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“Absolutely not” was At-Large Representative Lorna Smith’s response to a proposal to turn the Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex into a mall and hotel, insisting that public servants and ministries should return to the building.
Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme on October 5, the Junior Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation said the complex should serve the purpose for which it was built.
“I think we should go back into the admin complex. It was built for that purpose,” Smith said.
She was responding to a question about People’s Leadership Movement (PLM) leader Mark Vanterpool’s recent proposal to convert the property into a commercial hub instead of returning government offices there.
Speaking on the same programme on September 28, Vanterpool proposed a small-business mall on the ground floor, with conference facilities and hotel accommodation on the upper levels. He argued that the development would generate economic activity in Road Town after normal working hours.
The proposal attracted pushback from some residents commenting online, who questioned abandoning the building’s original purpose after years of rehabilitation work and argued that centralising government services would make access easier for the public. It was against that backdrop that the host asked Smith whether she supported the idea.
Smith pointed to the current spread of ministries and public officers across locations stretching from Fish Bay to near Prospect Reef, saying bringing as many as possible together would improve coordination and physical contact.
“It's important that people are in the same, as many people as possible, are in the same building,” she said.
The complex has remained out of full operation since sustaining extensive damage during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Rehabilitation began in 2019, and the Government has stated its intention to return the seat of government to the building in 2027.
On Vanterpool’s wider argument that Road Town needs more economic activity at night, Smith agreed, pointing to opportunities to develop other properties on Wickham’s Cay near the port.
“I accept that we need more activity, economic activity at night,” she said.
Smith expressed hope that several properties in that area would be developed, suggesting that one or two could accommodate boutique hotels given their relatively small size.
She also said she expected the Gaming Commission to come on stream within the next few months and believed gaming facilities could encourage more cruise ships to remain in port, adding to activity in the capital.
Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme on October 5, the Junior Minister for Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation said the complex should serve the purpose for which it was built.
“I think we should go back into the admin complex. It was built for that purpose,” Smith said.
She was responding to a question about People’s Leadership Movement (PLM) leader Mark Vanterpool’s recent proposal to convert the property into a commercial hub instead of returning government offices there.
Speaking on the same programme on September 28, Vanterpool proposed a small-business mall on the ground floor, with conference facilities and hotel accommodation on the upper levels. He argued that the development would generate economic activity in Road Town after normal working hours.
The proposal attracted pushback from some residents commenting online, who questioned abandoning the building’s original purpose after years of rehabilitation work and argued that centralising government services would make access easier for the public. It was against that backdrop that the host asked Smith whether she supported the idea.
Smith pointed to the current spread of ministries and public officers across locations stretching from Fish Bay to near Prospect Reef, saying bringing as many as possible together would improve coordination and physical contact.
“It's important that people are in the same, as many people as possible, are in the same building,” she said.
The complex has remained out of full operation since sustaining extensive damage during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Rehabilitation began in 2019, and the Government has stated its intention to return the seat of government to the building in 2027.
On Vanterpool’s wider argument that Road Town needs more economic activity at night, Smith agreed, pointing to opportunities to develop other properties on Wickham’s Cay near the port.
“I accept that we need more activity, economic activity at night,” she said.
Smith expressed hope that several properties in that area would be developed, suggesting that one or two could accommodate boutique hotels given their relatively small size.
She also said she expected the Gaming Commission to come on stream within the next few months and believed gaming facilities could encourage more cruise ships to remain in port, adding to activity in the capital.
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This banter between siblings in cute. SMH...