The more than $2 million Bathsheba, St Joseph facility is on schedule to be completed by November.
After the launch of the nearby revamped Tent Bay Fishing Complex recently, Member of Parliament Dale Marshall took the media back to the site for an update.
“A community centre was on this location. A lot of Barbadian culture and practices have changed over the years so the centre that was here had not been used for years,” Marshall said.
“So when the ministry [of Community Empowerment] discussed with me the possibility of fixing it up and replacing it with another community centre, I felt that would not have paid any dividends in this community as we have numerous public places around which people could use to have meetings,” he said.
Marshall said the facility would be better served as a place for artists, adding it would include a restaurant.
“The community centre was not used but crafts people did use the balcony to sell art and crafts to tourists and I felt we would be doing a good thing if we provided economic activity for that element of our Bathsheba community. This facility has three vendors’ kiosks and will also have a tea shop type restaurant as we think this is an amazing location with a view of the East of Barbados and it will also provide a significant opportunity for those involved in the arts to have gallery displays,” he said.
The MP said the plans also included converting a piece of land behind the facility into a park. A private investor has volunteered to fund this venture.
The ground-breaking took place in March with Member of Parliament Dale Marshall and Minister of Community Empowerment Dwight Sutherland. (CA)
