Dubai Sotheby's International Realty launches

Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced it has signed an exclusive 25-year master franchise agreement with Prime Realty Ltd to develop the Sotheby's International Realty(R) brand throughout the United Arab Emirates, with its first office set to open next to Dubai's Burj Khalifa in November 2013.

The firm will conduct business as Dubai Sotheby's International Realty with Billy Rautenbach as managing director and Eric Roche, who spent nearly a decade at Sotheby's International Realty in its Manhattan East Side brokerage office in New York City, as director of international sales and development.

"Dubai is a strategically important market for the Sotheby's International Realty brand and this signing represents a key step forward in our overall growth plans across the Middle East," said Philip White, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. "The Dubai Sotheby's International team offers local knowledge and experience and is led by a seasoned executive team. Billy Rautenbach has been in real estate for 28 years, with nine years in Dubai. During this time, she has cultivated one of the largest real estate businesses in the Middle East and gained expertise in leading a team of more than 600 in property management, sales, leasing, investments, project development, management and marketing both locally and internationally."

The office will be located at Emaar Boulevard Plaza, Tower One, Suite 2601, next to the Burj Khalifa.

"We strive to provide the very best service to our clients," said Roche. "This is underlined by the significant attention and involvement we give to all our clients and services, both locally and regionally. Over the years, we have acquired an excellent reputation and a credible track record as leading specialists in our chosen fields, and the Sotheby's International Realty brand's reputation as the world's premium luxury property marketer is a perfect fit for this region."

The Sotheby's International Realty network currently has more than 13,000 sales associates located in approximately 670 offices in 49 countries and territories worldwide. Dubai Sotheby's International Realty listings will be marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm's brokers and clients will benefit from an association with the Sotheby's auction house and worldwide Sotheby's International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.

Kimpton Hotel Cayman receives planning permission.

An artist’s impression of the planned Kimpton hotel shows how Dart Realty’s $200 million project will change the visual landscape of the Seven Mile Beach area. 

The design plans for the project have been revealed following the Central Planning Authority’s decision to grant approval for the hotel and condo development, which features two 10-story buildings and six beach-front bungalows. 

“We are delighted to have received approval from the Central Planning Authority for the Kimpton resort and we look forward to starting construction,” said Jackie Doak, chief operating officer of Dart Realty.  

“The Kimpton resort will expand and complement Cayman’s high quality tourism product. This is an important milestone in growing our tourism product and facilitating continued economic recovery. Employment and contracting opportunities relating to the construction of the hotel with DECCO and its sub-contractors will be commencing in the upcoming months,” she added. 

The permanent closure of a small part of West Bay Road has enabled designers to position the hotel well back from the coastline. The design takes advantage of the extra space with amenities, including the pool, public walkway and gardens between the buildings and the water. 

The plans feature a rooftop restaurant and bar featuring 360-degree ocean views and all guest rooms will have a view of the water, taking advantage of the location between Seven Mile Beach and the North Sound.  

The plans also feature a glass-walled lobby and arrival court, raised 24 feet above sea level to offer guests sweeping views of the pool, gardens and ocean. 

The bulk of the parking will be underground and the resort’s open spaces, including the beach bar and walkway/bicycle path, will be open to the public.  

Trendy San Francisco hotel chain Kimpton signed up in July to manage the property, scheduled to open in late 2016. 

The project will create around 400 jobs, according to Dart, and PricewaterhouseCoopers has said the hotel will generate $755 million for the local economy over 20 years. 

The hotel will have “265 keys.” This includes 37 suites which are for sale and the six bungalows. Adjacent to the hotel is the residential building, which features 61 condos. 

Dart says the design is intended to craft a “modern Caymanian and Caribbean aesthetic” that “sets the tone for future Seven Mile Beach development.” 

SB Architects and John Doak Architecture are collaborating on the design.  

The Central Planning Authority granted planning permission with minor conditions, including the addition of 15 extra parking spaces. 

The National Roads Authority agreement between the Cayman Islands government and the developer, which paved the way for the hotel to be built in the planned location, remains a point of controversy for some.  

A lawsuit filed in February by four West Bay residents claims land swaps between government and Dart violated due process, were “unconstitutional,” “irrational” and “ultra vires,” or outside the law. Dart is contesting the suit along with four government agencies.

Shared from original article in Cayman Compass.

Kimpton Hotel - Seven Mile Beach

The Caymanian Compass reports:

The Dart Group’s Kimpton hotel won’t just be the Cayman Islands’ first 10-storey building, it will be the country’s first pair of 10-storey buildings. 

That’s according to a planning application filed by local architect John Doak on behalf of Blossom Estates, the Dart company in charge of the Seven Mile Beach resort project. 

The plans call for a 10-storey hotel building and a 10-storey condo building, each about 130 feet tall, plus three one-storey bungalows, between the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and the now-closed strip of West Bay Road. According to the plans, the existing Surfside Beach Restaurant & Bar will remain on the beachside. Also preserved is an existing public right-of-way to Public Beach. 

