Phase one of the $200m Pierhead Project in Bridgetown is on schedule for completion in late 2027, developers said on Wednesday, reporting steady construction progress, strong investor interest and plans to keep the waterfront site open and accessible to the public.
Project director Michael Pickles said the first phase, dubbed the Steel Building, could alternatively be finished no later than the first quarter of 2028.
Phase one focuses on 39 apartments, retail and food and beverage outlets, a beach club, and restoring the historic Blackwood Screwdock.
Michael Pickles, Pierhead Project, Project Director. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph/Barbados TODAY)
Assuring that the Steel Building will be made accessible to the public on opening, project manager Luke Thompson gave more details regarding the venture’s timelines and status:
“When phase one is due to be opened in the future, which is projected in Q4 of next year of 2027 or Q1 of 2028, that is when public access will be open, and the list of items that would be opened at that point, would be the Steel Building which we are constructing right now, and we are about 30 per cent complete with the super structure. We are bang on time,”
Pierhead project, Project Manager, Luke Thompson . (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph/Barbados TODAY)
Thompson said a beach club is among other aspects of that phase to which Barbadians will have access.
“As well as the infrastructure attached to those items. All of the infrastructure will be done all the way to the end of Bay Street, and that will be open, once phase one is done…that will be open to the public.”
Pickles also stressed that the project is a non-gated site and that they are in the process of putting the various amenities in place for Barbadians to enjoy once completed.
Steel Building on track at Pierhead Project. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph/Barbados TODAY)
“That package of works is in design at the moment; ultimately, it includes grassing down at the Point, landscaping and providing free space. That design is being completed, and we are in negotiations now with our builders, for the award of that contract to add on to that building,” he disclosed.
Turning his attention to the level of interest expressed so far for investment in the apartments and commercial spaces, the project director said he is pleased.
Pickles said: “The response is good. We have had a number of reservations. There are 39 apartments in the first building. I understand it’s around two-thirds of the apartments in the first building have been reserved.
“The commercial interest in the project has picked up, definitely. There has been a good blend of local, regional and international interest in the apartments. The aspirations of the project is, as we progress out of the first building, we are working with One [the contractor]…we want to reduce the cost of the apartments, so that they remain as open as possible to the local population to come and occupy as a place to live and work.”
Pickles also spoke to the future of the historic Blackwood Screw Dock in the heart of the Pierhead, the only surviving dry dock of its kind in the world with a screw-driven hoist.
“We are looking to conserve the Screw Dock. As you know, it’s UNESCO protected. It is one of two in the world, and we cherish that heritage. We are not going to take it back to a working screw dock; simply because this is not a boatyard. But we do see the machinery and equipment there is an historic important feature of the project. We will be retaining it.”
Pickles disclosed that marine experts have been hired to guide the restoration of the dock, in which a schooner will be procured and placed inside the waterway to form a museum for the benefit of Barbadians and others.
Project manager Thompson said 75 people, mostly Barbadians, are currently employed, with a “handful” of foreign labour.
The level of employment would rise as the project progresses, he said.
Pierhead Phases – What to Know
The massive five-acre waterfront revitalisation development merges modern living with heritage preservation and is scheduled to be completed in three distinct phases over the next several years.
Phase 1: Steel Building (2025-2027): includes 39 apartments, retail and food and beverage outlets, a beach club, and restoring the historic Blackwood Screw Dock.
Phase 2: House of Pillars (2027–2028): Will introduce an additional 39 apartments, more retail space, and enhanced berthing and marina areas.
Phase 3: Bridge House (2029–2031): The final phase will add roughly 100 apartments, additional dining options, and cultural spaces.
