CITY Mayor Peterson Francis has warned representatives of the private sector that the redevelopment of Castries will result in inconveniences,Ā āI beg your participation, contributions, encouragement and support.
āI also beg for your patience and understanding as many of you will be inconvenienced when works through this redevelopment exercise begins,ā Francis said.
He stated that he was delighted to be part of the affairs which pave the way to building a better and new Castries.
According to Francis, the vision is for a capital City that is the envy of other islands and one that moreover, lends to economic revival and commercial development.
āI think we all share a common commitment in facilitating, yet ensuring that opportunity exists for all citizens, residents and visitors to the city of Castries, ā he told the gathering of private sector officials last week at the Financial Centre in Castries.
āBut what also brings us together here at this meeting, is another factor ā a collective recognition that in our efforts to ensure opportunity, we must be guided by accurate information through sensitisation and consultative meetings, solid policy analysis and specifically outlining vision and plans,ā Francis observed.
He explained that the hard reality is that it takes time and dispassionate analysis to understand the nature and scope of such projects.
Components of the redesigning of Castries include a food court, high-end air conditioned restaurants, a craft market, viewing tower, an entertainment area and duty free shopping boutiques.
Just recently, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet told a signing ceremony for a Sister City agreement between Castries and Taipei that the Government Printery, the Parliament Building and the Courthouse will be demolished.
āIām hoping to be able to have that done before the end of this year,ā Chastanet told the ceremony, adding that the goal is to keep the area as an open space and develop it as a park.
“——the goal is to keep the area as an open space and develop it as a Park.”
A park for whom, the birds, loiterers, vendors, tourists to see? I don’t see it.
BTW, nice Tie Mr. Mayor; sorry to be hammering so much on this matter, but
as a Mayor of Castries, I feel that of all people that you should be the one to
oppose turning that area into another Park in the City. We do have Parks in the
City, The Derek Wallcot square is enough. We also have the George V Park we
used to call “The Gardens”. A place when I was growing up, me and my friends
went there to play, and I emphasize ‘play’. I remember Mr. Hinds who was the
Manager, there for the upkeep and maintenance of the then lovely Park. I get
a little mad, when I see that things which should be fixed are left to rut or left to
the whims of dreamers. I too am a dreamer,but for other and positive matters.