Blowing Point, the southern coastal village of Anguilla, underwent a notable change of face when Hurricane Irma destroyed the long-established passenger terminal on September 6, 2017.
The badly compromised structure was eventually demolished in the hope that a brand new and modern replacement would arise from the dust. Though on the drawing board, the project has not happened yet despite the fact that the port provides an important sea-link for daily travel between Anguilla and St. Martin/St. Maarten, and is a major gateway for tourists visiting the island from around the world. However, the Blowing Point Port is not one of the six priority projects being funded under the 60 million pounds of humanitarian aid, from the British Government, following the destructive stampede by Hurricane Irma.
But despite the delayed funding for the planned new passenger terminal, a good deal of preparatory work is in hand to provide a major parking lot and new access roads to facilitate and further improve the expected port development. That preparatory work is being pushed by Mr. Curtis Richardson, the Elected Representative for the Road South, District 6 constituency, where the port is located. Mr. Richardson is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Communications which gives him the responsibility and zeal to hasten the improvement of the area.
He told reporters that the work was part of his “2020 Vision” for Blowing Point, and that he was working in cooperation with a number of landowners, in the vicinity of the port, and in consultation with his ministerial colleagues and major hotels on the island. He stressed that all of them, like himself, were anxious to see the port development taking place. According to him, a preliminary step has been the demolition of some buildings in the way of the proposed parking lot which will be part of over four acres of land. His vision also includes three new access roads: one leading into the parking lot; another to the pick-up and drop-off area; and the third into Cul-de-Sac village, complementing the existing exit road.
The first building, to provide some of the necessary space, was demolished on Friday, May 29, in the presence of Mr. Harold Ruan, Chairman of the Anguilla Electricity Company (ANGLEC), and the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Steve Hodge. They explained to The Anguillian that the Minister of Infrastructure had applied for a disconnection of the building known as “the White Hall” situated on the right side of the road going into the Blowing Point Port. They said the disconnection was a safety measure to facilitate the Minister’s desire to demolish the building. Mr. Ruan and Mr. Hodge added that the opportunity was also being taken, at the Minister’s request, to restore electricity to some nearby properties – adjacent to the intended parking lot.
Minister Curtis Richardson told The Anguillian: “From the time I entered politics, in 2004, I always had a vision of a better port development for Anguilla – and making Blowing Point more aesthetically pleasing for people arriving in and departing from Anguilla. Blowing Point is the gateway to the island and I struggled for a very long time to sell my vision but after I became the Minister for the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority (AASPA), I was able to sell my vision to the Board. It took some convincing and I still have some distance to go because money is not always readily available. One of the biggest challenges with every development that I, as the Minister of Infrastructure, have to undertake, has to do with land.
“I am extremely proud today to stand here with Albert Richardson, who is one of the leading figures for this property (owned by the Richardson family), Sony Richardson and Charles Richardson (Barbochey). These are people in the community who said to me that they understand my passion and vision for a better port development for the island and the community, and they have decided to support me going forward with this development and to make certain that AASPA can give the people of Anguilla a better port. Mr. Albert Richardson comes in for high praise, and the people of Anguilla must know who he is, and seek him out, and express their appreciation to him. With his support, and that of other people, we would not be able to go forward in this fashion.” (A second building, near the main road, and owned by Charles Richardson, is also to be demolished shortly to facilitate the parking lot.)
Mr. Richardson continued: “The Government of Anguilla has always had severe challenges in terms of multiple million dollars to deal with land for national development. But here are a set of people in Blowing Point who have decided to work along with the Minister, and with AASPA, to make Anguilla a much better place that we all can be proud of. They must be highly commended.”
Mr. Albert Richardson commented: “It is a great move. From my earlier years, all sorts of people have been elected as Ministers in Anguilla, but they have done nothing especially for Blowing Point. You understand what I am saying? Blowing Point has always been neglected for everything. What I would like to see here is what our Minister plans to do, and we are going to back him.”
Asked about the “White Hall” building that was being demolished, Minister Richardson said the application to disconnect it from the electricity supply was signed by its owners. He went on to describe the building: “It served for a lot of purposes,” he explained. “Over the years it was used as a dance hall; then a restaurant and some of everything else. There were now twelve tenants and they had businesses, including barbershops and restaurants, and most of it was used for living quarters. They were told a week ago that we finally decided to take the building down. We told them that we were giving them seven days to move out, so this morning they are taking out their last bits of belongings.”
The Minister further said: “I intend to go forward with this whole area and later today I will bring down the Chief Minister, Mr. Banks, and Mr. Cardigan Connor who are responsible for tourism, to see the area. When the building comes down, and the rubble is taken away, everybody in Anguilla will see what my vision is for this community and national development. My vision is that we must have a decent, well-ordered and functional port. The days of coming down to the port, running all about to park and having all sorts of disorder, confusion and congestion, have to come to an end in Anguilla.
“I intend to do the same thing at the food strip in The Valley. I have asked that the strip be cleared 100 feet back. It is my intention to go forward with the help of my Permanent Secretary (Mr. Karim Hodge), Donna Banks, Gina Brooks and others of the Anguilla Tourist Board. I plan to go to the Social Security Board to get some funding – it might be to the tune of a million dollars – to put down a brand new food court or strip for the people of Anguilla. The time has come to make Anguilla a decent and proud place.”
Meanwhile, on Monday, this week, July 2, Mr. Richardson took a number of his technical personnel to the Blowing Point Port and explained in detail his vision for the area. They included Permanent Secretary, Mr. Karim Hodge; Chief Engineer, Mr. Bancroft Battick; Infrastructural Adviser, Mr. Julian Daniel; Mr. Sherman Williams, Acting CEO of AASPA; and Mr. Shomari Kentish, AASPA’s Project Engineer.
On Tuesday afternoon, the following day, Mr. Richardson was expected to take a number of representatives of major hotels to the site for the parking lot, to explain his vision and to seek the assurance of their financial support. That meeting in fact happened on Wednesday morning.
Speaking to The Anguillian newspaper, ahead of their visit, the Minister said: “They had previously given me a commitment that if I was able to go ahead to enhance the functionality and aesthetics of the port, they will very seriously consider putting in x amount of dollars to help me to push my vision to its fruition.”
Without the benefit of his technical advisers, the Minister estimated the cost of the parking lot, the three access roads and other works, to be in the region of two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars.
