life before reaching Cayman. I came here because I thought i could make adifference. It turns out we are not allowed to make a difference so I will not ne renewing my contract. And in case you are interested, Cayman has made be value dearly my home country.
Excellent. Now please go.
So it doesn't bother you that he gets a crazy deal that saves him millions, a deal that no one else can get, a deal that costs the people of the Cayman Islands millions?? really, just because he paved a new road that benefitted him far more that another person in Cayman. Your head is in the sand….
Stop smoking so much..
I may be ignorant but how is this deal costing the people of the Cayman Islands millions? Dart isn't being paid. Not getting 11M in fees isn't the same as paying 11M. Those fees were waived, not paid for by the people. If this deal is done those fees are not paid. If the deal was not done those fees are also not paid but then neither is a hotel built and a whole bunch of other income for the people and the islands is also not paid. I don't get your point at all. Again, deal is done, 11M in fees not paid. If the deal is NOT done, 11M in fees not paid. Yet you suggest that one situation cost the people millions. I would suggest that the other situation, no hotel being built, would be even more lost revenue for the people.
I dont agree because the gate to keep the West Bayers in West Bay was not installed…
The vast majority of Caymanains only consider deals to be favorable if it gets them something for nothing..IE Handouts are favorable..
Here's a thought, Cayman should go it alone for while and see how things work out, stop accepting offers for foreign investment and stop issuing any new Work Permits, Tell companies that they can only hire locals and only caymanians will be allowed to buy and own property.
Cayman will surely flourish and all Caymanians will prosper..
You forgot to say ship every expat home and don't let the door hit em on the way out. Now that is a recipe for success!
Lets start with the Jacans. Give it 90 days . Then make a law like they have in Bermuda about work permits. Then make a law all the cabinet secured for the other criminals that squeezed through statusto rescind their status.
I think we all know that the sun is going down on these islands. The last thing we need is to speed it up. It can be brought about without any outside help. Some of us are trying to salvage our pensions and sell our homes.
"The results of an FOI request by the North Side MLA, Ezzard Miller also show that the developer was given the red card permit to construct the hotel well after work had started on the building, something the independent member said no one else would get away with." And what do you call that? XXXX But noooooo … our famous Constitution excluded how to deal with situations like this. Big developers $$$ have more power than the number of people in this country or in a district. Whose fault is that? Thanks to our leaders which gave us a weak Constitution influenced and approved by the FCO!
You may want to reread that story, Ezzard loves people like you who believe anything he says and starts the riot act..
Makes my stomach turn
yawn….. usual small minded rubbish from ezzard…..has he ever asked how much the cayman economy benefits from dart's investments??……..
super tuesday???…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Fa'real????? wat-d-heck????
How did the idiots that gave this multi-rich billionaire man get to thinking that this kind of financial arrangement would benefit Cayman and its Caymanians in any way?????
Us Caymanians DO NOT have any monies to give to the Govt after they F'd up the financial stability of our country. They have already made us much poorer since the 1990's and is doing sh*t-all to pass any legislation to secure any one Caymanian.
If only we could claw back our losses and have an auction on the 'home-garden-land-n sea' on assets local & international, of those former & present govt member-idiots who gaveaway the wealth of our country!!
If it could be fa'real, auction should be held in fromt of the LA bldg
Really? Seriously? You don't think that the country and the people will benefit? So… you don't think that this hotel will cause income to the Cayman Islands? Really?
Do you understand the concept of investment? The Cayman Islands invests by waiving fees. In return for this investment it will receive many times more back in the form of economic growth, duties, jobs, tourism and so on and so forth.
All you see is the money given up at the beginning which is completely short sighted.
It's not putting anything in my pocket!!!!!!!! How about you, fool. people are so blind, keep sitting around waiting for this to pay off if you want. It will never make a dime for you or me.
Why should you profit from someone else's investments ?
Entitlement?
Any investment into this island by outsides are a shared investment, if they want to invest into our island they should share the profits with those that own the island. They can't expect to come here and make money off our land without giving the people what is due them. They should pay dividends to the caymanian people we are entitield to reparations, they are earning a profit off our sorrow and that not right.
