The Government of Dominica has announced plans to transform the former public works site located along the EO Leblanc Highway in Potterville into a five-star hotel, which has raised many concerns for Member of Parliament for that constituency, Danny Lugay.
The Roseau North MP argues that the two acres of land which belong to the people of Dominica, should be used for the construction of a multipurpose facility which will benefit all citizens and “not a private person.”
“My recommendation is that because of the size of the property, youth skills training can be on one floor; It could become the home of vendors, it could even take a mall, it could have several levels for public use, “ the opposition member stated.
“The preference of Roseau North and a lot of people I am in touch with – we have actually formed a committee to look at that matter – is that the property should remain in public hands, should remain property of the people of Dominica and not sold out. I think the primary choice should be for port expansion, but inclusive of port expansion, there could also be an institute for youth skills training and other things,” he added.
According to Lugay, should the Government insist on having the property sold, then the lot should be up for public tender as stipulated by the laws of Dominica.
He is also calling for full transparency on who the owners of the property are, the value given both by the government evaluators and private evaluators, and the price for which the property was sold.
“We were never told who this property was sold to; we were told that it was sold into private hands,” Lugay said. “My concern is how could a fine piece of real estate owned by the people of Dominica be sold into private hands…We believe that this land should be subject to public tender so that citizens of Roseau North, citizens of Dominica, all citizens would have an opportunity to bid for that land.”
He has since written to the Chief Physical Planner, Naomi Dorival, objecting to the grant of planning permission to construct a hotel at the site.
The letter has also been copied to Ms. Carlene Roberts – Chairman, Physical Planning and Development Authority, Dr. Vince Henderson – Minister For Planning, Economic Development, Climate Resilience, Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy and the local media houses.
In response to Lugay’s public statement, Minister of Public works Cassani Laville, has defended the government’s decision to construct yet another hotel, noting that there is a need for expansion in the city of Roseau.
He stressed that the new hotel will “fit perfectly” and complement the new seaport which the government has announced will be built adjacent to the site. Laville further stated that in the new linear city, which will span from the port into the city, everything within the environment “must be appealing.”
“So I’m disappointed when I hear people opposing for the sake of opposition, but we jolly well know that this is how they operate. And in all honesty, I think they know the truth. I think they know this is something good. I think the gentleman knows this is something that will benefit his constituency tremendously. It will provide job opportunities for his constituents, but he feels that his job is to oppose so that is exactly what he has decided to do instead,” Laville stated while speaking to the host of Kairi FM show, ‘The Heng.’
As it pertains to the procurement which Lugay raised concerns over, the Public Works minister said the government has a responsibility to be strategic and to ensure that whoever is the developer in that area, whatever development that will be done, “will contribute to the maximum value to ensure that we attain maximum value from whatever we have in this area….and this is what we did, and it will benefit everybody at the end.”
With regard to the former Public Works employees who occupied the site, Laville revealed that they have been “comfortably” relocated to the Canefield industrial estate. However, he said plans are in place to identify a new permanent location for them.
“So that is just to give the assurance to the public, to let them know that the cleared site at the former corporation site does not mean that public works are in a bad place and they have been displaced. That is the furthest thing from the truth,” Laville stated.
Build that hotel, Mr Skerrit. We want to see progress in our city. These haters are just chatter-boxes. Light up Pottersville and make Pottersville look great again. Building a mall or a multipurpose complex will just be another white elephant in our city. Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they are saying. They and Danny Lugay are just playing politics. We do not need ignorant Danny Lugay to tell us what to do. Danny Lugay is just another ignoramus who knows nothing.
Build it! Nothing else going on in the damn place. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. Hopefully it employs at least 10 Dominicans. PW site is an eye sore anyway.
I think the idea of a hotel located adjacent to the seaport is well founded. It’s the genius of the peoples Government to have such foresight. Great work DLP. “5 more years”.
Nothing wrong with a hotel at that location. The other points that were made about youth skills development training, sites for vendors, mall and other public use space are valid as well. While infrastructural development is much needed, it goes hand in hand with human resource development. “We can walk and chew gum simultaneously.” We can do both things.
Recently, we saw St. Lucia open a s secondary school devoted to sports. Danny has a valid point here. The government also has a point as well. We have land in Stockfarm and there’s also land in Fond Cole at the old Nassief site near the road. This location is flat, and it can accommodate the multi-use building that Danny spoke about. We lack foresight and we fail to see both the importance of developing our human resources on island. We also have the planning division building on Charles Avenue. If it’s not designated as a “Historical Building,” this site can also be used to house a youth skills training facility as well.
