Castries to receive a facelift

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ajor changes are on the way for Castries. Already in the pipeline for the city are the installation of parking meters, and the redevelopment of the market and the Bananes Bay area, to name three projects. While attending the signing of a sister-city agreement between Taiwan and Saint Lucia this past Thursday, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet let drop his plans for the capital.

“I want to warn everyone in advance about some of the necessary changes that are going to be happening in the city,” he said. “We’re about to commence some major renovations of Castries. One of the things I’m trying to get done as quickly as possible is the demolition of the government’s printery building, the parliament building and the courthouse. I’m hoping to be able to have that done before the end of this year. The goal is to keep the area as an open space and to develop it as a park.”

The prime minister revealed that the government is working with the United Nations Office of Project services (UNOPS). “They have all their town planners here right now. I’m hoping within the upcoming weeks that we’ll have at least a first draft, which we’ll share with the Castries City Council and the community.”

He continued: “A great city is a city that can change with the times. The support that the Cabinet gives to the mayor is because we need that change. We have great plans for Castries, it is grossly underachieving its potential. We can look around the city and know that we’ve not been doing the right thing. No one can walk through the streets of Castries and not realize we need change.”

Although he didn’t mention the Central Library on his slated for demolition list, the prime minister believes it is a grossly underutilized facility. “I would hope that this could be one of the things that we could look at. As beautiful as is the building of the Central Library, still it requires some major innovation,” said PM Chastanet.

The prime minister’s Senior Communications officer Nicole McDonald advised that the prospective areas for relocation of the buildings will be released at a future date.