BARRING any unforeseen developments, Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris said the first phase of the Store Bay redevelopment project should begin in July.
Last September, vendors at the Store Bay Beach Facility called on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to clear the air about their plans for the popular spot after rumours circulated about a grand redevelopment project for the area.
The division had denied having any concrete plan for the area, saying consultation with stakeholders was ongoing.
A vendor, who had spoke to Newsday at that time, said he and others had received an invitation to a couple of stakeholder meetings hosted by the division on July 16 and 25, but was unimpressed.
The plan, he said then, included a mega swimming pool and a proposed name change to Store Bay Beach Club.
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Speaking to reporters before the recommissioning of the Fort King George lighthouse on January 13, Burris claimed stakeholders were pleased with the second set of designs presented by the division.
“The last consultation that we had, we got some agreement from the persons present..., softened the first set of designs a little bit, took back the user feedback, and that informed what the second designs looked like. There was agreement that they would prefer that second option versus the first one that was presented to them,” she said.
Burris said the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago, which is managing the project, will be responsible for having the second set of designs built out.
“So it’s no longer a concept, but now they actually have to do the designs.”
She said the idea is for the first phase of that project to begin and be delivered during this fiscal year.
“But naturally, we are always re-prioritising in terms of looking at how we can still manage to deliver tourism infrastructure development despite challenges with financing and that kind of thing.
“So right now they are at the design phase and we had earmarked to begin that first phase in July. So I am hoping that when we have that conversation about this project, after we have delivered this one today (Fort King George lighthouse), that we can still maintain that timeline.”
Burris said the idea was to have the first phase done in-house using some resources from the THA via the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development, “and if that is still on the table, well then it is still a priority of mine.”
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Contacted by Newsday on January 14, Ashley Mc Millan, owner of Man on the Rock cocktail bar, said he has not seen any new design for the redevelopment of Store Bay.
“I ain’t see nothing," a surprised Mc Millan told Newsday.
"All I hear them say is that they not going and do all that they say they going and do again. They was just going and fix over stuff.
“They will just fix up the booths and the food court. Those types of things. That is about it. But I haven’t heard anything after, honestly.”
Mc Millan said he recently refurbished his bar.