I don’t mind a hotel built there but the gov’t must go further and spend a million or two to clean up the beach from the market to Canefield, create parking for the hotel and add an EXIT LANE and street light to maintain traffic flow on this main artery or roadway.
The rats come out at night and they love to run in dark places close to walls. This government operates like rats, rats!. The question of putting information out so the public knows what is being proposed from the start is not a strong suit of the rat cabal. There should have
been engagement with the public especially those who reside close to the area before the sale of the land. There should also be open tender so the public gets the best possible price for the asset. Didn’t Skerritt propose extending the port? Already the storage at the current port is very limited so how about using the land for part of port expansion. When there is fire at the current landfill the smoke drifts towards that area so how can it be a good idea to have tourists breathing in toxic smoke or asked to evacuate. The double doctorate dude has his brain stuck on hotel development as if nothing else is needed in the country. That’s the whole thrust of “the next level. Didn’t we learn from Covid-19?
The Government should not be wasteing anytime with that so-called opposition lots let them know they are a bunch of dogs**ter.They always complaining about no work and each time the government is creating work for the people they are protesting let them go to Hell!!!
This the issue I have with politicians in dominica. Everything has to be a disagreement. We would have been had an international airport. But uwp made it political. Stop making a big deal about everything. Just because the idea wasn’t yours it’s at least something going on down there instead of nothing. Half of something is better than half of nothing. Doesn’t mean I support the administration or any political party. I just feel that progress of any kind at this moment is better that being left behind.
I think this area should be used for a multi-purpose complex . So many of the governments offices are being rented and are not accessible to people with disabilities. Having all these offices in one location , including the office for the Minister for People with disabilities would be more appropriate.
Public Works was dismantled by the Skerrit’s regime in a disorderly manner. The workers were put on the bread line to lick their wounds. Where are they now? How are they coping in these horrendous economic times?
Another hotel in a most ill-suited location for a hotel. Another hotel when the present ones are perennially under water. Another hotel as the locals work in servitude and mostly foreigners perch at the top.
Nothing will change unless and until a large groundswell of nationals ruffles Skerrit’s feathers.
Oh IBO, appreciate progress and stop trying to retard progress. This is a positive step by the Government to build a 5 star hotel in Pottersvile. Stop hindering our progress and move on. You always find faults with everything the Government tries to do. Nobody listens to you. You are irrelevant and it showed in Grandbay at the recently held bye-election. Dominicans want progress and, they are getting progress.
IBO FRANCE, GET A LIFE and stop complaining about everything the Government does or say. I think you need a physic nurse practitioner to check out your mental health. I believe you have mental health issues. If Skerrit had decided to build a mall or multi-complex, again, you would have objected to it. Stop your politics, Ibo, and get on with your life. Dominica is doing just fine. Since you are a crazy bald-head, we need to chase all these crazy bald-heads out of town. Again, you might well be a d..k head. Since you are so concerned about the welfare and well-being of others, what are you doing to ameliorate their situation? Nothing but behaving like old Tommy Tucker, sings for his supper.
“It could become a home of vendors, it could even take a mall.” Also, “It could have several levels for public use.” So who is making any sense at all? What’s wrong with being SPECIFIC about an idea? Let’s not rush to respond to certain plans which we do not favor. But rather, let’s respond with specifics and detailed suggestions to give our people a sense of direction. When your fishing line gets all tangled up and twisted, you don’t keep on fishing before taking the necessary time to untangle the knots in your line. You must first “deymawey” your ling. When you say, “it can even take a mall.” The possibilities are it could take several other things! So why did you suggest a mall? People need good paying jobs to be able to afford shopping at the mall. Things at the mall would be more costly than the Chinese mass produced items. Thus, the Chinese could be the beneficiaries of having the mall you spoke of. The Chinese are well positioned to gain from whatever is done in DA. Sad.
Following on from my earlier comment.
Over the years a number of my DNO Commentaries have focused on the built environment. Two in particular are relevant to this news item:
(*ADMIN Note* – click on title below to view article)
(1) The Art of Environment.
(2) Enabling a Built Environment.
The fact that those commentaries didn’t attract many comments when first published possibly indicates that we lack an understanding of the need for creative physical planning.
So all money god can do is build hotel and apartments? Is that the easiest ways to launder dirty clothes? Nothing to help move Dominica forward?