Caymanians nor the government will get anything if they don't have to pay duties or Tourism Tax. You know how much money has been lost with the Ritz Carlton waivers? If the CI Govt had that money then they could probably take off the gas duties and custom duties which will save us money on groceries, clothes, the gas pump, CUC, etc.
Do you really think that the Ritz doesn't pay duties on anything? News flash: you are wrong. And do you think that all the people that work at the Ritz don't buy anything on island? And do you think that the people staying at the Ritz don't spend any money when on island? News flash:wrong again. The Ritz causes money to be spent on island which means duties which means money in the coffers of the govt which means the people could be benefitting if the govt actually didn't squander the money.
I guarantee you that the existence of the Ritz contributes vastly more into the economy than any duties waivers received. The Cayman Islands gets benefit, for sure. The same will be the case with the new hotel.
you might want to do a foi
What like a Mugabe style land grab? Way to go Cayman, keep it classy!
Obviously not enough people getting the usual handouts. How many 60/40 "relationships" have there been over 30/40 years? That was, and is, a total mockery of the Law.
Dart may be no angel (neither are a lot of the local businessmen) but he works at getting things done – not sitting on his ass.
Historically the Miller family are notorious in their objection to ex-pats to the point of being abusive This is no exeption. Once in a while some praise would go a long way. Try it out Ezzard. Credit where credit is due. Keep biting the hand that feeds you and eventually it will slap the crap out of you.
How about working together? I have seen abuse on both sides. Get out of the playground kids and start acting like adults.
I think we should ask the Dart companies to "down tools" for the month of January. Send all their employees home (without pay); not accept deliveries of anything and simply cease functioning for the month.
It may well have an effect not too dissimilar to turning off the life support systems of a seriously ill patient in hospital.
It is a tragedy that so many people are unable to see that life is dynamic and not a digital snapshot taken at an awkward and embarrassing moment.
When the Kimpton is open where will the guests go for entertainment? Who will they rent cars from? They may have to fly the Turtle (especially when travelling for that hallowed and ancient tradition of Cayman Thanksgiving). They might even decide to buy property in Cayman (stamp duty to CIG).
In any event had Dart paid$11m in duties etc it would simply have been squandered by CIG, so where is the loss?
Some of the things you say may be true. In fact I agree with everything you say in the first paragraph, but I think that "cease functioning in the Caymans" would be better for Caymanians.
The duties and fees could have created almost 300 jobs in the public sector? I can not begin to list the number of problems with this statement. Do you not see this insane thinking put Cayman in the financial mess they are in? The waiver amount listed, if true, still does not cover for the cost of the road. Until it does what is Ezzard actually complaining about? Too bad we have to compensate a developer for building a public road?
Let's stop all development and just employ everyone in the government. That's certainly sustainable and will provide a great future for our youth.
Let's hope everyone with a basic education will see through Miller's and CNS's ridiculous rants.
This sort of article is only going encourage him to pack up and move on. Maybe the people of Cayman should just say thankyou. If I was in government, I would be bending over backwards to keep him happy. I amazed he is still investing in this island – all indicators (RBC, Scotia, Butterfield, Maples etc) are that businesses are packing up shop and moving to less hostile climates where a company can do business without exuberant fees and a micro managing government dictating who and who you can't employ!
I wish he would pack up and move on! This man has been in trouble in other countries and moved on because of perhaps less-than-honest deals. It seems he has a way to "deal" with people in high places so that they both benefit financially. How much of the $11,000,000 was used to influence certain people in high places in Cayman?
I dont know who has lost the plot the most here. Miller, or the person who wrote this article.
Really CNS? Your best idea to spend $11,000,000 is to create 300 new civil servant jobs… For one year?
And if Mr Miller wants to know what Caymanians get for their $11,000,000 (which would not exist if there was not a new development) go for a little drive past the dump one day. You will see some nice office buildings, and some apartments, and some shops and a cinema, and a place where people go to eat.
It was developed by the countries second largest employer. Keep going up the nice new road. look to the left and you will see some new construction. When the construction is finished, people who cant find work will be able to seek brand new permanant jobs there. Go a little further still. Been by The Yacht Club lately? Or the Quarry? Or the Nursery? People are working there.
