The government is moving forward with plans to transform the Perry Bay-Keeling Point area into a mixed-use development featuring a marina, residential housing, commercial lots and tourism facilities, with Cabinet requiring environmental assessments before construction begins.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant announced the proposal during Thursday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, saying Prime Minister Gaston Browne updated ministers on the planned redevelopment of the western section of St. John’s.
Merchant said the project will encompass the Perry Bay-Keeling Point area adjacent to the Multi-Purpose Cultural and Exhibition Centre and extend westward as part of the government’s broader strategy to stimulate economic growth and expand housing opportunities.
According to Merchant, the development will include a new residential housing community, a marina and commercial lots designed to attract private investment while strengthening the country’s tourism product.
He said the project is also expected to create employment opportunities and generate economic activity in the surrounding communities.
“The development will include a new residential housing community, a marina and commercial lots designed to attract investment, create employment for the people of that area and support sustainable economic growth,” Merchant said.
Merchant said Cabinet endorsed the government’s vision for the redevelopment but agreed that detailed concept designs must first be presented to ministers as planning progresses.
He added that Cabinet also approved a requirement that comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments be completed before any work proceeds.
“The assessments will inform the planning process and ensure that environmental considerations are fully integrated into the final designs,” Merchant said.
During the question-and-answer session following the briefing, Merchant said preliminary designs for the redevelopment are expected to be unveiled within the next few weeks.
He also addressed concerns about residents currently occupying sections of the proposed development area, acknowledging that the presence of squatters would need to be addressed as part of the project.
“The government cannot just simply remove individuals to go and squat elsewhere,” Merchant said.
He said the administration intends, where possible, to incorporate those residents into its housing programme by providing them with an opportunity to own homes.
“Somehow, it will try to incorporate the individuals who are currently there to give them the opportunity to own their properties and to live in a humane fashion,” he said.
Merchant said the government believes the Perry Bay-Keeling Point area possesses significant untapped potential for both residential and commercial development.
“That area, the government believes, presents great potential for development, not only in housing but also economically,” he said, adding that the forthcoming designs will provide the public with a clearer picture of the administration’s vision for the site.
The Perry Bay redevelopment forms part of a broader programme of national development projects being pursued by the government, several of which Cabinet has directed must undergo comprehensive environmental review before construction begins.
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