The Government is negotiating the construction of a major hotel in Peter’s Hope on St. Vincent’s eastern coast, Prime Minster Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says.
Speaking at a ceremony in Barrouallie on Monday during 185 housing lot were distributed to residents of Glebe Hill, Gonsalves said his government is negotiating construction of the hotel and will keep Vincentians up-to-date on the progress
“I need more hotel rooms for the international airport,” he said of the infrastructure, which is slated to be completed next year.
The Prime Minister also announced that the Government will borrow money to build smaller hotels and lease them to Vincentians entrepreneurs as the Government looks to strengthen the tourism industry sector.
Gonsalves further said that the National Insurance Services and Government Employees Cooperative Credit Union will also be undertaking a housing and commercial development project in the Peter’s Hope area for lower middle income and middle income persons.
The first phase of the project is expected to begin by year-end, he said.
Gonsalves also reiterated that work is slated to commence early next year on 11 kilometers of road from Hospital Road in Kingstown to the post office in Layou — an EC$46 million project.
“Despite the global economic crisis, the Government is working harder and smarter,” Gonsalves said.
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Peter’s Hope (aka as Mt. Wynne) is on the Leeward or Western side of St. Vincent. There have been several futile attempts to develop a hotel in this area for the past 30 years. Together with the Cumberland beach/bay area, it is the only coastal region on the whole mainland which potentially viable for large-scale hotel development.
I hope it’s not Dave Ames of Harlequin, because he was promised the site in the early days.
Whoever it is I just hope it’s a real company with a real track record, I hope that the due diligence has been properly carried out. Because when I get the information I will expose every blemish and fault that I find.
The site is what may well be a panic sale, we are in such a financial state that we must grab what we can from wherever we can.
I wonder what will be the nature of the contemplated commercial development. I hope this development will also take place in Barrouallie proper. I hope that private sector interests of all sizes are involved in this process. This can be a good opportunity to decentralise away from over crowded Kingstown. It can mean greater convenience for residents of Leeward and eliminating the need for long tiring journeys to the city. If is planned properly. Lord knows every single town in this country needs to be revived big time.