One of the projects on the drawing table is a new building at the Blowing Point Ferry Terminal in place of the one destroyed by Hurricane Irma.
At present, a tent has been provided there as part of a makeshift arrangement for the time being. But while it is possible to handle passenger movements between Anguilla and French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten, the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Curtis Richardson, who is the Elected Representative for Road South, does not particularly like the idea of a tent at the port.
He said at the business forum:
“There came a moment after the destruction of the Passenger Terminal by Hurricane Irma when everybody felt, including international partners, that the best thing to do for Anguilla was to put a tent at Blowing Point. Most people will know that this is extremely crazy because there is a standard to which we must always live as a people. If a tent is going to be there for five or six months, I can tolerate it but if you are talking about having a tent at Blowing Point for three years, you are going to make me crazy.”
Minister Richardson said that Chief Minister Banks eventually agreed with him that the tent was not a good idea. He went on: “The Chief Minister has been able, with the help of God, to get fifteen million dollars, and just yesterday (January 11) we met with everyone involved. Shortly, we will have a plan in place which will be circulated for the views of a number of organisations in Anguilla, and I am hoping that by early February we should come to a decision as to what the building should look like. Sometime in April, when the Chief Minister gets the money, we should be able to start the terminal building at Blowing Point.
“We are working with the French authorities to continue to push forward. I would like to recognise Simone Connor, who is a Board Member of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority, and Mr. Marcel Fahie [Chairman of the Board] who will make it happen.”
The Minister explained that a comprehensive plan was being prepared not just for the building but for the overall port development.
The Anguillian newspaper asked Chief Minister Banks about the source of the fifteen million dollars for the Blowing Point Port. He replied that it was part of the two hundred million pounds being made available by the British Government for the redevelopment of Anguilla’s infrastructure following Hurricane Irma.