Windsor park got damaged during the hurricane and we all understand that. But Money god getting money to do all kinds of shady things but cant put lights at windsor park so we could see cricket?
Man, with all the Money dishonorable Money god has spending on hotels and apartments can you imagine how Dominica would be swinging if Money god had not killed the banana industry, Ross University, and Windsor park? Dominica would truly be a paradise. But I still hope that one day Dominicans will arise from their heavy dose and realize what Money god is up to and those who keep supporting moneygod, just for their love of money, will be the ones to lead the revolution that is needed to deliver Dominica from crooked and corrupt money god. By the by Money god I mean the god of blood money
The man has more money than sense right now, just like his filthy rich hotel and business friend who sort to encourage him to enact laws for mandatory vaccination.
Ask any political analyst. Most politicians become filthy rich mostly from construction where contractors are given no bidding contracts by politicians at the helm of government. They inflate the cost of the construction projects ( housing, roads, air and sea ports) and pocket the excess.
How can a man become a multimillionaire from the salary of a civil servant? Impossible, corruption in that.
This is the dumbest location ever for a hotel. All around is commercial, residential and industrial use, noise pollution from the constant traffic and smells from la basse. What about the view? Only Fond Cole, Stock Farm and the port you can see.
Which tourist is going to pay his or her money to travel to Dominica to stay in a hotel on that site. Beat they stay in a penthouse in Manhatten. That is much better.
@Observer, if you come out of your petit lacou and travel outside dominica you will see even in the more developed countries big brand names of hotels located in industrial areas and other environs which you are decrying. Are they dumb as well? And in case you missed it, you can walk around Roseau and see the different hotels located right in the heart of our commercial hub, were they dumb to build there as well. I think this is as good a site as any for a hotel. Danny Luggay can probably try and locate a site closer to his home for his multi purpose building if he can come up with the funds for it.
Well said!!!
Let them build hotel there nuh so they can loose more millions,,,
Thought their bright and shining Star Kepinski not owing all kinna money and is on Brink of shutting down nuh,,,
But then again Skerrit is a LittleBoy that only learn how to belittle people so what else to expect from him and his minions,,,
Build baby build let the haters and small minded people squirt. Danny Boy why are you afraid of progress?
the only thing that makes sense there is a factory
If there is a Master Plan for Roseau and environs it is one that changes with the government’s every whim and fancy. Development – both new build and infrastructure – is hap hazardous and the result is total confusion.
Gordon Cullen’s “Townscape”, the definitive book on the subject of giving towns and cities visual coherence, is required reading.
Even so, we still have no need to look or feel like British Town tho.
Every minister of this government owes his good fortune to Mr. Skerrit. Every one of them was personally handpicked by him and not the delegates of the constituencies. For this, all the Cabinet members are eternally grateful to the perpetual LIAR, so they such echo what he says and walk lockstep with him. So, Mr. Laville’s statements are unsurprising.
All that is associated with bad governance happened here, that is, no transparency, no accountability, no consultation, lies and dishonesty, no vision, no thoughtful planning that would substantially rebound to the benefit of the people.
A youth-skills training centre is most appropriate. Local culinary skills, plumbing, carpentry, metal works, joinery, welding, tailoring, and more could be taught at this centre.
Dominica doesn’t have the infrastructure to attract many stay- over tourists. Putting in the requisite infrastructure u to accommodate large hotels is very costly. The profits are usually expatriated.
“…the new linear city…”? Is the Minister familiar with the boundary of the City of Roseau?
The location of a “permanent home” for the PWD is an afterthought yet
to be determined?.
Vanguard are you familiar with the boundary (sic) of the City of Roseau?
Then tell me let me see if you know better.
You need to tell me the boundaries yourself as I want to know and learn something from you.
Don’t run! Answer this. Let’s go!
show me a dumber place to put a hotel and ill still show you a picture of the public works site
One option is to provide young people with training for the future and to empower themselves, the other is to provide jobs cleaning toilets. Mmmmm…
You’re point is so poignant and subtle that it may pass over many heads, but you effectively describe the choices on the table.
Hotels are run on minimum wage while a training facility would potentially create businesses. #nuffsaid!!
I am yet to meet a single Dominican who can explain the current obsession with large hotels for Dominica, especially when historically our stay-over tourism numbers have been lees than optimal and no real signs of building a better stay-over product..it appears that the Devil remains in the details but time reveals all things.