THE FUTURE OF GEORGE TOWN WITH: JEREMY HURST
JANUARY 2023
Jeremy Hurst, founder and owner of IRG Cayman, shares why the company chose the capital for its latest project and his vision for George Town’s future.
In a new series, we catch up with some of George Town’s brightest business minds to explore the capital’s potential.
First up is Jeremy Hurst, founder and owner of IRG Cayman, who discusses the realty group’s groundbreaking ONE | GT project and his vision for it in George Town.
One of the most significant developments to arrive in the city in recent years, ONE | GT is a mixed-use, 175-residence complex that will bring a range of living, drinking, dining and leisure options to the capital. Here, Jeremy tells us, why George Town?
For me, George Town is home. I’ve always had a close connection with the capital. When I came to Grand Cayman in 1987, it’s where I first worked, and it’s where IRG’s office and many of my properties are.
To George Town, ONE | GT will bring business and leisure travellers, residents, tenants, life and energy, becoming a destination for locals and visitors. The boutique hotel and residences, arranged over 11 floors, provide a selection of resort amenities, restaurants, outdoor spaces and Cayman’s first rooftop Sky Club. Apart from being a great business opportunity, we think ONE | GT will be a catalyst for other redevelopment projects in the city.
Other business owners should consider George Town because it remains the home of our government, courts and many corporations. It’s our most accessible deep-water port, with massive opportunities for luxury cruise and superyacht tourism. And it’s where our first settlers stepped ashore, blending our island’s rich history with new possibilities for commercial, retail and residential ventures.
My advice for others looking to move to George Town is to get in on the ground floor. There’s nowhere else in Cayman where you can buy at these prices, which offers loads of opportunity for owners, entrepreneurs and investors.
If I could change one thing about George Town, it would be to turn Cayman’s capital into the vibrant, bustling community it should be. To me, it’s perfectly poised for redevelopment, so as an entrepreneur and developer, I wouldn’t change anything. That said, it’s been frustrating to see companies exit from the area, leaving it a bit of a ghost town at night compared to the place I remember – we believe there is an opportunity to turn this around.
But one thing I hope doesn’t change in George Town is the existing businesses and residents. We want to see the city flourishing again, benefitting them. I am a great believer in preserving our history, and I am confident we can do it within the scope of a sensible redevelopment plan. I may be an optimist, but I honestly believe we can balance development with conservation and people’s needs in the environment – that we can co-exist and work in parallel.
In the future, I see George Town well on its way to becoming the most vibrant capital in the Caribbean, with tourists, business travellers and residents enjoying a range of cultural and dining attractions plus modern island living.
Learn more about the ONE | GT project.