As for the Red Card issue, I can guess what happened. The call came from the head of the planning board to the develpoer that the project was approved. A message went to the person in charge of the photo copier at planning to print a Red Card, but they were on holiday for three weeks, and no one else checked the message, and no one else knew where the red paper was kept, and then the toner needed to change, and then it was 3:10 pm on the Friday of a long weekend, and then…
Very well written. How much were you paid to write it?
13:23. So that's what you did eh,took that long wekend and neglected doing that photocopy? Shame on you.
Well, I guess people can now stop talking about how wonderful it was getting a free by-pass extension to West Bay, and realise it is a road that cost at least $11million.
If he was smart he didn't hire any. If he wants the hotel done some time in the next 20 years that is.
The only thing I have to say regarding Dart is, please!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!. Buy out Lime or start your own service . They have the WORST customer service. Horrible. It's obvious why but Jesus. Incompetent , lazy, lying, useless.
I second that motion. Lime's customer service is atrocious!
Wait till dart ask for permission to build over the bypass and West Bay road by Camana Bay. Creating two tunnels for those roads. Do you think his money can buy that kind of influence ?
If it can,it is a sad day for Caymanians and an indication who really controls the country..
Over the bypass…tunnels…WTF are you on? Too much grass being smoked if you ask me
Imagine what else they might be getting away with that is not in the best interests of Cayman or its citizens. My "taxes" are allowing the Government to support a business that in no way needs this support while the little man is being fleeced.
Your taxes….dont make me laugh. You only pay i cirect tax. Most of the money to run government and create employment within the CS comes from private compamies.
You said it yourself – we all pay indirect tax and, as you again rightly point out, my business is also hit by a number of other charges which are a charge to do business by Government so can be considered a tax.
As the original poster, you will notice that I put the word taxes in inverted commas. There was a reason for that – I am not stupid and realise that the "taxes" paid by most of us are indirect. Just as well I bothered reading between the lines on your poorly written post – perhaps you could have done the same?
These two clowns do know how much the road itself cost right?
Not sure what their point is. Blowing hot air as usual, nothing of substance to see here folk, move along.
Dart does far more for Cayman than Ezzard Miller ever has done or ever will do. If Dart picked up and left, we would miss the investment and the positive effects on our economy. If Ezzard picked up and left, well…..you get my drift don't you?
I know what would happen if Ezzard left…. the Rooster might lose some of its customer base because there wouldn't be as much entertanment on Tuesday morning.
The duties and fees would not have created 300 jobs. It could have theoretically paid 300 people $39,600 for one year. But we all know that each dollar earned by the government isn't handed out equally to the people. Anyway, Ezzard being Ezzard…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
300 jobs for only 1 year (not including all those lovely free benefits). If you do the math, 1.5 biilion liability for CS pensions and healthcare, around 15,000 CS. So each CS free pension and health acre is costing us $100,000!, now that is the biggest mistake ever to hit Cayman
Now lets see. Who has done more for Cayman, Dart or Miller? Who has employed more Caymanians, Dart or Miller? I appreciate there are negatives to one family dominating the landscape, but it sure beats the alternative – THIRD WORLD.
Well, it seems we have to pay for all those things we are given for "free". Who knew there was no such thing as a free lunch???
I can point you in the direction of a Hot Lunch if you are interested.
Again, it is this sort of bias that will distroy Cayman if we are not careful. Especially at a time when we need investor confidence in Cayman. I would much rather know how much Dart intends to invest overall (yet again) to understand whether the waivers were justifiable, and when the hotel is open, how many Caymanians will it then employ. Ezzard and Arden have taken to making a full time job of persecuting investors or anyone who they view as soft targets for political gain. Very sad.
Couldn't he just read the value for money report from PWC? We paid enough for it. I appreciate it may not be consistent with the message he is trying to sell, but it does go into the question as to what we are getting (and losing) in far more detail than Mr E pulling individual statistics out without reference to the whole picture.
As Ezzard says "What have substantial investors and employers in the Island ever done for us?"
Err…. the aquaduct?
Amazing stuff proof of UDP and PPM 'excellence' at work of how not to negotiate in the best interests of the Cayman Islands. I wonder how long before DART buys our national debt and owns this country and elected governments outright?
This would be funny if it weren't a very real and scary proposition.
Dart has created more jobs for Caymanians than you have ever done, Ezzard.