It was impossible for Government to hide the proposed development of the controversial Civic Centre at Holetown in St James.
In fact, everything relating to the proposed redevelopment of the area was made public for a considerable time, Senior Minister, Dr William Duguid explained to the country this morning during a ministerial statement given in the House of Assembly.
“Within recent months there have been some concerns expressed by individuals about government’s plans for the future use of lands at Holetown. Most interestingly, there have been calls by some for the government to reveal all the facts surrounding this project, in essence giving the impression that the government has been withholding information. Nothing could be further from the truth,” the MP for Christ Church West said.
Duguid noted that public records show that newspaper notices and statements made at Parish Speaks events in St James are there for the record, and statements from the floor of Parliament had been made regarding the redevelopment of the site of the Civic Centre at Holetown for a considerable time.
“There has been no attempt to hide the facts related to this project. It would be impossible to do so. We are well aware that you can hide and buy land, but you cannot hide and work it,” the Senior Minister told the Lower Chamber.
Duguid revealed that public engagement on the redevelopment dated back to August 2021, when the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. paid for newspaper advertising detailing the plans for the Holetown Civic Centre. The redevelopment is a $40 million project.
The minister said four companies made bids for the project, with the final two, Insurance Corporations of Barbados Limited (ICBL) and the Apes Hill Gold and Beach Club’s proposals providing the most interest.
ICBL’s bid to construct a five-star 100-room hotel won out ahead of Apes Hill’s proposal for a large condominium project, with Duguid saying the former could provide better value added, since it would bring about more jobs and attraction to visitors. (BA)
