Senators: People must have stake in Glendairy project

Minister of Tourism Lisa Cummins and Senator Rudy Grant want to see small business people and individuals in the environs of Glendairy Prison given a chance to benefit from whatever development is done at the former penal institution.

Introducing a resolution to vest the former Glendairy Prison property in the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) for tourism development, Cummins further indicated she “would love to see a local consortium of both investors and entrepreneurs come together with capital and ideas” and submit a response to the request for proposals (RFP) for the property.

Although no specifics of the development planned for the 27.7-acre property at Station Hill, St Michael have been provided, Cummins said the community must be given a stake in it.

She said while not everyone would have money to invest, they could still be involved and benefit from it through opportunities for vending, creative entrepreneurship, etc.

“This is an opportunity for Barbadians to see this and all the other projects that are being advertised by the BTII as a stake in the game that they are being offered, that they have an opportunity to buy into,” Minister Cummins said.

Senator Grant, meanwhile, noting that nothing of real value is currently being done at the old prison, said it has massive potential for not only tourism but for members of the surrounding community.

“One of the things I would like to see with any project at Glendairy, is an integration of the community and the ability for vendors and small business operators to also have an opportunity to participate,” he said.

“I believe that it is important that as we create the framework for development, that we ensure that that development is done in a manner that all segments of the society are allowed to participate.”

Both Senator Grant, who is chief executive officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Authority, and the Tourism Minister expressed the view that the BTII was the appropriate entity in which to vest the prison property.

Minister Cummins noted that aside from tourism development, the BTII has played and continues to play an active involvement in infrastructure development in Barbados.

She pointed to previous successful projects done under the agency and also noted that as recently as Wednesday, the BTII had put out two RFPs.

One of those is an RFP for the development of a tourism project at Oistins, Christ Church, on the 6.6 acres of land currently occupied by the Royal Barbados Police Force, Randall Phillips Polyclinic, post office, library, Welfare Department, Licensing Authority, Barbados Revenue Authority, the Oistins Magistrate’s Court, and the bus terminal. The other RFP relates to the redevelopment and adaptive use of the Treasury Building for a combination of residential, commercial and mixed use buildings.

Cummins said the Glendairy project is “best vested in this company that has on the basis of experience, extensive skills and knowledge on how to execute these projects”.

The Tourism Minister and Grant agreed that the development at Glendairy would offer visitors the authentic experiences that many of them seek when they visit the island.

“There are people travelling around the world who want to get off the beaten track, who want to leave their hotels…and go into the country and benefit from the things that we as Barbadians attach significance to,” she said.

“That is what a site like Glendairy can give to a visitor and to an investor who sees and understands that analysis – that is whether we have a wellness facility or whatever we use it for.” (DP)