Member of Parliament for St Michael South Central Marsha Caddle is calling for the implementation of the proposed Halls Road Commercial Village to provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people in her constituency.
The Government backbencher said the vision was part of the St Michael South Central manifesto even prior to the 2018 general elections when residents of that constituency first elected her as their representative.
She said while the Constitution River project, part of which is in her constituency, has been executed, the commercial village is still necessary to make young people feel as if the space really belongs to them.
“And yes, we want the small boats to come in and berth, which is one of the brilliant parts of that . . . [but] we want the people from the community to also feel that this place ‘nice up for we’. That is a part of our work – to make sure that people feel ownership of this space,” she said while contributing to debate in the House of Assembly on a resolution to vest the Treasury Building in the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTII).
The MP also disclosed that a Building Blocks Project, similar to what is in the Ivy, St Michael, has been established for St Michael South Central through the Ministry of Youth. She said the area along the embankment of the canal had been chosen for the project.
“And, Sir, I’ll say that across three Ministers of Youth, I have been privileged to work closely with each to this date to make sure that that is a reality. But I speak to it today because I want to make sure that as with such developments, we don’t focus on the big works and forget about the small works that will really affect people,” Caddle said.
“ . . . . I find myself having to answer questions about when are works going to start,” she added.
On that note, Caddle made it clear that the Constitution River project could not be considered done until the St Michael South Central Building Blocks Project is complete.
The economist stressed that there is to be no tourism redevelopment or large infrastructure redevelopment without urban renewal and regeneration.
Meanwhile, Caddle also lamented that while the Weymouth Wales football team which originated in Carrington Village had excelled for many years, they did not have a home ground.
“I can no longer support it, Sir. Not a team that has produced so many national players, not a team that has done so well over the years. We cannot have people walking up and down with nowhere to call home.
“Thankfully, having appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports on this matter they have agreed, in principle, to be able to have the Weymouth B Pasture, as the team has requested, be the home ground for Weymouth Wales. However, it means that as a condition of the handover of the Constitution River project that the field has to be regraded and reconstituted to standard for football,” Caddle said.
