Dart Realty (Cayman) Ltd. celebrated the official opening of its latest building, 18 Forum Lane, last night with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by the Honourable Wayne Panton, Minister for Commerce, Finance and Environment, and members of the Camana Bay and Grand Cayman business community.

“At 86,000 square feet, 18 Forum Lane brings the total leasable Class-A office space in the Town Centre to nearly 400,000 square feet. 18 Forum Lane was built with sustainability in mind, having achieved LEED® Gold certification in design,” said Dart Realty Chief Operating Officer Jackie Doak in her remarks during the ceremony. Mrs. Doak referenced a PwC report titled Real Estate 2020: Building the Future which stated that by 2020, it’s likely that “all buildings in advanced economies will need to have sustainability ratings. What’s more, the concept of sustainability will have broadened to mean creating ‘places’ where people enjoy living and working. So, new developments will be designed with green spaces, good air quality and spaces for social gathering.”

Mrs. Doak commented how the design philosophy upon which Camana Bay was founded always included sustainability, New Urbanist principles of walkability, ample green space and a strong sense of community.

“We are guided by our shareholder, Mr. Ken Dart, a visionary who is always looking forward to the future. As a direct result of Mr. Dart’s foresight coupled with the systematic application of one of our core values — Innovation — we are decades ahead of the curve. At Dart, we remain committed to excellence and sustainability in design, construction and place making,” Mrs. Doak added.
Anchor tenants PwC moved into their new offices at the beginning of December 2015, occupying 26,000 square feet on the fourth floor and part of the building’s third floor. At the event, Senior Partner Graeme Sunley explained the PwC’s experience working with Dart Realty on the project.

“The way that DECCO managed the fitout impressed us throughout — we had open communication, status reports and milestones were delivered on or ahead of schedule, meaning we moved in right on schedule and significantly under budget.”

Gary Gibbs, DECCO Executive Manager, led the construction and fitout process that was delivered on time and under budget and engaged 29 Caymanian contractors over the duration of the building’s construction.

Camana Bay is a master-planned community that emphasises sustainability as a way forward for construction in the Cayman Islands. 18 Forum Lane is the first LEED® Gold-certified mixed-use building in the region and its sister building, slated for completion in 2017, is also designed in alignment with LEED® Gold principles. The next building will also be four storeys with retail and restaurant spaces. The building will also offer premium office spaces with balconies and add a total of 86,000 square feet to Camana Bay’s leasable commercial space, bringing the total to just over 470,000 square feet. The two buildings will share Camana Bay’s largest courtyard — at 20,000 square feet, the space will offer a space for events, outdoor meetings and relaxation, with ample seating offering opportunities to linger and unique lighting features offering the courtyard a distinctive character once the sun goes down.

The buildings at 18 Forum Lane will minimise energy use through their shade-on-shade design with features such as aluminium shutters which align with Caymanian architecture, echoing the corrugated zinc roofs of traditional cottages, rooftop solar panels and thoughtfully designed landscaping to offer ample shade from native and endemic plant species.

Indeed, Mr. Sunley stated how impressed PwC’s team members had been with their new, sustainable home and its location within the mixed-use community of Camana Bay:

“We had an offsite team meeting in the cinema and followed it up with a cocktail and food event at one of the restaurants. I, personally, attended a school assembly as my children attend Cayman International School, and I was able to walk there and then very shortly afterwards be back at my desk at work. That’s not something I am used to being able to do and it really does mean that the experience of working in Camana Bay is very special.”

Mrs. Doak also welcomed Cayman Dental & Cayman Orthodontics, who will soon take residence in the ground floor of 18 Forum Lane and expand Camana Bay’s health services offerings, as well as Hurley’s Media, whose brands Cayman 27, Z99 and Rooster 101.9FM, will soon also move into the building. The radio stations’ studios will be situated behind the ground floor’s glass windows, offering passersby the opportunity to witness live broadcasts.

Since Camana Bay opened its first buildings in 2007, corporate demand for office space has exceeded expectations and continues to do so nearly a decade on. The ability to integrate global business with a sense of Caribbean community, combined with the amenities offered by Camana Bay, allows companies to remain competitive in their recruitment and retention of employees and enjoy a thoroughly unique work environment.