St Philip to get civic centre

The nation’s largest parish, St Philip, is to get a civic centre, as the government moves to enhance law enforcement and public services in the southeast, Attorney General Dale Marshall announced on Tuesday.

During the Estimates debate in the House of Assembly, the AG acknowledged a growing need for improved infrastructure to support the parish’s growing population and economic activity.

He told lawmakers: “With the growth in the population as a whole, and the areas surrounding St Philip, the amount of commercial activity that is taking place in St Philip, added to that some spikes in criminal activity in the area, it is evident that we need to improve the police presence in St Philip.

“District ‘C’ [police station] as it stands has virtually outlived its usefulness, and we are committed to putting a new police facility in the Six Roads area. Of course, as you know, we wouldn’t just build a police facility; we would collocate with a police facility, a new magistrate’s court and other civic facilities.”

Marshall revealed that an initial design for the complex had been submitted, but it proposed a multistorey structure, which the government deemed unsuitable for the location.

He said: “We have had a design submitted, but the design was for a multistorey building and we did not  think that was the direction that we wanted to go in. So we are looking at a different kind of design, but I anticipate that certainly by the middle of this financial  year, we should be able to put out something to invite designs so that we can then move to giving the people of St Philip a new civic centre, much like the people of St Joseph got one 20 years ago.” (SB)