It was very interesting and pleasing to read of the planned boardwalk idea for the waterfront which is being proposed by a group of some 16 interested individuals or business people in the area.  I fully support the idea and think it’s an excellent one and something that will give our people and visitors another social outlet that’s badly needed.  It should also stimulate some life back into the Capital, especially in the evenings.  Those who have travelled will know that boardwalks and wharfs are common place in seaside destinations and offer a wide variety of social interaction and entertainment.

What I would like to do through this same medium is to ask those same interested individuals or businesses to come together again and maybe go a bit further with the enhancement of the town itself.  This may well have to be a private/public partnership, but what would be nice and beneficial for all is for our original main town centre to be revitalised and “Caymanised” to reflect our islands heritage and where we are coming from.   We have Camana Bay, “a new town”, as it’s called by its developers off West Bay road and this is indeed a nice place.  It would be awesome now to refurbish the “old town” and have the two opposite ends of the spectrum displayed of our developing culture, which can only in the end benefit all who reside and visit here.  This project in itself through design, renovation, construction and onward will provide much employment and will in itself be a much needed stimulant to our local economy.  This can work with or without the presence of a cruise port in the harbor, as it would be such an attraction with cafes, plants, cobblestone walkways, gas lamp lighting, music, entertainment and other amenities, it would be an attraction in itself.

I believe it’s time the original Caymanian business people who have all done well over the ages come together with a like mind and say let’s give back (as a group) to our island and show those that come here that we also have what it takes and we know what’s good for us and we proudly wish to show it off.  I speak to families for instance like the Kirkconnells, Thompsons, Fosters, McTaggarts, Merrens, Boddens, Scotts, Tibbetts, Rankins, Watlers, Hews, and others, many of whom already have much interest in the George Town area, to come to the table and see what can be done.

If not, I fear we are seeing a dying town central with dropping property values, which will be a sitting duck for maybe one big investor yet again to gobble up and own.

It’s an idea of mine which I pray will find favour with and gain traction with those that can indeed make it happen – all it takes is the will and working together of those persons for the common good and seeing the bigger picture.  Then maybe, just maybe, we won’t have to be so concerned about any one investor owning and controlling so much in these islands.

Yours for a better
 Cayman Islands,
Osbourne Bodden
916 4439
March 14, 2012