THA Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris. - Photo by Visual Styles
SECRETARY of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris says another round of public consultations for the proposed Store Bay redevelopment project should take place in the next two weeks.
In September, several vendors at the facility called on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to come clean on their plans for the redevelopment of the popular recreational spot.
Their appeal came after an August 30 Facebook post on the I Support Phillip Alexander page, which claimed that the facility was being given to “the one per cent.”
The division subsequently denied having any final redevelopment plan.
Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Watson Duke had also warned of a “potential tragedy that would not bring Tobago any advancement, but rather leave a sour taste upon Tobagonians, Trinidadians and would-be visitors.”
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Saying the beach was just a five-minute walk from the airport with bathroom and facilities and security, he said “all of this is up for grabs.”
Duke claimed there was “a certain level of unease, of frustration, of confusion in the minds of those who ply their trade here."
Giving an update on the project at a news conference on October 28, Burris said two weeks ago, the division received the second set of conceptual designs from the project managers, Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago Ltd (E-IDCOT).
“They made a presentation to the executive council which found favour with the executive council,” she said.
But Burris said the division intends to have another consultation with the users of the facility and other key stakeholders, including other stakeholders in Crown Point, Canaan and Bon Accord.
She added the division will also be collaborating with the Office of the Chief Secretary when that next consultation happens, “because we would want the public to at least be able to view, even if they may not be able to attend.
“We would want to make the presentation of both conceptual designs so that everybody will be aware of what the designs are.”
Burris said all of the designs have come from user feedback.
“None of these designs were designed by myself or any member of the executive council. It was the surveys that was done by E-IDCOT last year and then they themselves having consultations with the users over the last few months.”
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She said E-IDCOT continued to do surveys even after the first set of consultations.
“So these second designs toned down some of the infrastructure a bit and allows for a bit more flexibility in terms of construction.”
Burris added there is a clear demarcation between phase one and phase two in terms of possibilities.
“This second design, I hope allays some of the fears that were expressed to us by the smaller craft vendors who were worried about their livelihoods in the midst of the construction taking place.”
She said they also got some feedback from the lifeguards regarding the placement of a jetty in the remodeled facility as well as different improvements to the aesthetics.
“We are hoping that we can have that consultation take place within the next two weeks and the media will be invited to that consultation. It is still my intention to try and deliver the two phases of that project within fiscal 2025.
“But we are trying to do the work and it means that we still have to go back and forth with respect to consultation until we get to a place where the users are comfortable.
“Because we don’t want to build a facility...We don’t want to shove anything down anybody’s throat and they are not comfortable and they rubbish the process after the fact, or they rubbish what we put down after the fact. We like to measure twice and cut once.”
Burris said this is why there was a second set of designs.
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“It is my hope that we could get past the stage of consultation and we will be on to the next stage in the development and execution of this particular project.”
