🌴 Royal Palms beach bar collapses into sea amid extreme erosion

The once-popular Royal Palms beach bar in the Cayman Islands has been seen crumbling into the sea following Tropical Storm Helene. The severe erosion at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach has reached unprecedented levels, leading to the derelict buildings at Royal Palms literally falling into the sea. The property, which was declared unsafe this week, is due to be demolished. The beach bar was once a bustling spot in the heart of Grand Cayman's tourist district, but the impact of hard structures from neighboring beachfront properties has led to the disappearance of the beach. 🌊

The property was acquired by Dart in 2017 and closed in 2020 during the pandemic. Since then, the buildings have been left to deteriorate and the erosion has accelerated. In 2022, Tropical Storm Ian destroyed a seawall on the site. The Department of Environment advised Dart that the old bar should be torn down and the beach allowed to recover. However, the site remains derelict and the crumbling structures were hit once again during this week's bad weather. Dart has an agreement in place to refurbish the property, with a planning application currently under review. 🏚️

The planning department has now issued a notice warning that the site poses a danger, and as a result, the process is expected to be expedited. The Department of Environment recently sent its advice regarding the renovation project, and the application for demolishing the old bar building was only received this week. The new push to demolish the old bar is likely due to its deterioration after the latest storm and the resulting planning declaration that the site is now unsafe. Royal Palms is one of many properties along the southern end of Seven Mile Beach where the beach has disappeared, and oceanfront structures will need to be removed. If not, the sea will do it for them at a significant cost to Cayman's marine environment and its famous beach. 🏖️