Govt: Civic centre demolition ‘not done deal’ amid backlash

As heritage interest groups, conservationists and architectural historians push back hard against the proposed demolition of the historic Holetown Civic Centre and Police Station to make way for a multi-million-pound high-rise hotel, the government on Monday said the planned project is not a done deal.

Dr William Duguid, Minister of Planning and Development and Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for coordinating infrastructural projects and development commissions, said no final decision has been made on pushing ahead with the project, which is currently being “taken under advisement”.

Dr Duguid first addressed the issue of planning permission for the proposed construction of the hotel.

He told Barbados TODAY: “We haven’t gotten that far as yet. People feel we have gotten that far. We haven’t gotten that far yet. The first thing to be done is to acquire the land, which we are in the process of doing. That is as far as we have gotten.”

He was asked if the government would still go ahead with the venture in the face of ongoing intense opposition to the planned demolition of the centuries-old site that stands in the shadow of a monument to the island’s European settlement in 1627.

“Well,” Dr Duguid responded, “we’re here and we take it under advisement. No decisions on that yet, but we are starting with the land acquisition”.

The senior planning and development minister was adamant that the need to tear down the two heritage buildings to allow the construction of the hotel was not a foregone conclusion.

He said: “The planning permission…the application hasn’t come in for that as yet. So, we still have to go through the process. But you have to start with the acquisition of the land, and that is where we started”.

Architectural historian Professor Sir Henry Fraser is one of the vociferous voices that has strongly condemned the planned demolition, describing it as “poorly thought out” and an affront to Barbados’ heritage preservation efforts.

Sir Henry joined the Barbados National Trust and other growing dissenting voices against the possible destruction of the site.

Conservationists argue that such a move would erase a critical piece of Barbados’ history.

Sir Henry, a longtime champion of heritage conservation, declared: “This is not a well-thought-out proposal.”

He complained about what he described as a contradiction in the country’s approach to heritage preservation—embracing cultural elements like music and cuisine while allowing significant historic structures to deteriorate.

“Everybody is talking about our food and our food and our dancing but meanwhile our buildings are all falling down,” he said.

“We have a historic Bridgetown and its garrison as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and half of it is derelict. Half of it… The buildings of Bridgetown are derelict.”

The well-respected historian also highlighted the implications of relocating the police station, particularly for the average citizen, echoing the trust’s concerns that dismantling the civic complex would disproportionately affect those who rely on public transport.

“The whole complex there is so convenient to people getting off the bus. Instead, they’ll have to walk hundreds of yards up a gentle hill to a new site, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars building a new one,” he said, suggesting that the costs of relocation far outweigh any purported benefits.

Sir Henry rejected the idea that a new complex could be built at a reasonable cost.

“There is no way that complex can be replaced in the way our police stations have been replaced at Hastings for $14 million– that is a joke,” he said.

In a release, the Barbados National Trust called on the government and developers to reconsider the demolition plans and explore alternatives that balance development with historical preservation.

Advocates argue that adaptive reuse of heritage sites could stimulate economic opportunities while safeguarding Barbados’ unique cultural identity.

The release further urged authorities to honour their commitment to preserving the nation’s rich history: “We are called by our national anthem to be ‘guardians of our heritage’.

“We must also seek to bring our heritage to life for the benefit of our youth and generations to come.” (EJ)