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The Ministry for District Administration and Lands (MDAL) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to officially launch a new development on 6 December, the construction of a Calisthenics Park will commence at the Seven Mile Public Beach. The 5,575 square foot, state-of-art, outdoor fitness facility is a donation from local businessman, Phillip Schlossstein and will be free for public use.

Held at the construction site, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by a small group of Government officials and contributing team members of the project, including His Excellency, Governor Martyn Roper who gave the opening remarks. Governor Roper expressed, “Cayman’s first Calisthenics Park is a great initiative by Phillip Schlossstein and the teams from the Ministry of District Administration and Lands and Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure (PAHI). I commend those who have done their part to bring this project to this point and look forward to its official opening in the future. It is a great form of encouragement to make fitness and exercise a part of our everyday lives, which supports our physical and mental health, particularly during these challenging times of a global pandemic. I am sure this will be well received by the community.”

The Calisthenics Park is the brainchild of Phillip Schlossstein who is originally from Detmold, Germany and has been resident in Grand Cayman for the past six years. “I have developed a deep love for the Cayman Islands, its people, its culture and way of life. Bringing people together of all ages, all fitness levels, all income groups and genders, to work out and socialize at our new Calisthenics Street Workout Park, located at one of the most beautiful locations in Grand Cayman, will further strengthen this area as a place where everyone from the community is truly welcomed,” expressed the successful entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist.

The park’s development and construction costs will be covered by Phillip Scholssstein who revealed the park’s design and key features during the ceremony’s proceedings. Notable is the oval-shaped design and green colour scheme which is inspired by the Green Sea Turtle, an important and iconic figure in the Cayman Islands history and heritage. The park’s perimeter will feature a two-lane walking track.

1001. for Health and Wellness, Honourable Sabrina Turner was also in attendance and expressed excitement about the project. “Calisthenics is a form of strength training with exercises that do not rely on anything but a person’s own body weight. It is suitable for all levels of fitness, with scientific study proving that the use of calisthenics helps to treat various health conditions. I am happy that residents will have access to an additional opportunity to improve and maintain their health and wellness,” added Turner.

With the park’s site located on Crown land, oversight for the project is assigned to MDAL, with consultation provided by PAHI. The calisthenics park will be maintained by the Public Works Department. Speaking on behalf of the Minister responsible for Lands, was Acting Chief Officer, Wilbur Welcome who was the Master of Ceremony.

“The synergies between the Calisthenics Park and the enhancement to Sports, Health and Wellness are evident. However, it is important to note that this is only a portion, and start, of other public beach and park enhancements that our Ministry will be embarking on in the near future. The Ministry through cross-government collaboration will be creating new public beaches across the three islands as well as improving amenities at existing beaches.”, explained Mr. Welcome, Acting Chief Officer for MDAL.

Mr. Scholssstein also added, “We could not have wished for better cooperation with the Cayman Islands Government at all levels on this project. It provides a model for effective future public private partnerships ensuring that Cayman’s rapid development is firmly rooted in harmony with the community that we love. After a trial phase of the hardware installation in Grand Cayman we are looking forward to bringing such a park to the Sister Islands also.”

Commenting on the project under her ministry’s responsibility, Honourable Julianna O’Connor-Connolly concluded, “To be the change you wish to see, is a philosophy that we should all strive to epitomize. The changes that will come about from this project, will positively affect, and benefit the community in various ways. I thank Mr. Scholssstein for his keen insights, generousity, and commitment to positively contribute to this community through action. The Calisthenics Park project is a good example of how our community can thrive through good public-private sector collaboration.”

Project completion is forecasted for February 2022.

For more information about the Ministry of District Administration and Lands (MDAL), visit www.gov.ky/lands