PLACEMAKING

Dart Real Estate’s philosophy is centred on placemaking, capitalising on the community’s assets, inspiration and potential, with the intention of creating spaces that promote people’s health, happiness and well-being.

Placemaking informs Dart Real Estate processes from start to finish. From the initial vision to the crafting of the design narrative to development and construction to programming and management, every decision is informed by the paramount importance of creating spaces where people naturally gravitate and are inclined to linger.

Nowhere is Dart Real Estate’s commitment to placemaking more apparent than in the town of Camana Bay. The community was designed to grow organically over generations, responding to the needs of its residents and visitors. As Camana Bay approaches its 10-year anniversary, it is often regarded as a second home for many Cayman residents and a must-see stop for overseas visitors.

While thoughtful design provides the DNA for successful placemaking, it is continuous innovation and nurturing that keeps it thriving. Dart Real Estate employs a robust customer engagement team in Camana Bay as well as a team of experiences and engagement professionals who produce more than 600 community and Camana Bay-hosted rituals and special events each year.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

In our efforts to maximise asset value while driving customer satisfaction, we’re fortunate to have partners within the Dart group of companies who share a commitment to sustainable economic growth.

We work alongside Dart Development, Dart’s development management company, in pursuit of development excellence and properties that meet exacting standards for design, quality and functionality. Unified by the Dart values of teamwork and innovation, we collaborate on project exploration and developing opportunities. This ensures our focus on the customer experience is paramount during planning and allows for refinements and improvements with minimal cost impacts prior to detailed design. This thoughtfulness in the earliest stages adds value and positive impact while enabling Dart Development’s design and construction management teams to maximise efficiency and the “on time, on budget” delivery for which they are well known.

Active Capital Ltd. manages a diverse group of retail businesses located in Dart Real Estate developments and provides asset management services for selected properties.

We also partner closely with the Kenneth B Dart Foundation on initiatives to develop strong communities in the Cayman Islands, with Dart Real Estate properties as the stage for enhancing quality of life and providing meaningful experiences and opportunities.

EFFICIENCY + INNOVATION

Dart Real Estate is a regional leader in sustainable design and operating practices.

Buildings at Camana Bay were oriented in such a way to capture the prevailing easterly breezes, naturally cooling buildings and thereby reducing non-renewable energy consumption. Solar shading through roof hangings, balconies and shading devices are also incorporated in the design, as are energy-efficient lighting, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems.

In 2015, 18 Forum Lane at Camana Bay opened as the Caribbean’s first LEED® Gold-certified Class A office building. In addition to the sustainable initiatives incorporated into the architectural design, recycling excess building materials was promoted during construction, as well as ensuring minimal impact on the surrounding natural environment.
In addition, Dart Real Estate’s first for-sale residential property, The Residences at Seafire, is set to open in 2017 and will be among the first LEED® Silver-certified residences in the Caribbean.

LED lighting and inclusion of electric car charging stations are cornerstones of Dart developments. Dart also facilitates the recycling of aluminium cans and glass bottles collected within Camana Bay.

DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE

It’s fitting that the first development from Dart, a company that considers landscape spaces to be just as important as buildings, was born not on an architect’s drawing table but in a nursery. Before conceiving the initial plans for the flagship development of Camana Bay, Ken Dart and Dart Real Estate created a facility to cultivate more than 600 species of native plants and trees that today provide the town’s living landscape. The Dart Real Estate Nursery now occupies 26 acres, supplies all flora to Dart Real Estate properties and remains one of the strongest testaments to the company’s commitment to development excellence.

At Dart Real Estate, design is where art and science break even. In partnership with Dart Development, Dart’s development management company, we work with some of the world’s most forward-thinking professionals in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, lighting and all the design professions that help spaces transcend from good to great.

The best and easiest way to fully understand how Dart Real Estate’s concept of design excellence manifests itself is simply to take a walk around Camana Bay. Nearly 10 years after the first business opened its doors, that spirit permeates every experience in a town whose essence is a magical alchemy of structures, landscape, light, water and the people who bring them to life.

INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS

Dart Real Estate works closely with its sister companies and external partners to collaborate on innovative projects that develop much-needed infrastructure and create economic stimulus in the Cayman Islands.

In 2011, our partnership with the Cayman Islands Government on the National Roads Authority (NRA) Agreement allowed for the redevelopment of a derelict hotel and facilitated significant roadworks without the Government incurring debt.

Two years later, Dart Real Estate partnered with the NRA to expand the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to a four-lane dual carriageway road from Raleigh Quay to West Bay, a $37 million project. And in 2015, Dart Real Estate and the Government announced an amendment to the NRA Agreement which allowed for the expansion and realignment of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to four lanes through Camana Bay, with a vehicular underpass for safe pedestrian passing and an expansion of the Highway to four lanes south to the Butterfield Bank roundabout. This work is on schedule to open in the first half of 2017.

COMMUNITY

Dart’s generational commitment to the Cayman Islands guides the company’s investment in social projects that build stronger, healthier communities.

Launched in 2001, Growing Communities is a public-private partnership between Dart and the Cayman Islands Government which facilitated the creation, restoration and continued maintenance of five district parks, and assisted with the renovation and development of six additional public community parks in Grand Cayman. The initiative grew from Ken Dart’s affinity for natural landscapes and open gathering spaces that inspire and bring people together.

In 2012 Dart Enterprises launched its Minds Inspired educational programme, which provides scholarships to high-school students who excel in the areas of mathematics and science. The programme also offers grants and internship opportunities for Caymanian students to attend internationally accredited universities abroad and includes work experience and educational outreach for a broad range of students.

Additionally, Dart Real Estate has purchased and donated to the Cayman Islands Government over 100 acres of Grand Cayman’s Central Mangrove Wetland for preservation, an integral part of the ecosystem living within the North Sound. The company has also donated 70 acres of land at Barkers National Park to the Government, which will be protected from development to maintain the natural wildlife habitat the Park provides.