More than 30 George Town merchants yesterday submitted a three-page letter to Premier McKeeva Bush, concerned about plans for retail space at the new cruise port, fearing they will be driven out of business.

The letter, signed by 33 business owners, includes such high-profile operations as Kirk Freeport, Crafts International, Guy Harvey’s Restaurant, Guy Harvey’s Gallery and Shoppe, Paradise Restaurant, Atlantis Submarines, Jacques Scott, Harley Davidson, the Hard Rock Café, Blue Iguana/2 Blue, Ugland House and even Jean-Eric “Notch” Smith, President of the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association and manager of the Tourist Attraction Board’s Craft Market.

The letter was accompanied by a similar, 2009 letter, concerned about space and costs at the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal, signed by 37 businesses, many of the same as yesterday’s note, plus 12 Craft Market merchants.

Both composed by Edmar’s Discount Drugs owner Noel March, the letters trace the inexorable decline of the downtown merchants, under pressure from reduced cruise arrivals, foul-weather diversions to Spotts Landing and uneven distribution of tender-boat arrivals – notwithstanding the struggles with expensive space of Royal Watler retailers since 2009.

“I write to you on behalf of the many merchants whose names and signatures are appended to this correspondence,” Mr March writes, lamenting the “limited communication or lack thereof, regarding this very important project … to the residents of the Cayman Islands in general.”

Noting a decline of 20% to 25% in cruise arrivals in the previous five years, he says business has declined “by the staggering amount of almost 50%” because of the location of Royal Watler merchants.

Now, fearing the addition of still more retail space in the new China Harbour Engineering Company-developed cruise terminal, Mr March — and nearly three dozen signatories — have called for consultations with government to ensure “negotiations are on the right track”.

Downtown landlords and small-business owners, he said, “implore you to first consult the public and downtown merchants  through a series of public meetings before proceeding any further with your negotiations. We keenly look forward to hearing from you in this very urgent matter.”