The section of West Bay Road was closed in exchange for Dart extending the Esterley Tibbetts to West Bay, under an agreement between Dart and the former United Democratic Party government. A group of residents has challenged that closure in court and a hearing on the case is due to be held in December. 

According to the planning application, Dart’s hotel is expected to cost $139 million to build, with 60 per cent of costs for materials and 40 per cent for labour. Planning fees totalled more than $239,000. 

The footprint of the proposed project is 111,898 square feet, with a gross floor area of 589,170 square feet. 

Square footage  

The footprint of the hotel building is 75,248 square feet, with a total gross floor area of 414,426 square feet. There is some 34,638 square feet of commercial space in the hotel building, for a spa, shops, two restaurants, a bar and meeting rooms. The footprint of the condo building is 36,650 square feet, with a total gross area of 170,244 square feet. Each of the three bungalows is 1,500 square feet. 

The buildings are clustered around a pool, with the complex opening up to Seven Mile Beach. 

In addition to the 10 storeys of living space, each building has two storeys for underground parking. In total, the hotel building has 203 rooms and 37 apartments, ranging in size from 582 square feet for a single king-sized room to 2,563 for a four-bedroom apartment. The condo building has 62 units, ranging from 650 square feet for a studio, to 3,066 square feet for a four-bedroom apartment. There are six bungalow units in all, each being 750 square feet. 

Features  

The first floor of the hotel building contains the lobby, a 5,000-square foot grand ballroom with a terrace, a 2,200-square-foot junior ballroom and a 750-square-foot bedroom. The lobby also contains a 2,120-square-foot space for “Dart retail”, lounge bar and a three-meal restaurant, on the beachside of the building, with seating for about 70 people. 

The 10th floor of the hotel building contains a “sky bar and feature restaurant”, with indoor and outdoor seating for about 60 people.  

The first floors of the hotel and condo buildings are 24 and 25 feet above mean sea level, and their roofs rise to about 142 feet above sea level, with the entire physical structures sitting under the maximum 158-foot height set by Cayman’s aviation authority. 

To gain access to the property, the plans show a curving divided driveway extending northwest from the Esterley Tibbetts to the resort buildings. In addition to underground parking, there is a surface parking lot with 158 spaces next to the Esterley Tibbetts. 

Companies  

The US architect is SB Architects of Florida, along with local firm John Doak Architecture. The landscape architect is ESDA of Maryland. The structural engineer is APEC Consulting Engineers of Cayman. The MEP engineer is TLC Engineering for Architecture of Florida. 

Earlier in July, Dart formally announced that San Francisco-based Kimpton will manage the new hotel. Dart acquired the site from developer Stan Thomas in 2011. The property is the location of the former Courtyard Marriott, which was demolished to make way for the new hotel.  

The opening date for the Kimpton in Cayman is 2016. The plans for the hotel are available for public viewing at the Cayman Islands Planning Department, and 
still have to be approved by officials. 

Open House Saturday | Cayman Islands Sotheby's International Realty

11am - 1pm Join Adolfo Alba at Coral Gables. Delightful 3bed home in a family friendly neighbourhood.

#85 Invicta Drive, Coral Gables

Recently Reduced.

Map

11am - 1pm Join Karina McDermot at Tropical Manor. Fantastic water front complex with views over the North Sound. Unbeatable value for 1bed condo here.

Tropical Manor #15

New to market

Map

1pm - 3pm Join Basia Harris

#23 Lovedale Dr, Savannah Meadows
4bed 3.5bath family home
4,500sqft | 0.6acre lot
View map here

1pm - 3pm Join Shernean Whorms

#72 Angle Ridge Dr, Beach Bay
5bed 5bath family home includes separate 1bed rental suite
3,150sqft | 0.36acre lot
View map here

Open House: Saturday 11am - 1pm

Offered at $189k
Les Suites #7 - Literally 355yards from the front door to feet in sand on Seven Mile Beach! Unbeatable value for the location with 2beds and 2 full baths. Adjacent to DART owned land, it really doesn't get any better than this!

Click here for property details: Les Suites #7
Click here for map

Open House Saturday 11am - 2pm

Saturday 11am - 2pm two great Open Houses.

#23 Lovedale Dr, Savannah Meadows
4bed 3.5bath family home
4,500sqft | 0.6acre lot
View map here

#72 Angle Ridge Dr, Beach Bay
5bed 5bath family home includes separate 1bed rental suite
3,150sqft | 0.36acre lot
View map here

Nelson Quay home, Governor's Harbour

Nelson Quay #78

Offered at US$1.45m
5,500sqft
4bed, 4.5bath

Spacious family home on 1/2acre lot in Governor's Harbour just minutes from Seven Mile Beach. 200ft of canal front and large boat dock for all of your water toys.