Ferry Terminal shouldn’t cost more than $5M, says former BVIPA boss
The cost of the West End Ferry terminal project has come under more scrutiny, with political commentator and former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority Claude Skelton Cline insisting the facility’s reconstruction should not exceed $5 million.
The project, which aims to replace the terminal destroyed by hurricanes in 2017, has been delayed due to financial and logistical concerns. The Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) previously received bids of $64 million and $94 million—figures significantly above the initial estimates.
Speaking on his radio programme Honestly Speaking, Skelton Cline, who led the construction for the Tortola Pier Park, questioned the government’s handling of the project. “This is not rocket science, y’all. You’re spending days and weeks assessing. You sit up in a board meeting. What in God’s name are you assessing? We can’t afford none of what’s being proposed,” he stated.
Skelton Cline argued that such costs are unjustifiable.
“There’s no reason anything more than five million dollars need to be spent constructing a building at the West End ferry dock to accommodate all of the bodies, all of the agencies that need to function properly,” Skelton Cline said. “It’s a transient operation. Nobody’s going there to sleep, nobody’s going there to stay.”
The West End Ferry Terminal was one of the busiest in the territory, handling over 40 percent of sea arrivals before its destruction. The project’s redesign process sparked public debate, with an initial “organic and futuristic” concept being scrapped in favour of a “Classic Modern” design after community feedback.
Skelton Cline criticised the decision-making process behind such projects, warning that the territory is falling into what he described as a financial crisis. “We are in a death spiral. We are spending money we don’t have, and nobody is being held accountable,” he stated.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has previously emphasised the importance of infrastructure development, with the government allocating $60.7 million for capital projects in the 2025 budget.
With the project now paused for reassessment, questions remain over whether the government will reduce costs or seek additional funding.
Copyright 2025 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Csc you can’t get to play with the funds so you are complaining hmmmmmmm
Why are we spending millions on a non-revenue creating project. This makes no sense
It’s actually a revenue generating facility. Our ports are a major source of income for the Territory.
First time CSC ever made any sense.
Didn’t Claude O (for overspend) Skelton Cline spend $95m on the Pier Park – $30 more than his budget?
Not just $35 million over budget which included $10 million missing in unexplained “soft costs” that a KPMG $ 1 million audit two years later was unable to find due to insufficient project documentation. He was sacked for the missing monies, but sued to get his job back and did.
As to the ferry terminal, the design should focus on functionality rather than grandeur. That said, look at what $250 k bought over by Beef Island, and then imagine what you’ll get for $ 5 million.
you are on point!! I fear the thought of the monstrosity we would get.
Say house on north shore has lots of colors and such in common with pier park
NOW THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE SENCES / YOU LEFT OUT ( 2 ) , COMMON SENCE AND NONSENSE , THE ” CITY SLICKER ” , IS A BRAIN AND HE DONE DO HE TING IN DETROIT AND DO HIS MOONWALK OUTA DETROIT , HE OUTSMARTED THE DUDE WHO USED TO HO DOWN IN HIS KNEES , PLAYING A CONSULTANT ROLE AND MOONWALKED OUT WITH OUR TAXPAYERS $$$ AND IS STILL FREE MAN TO YAP YAP YAP ON HIS ” HONESTLY SPEAKING ” WHERE HE EXPRESSES HIS SKILLS ON US , USING HIS TRICKY SMILE , OR SMIRK ON HIS FACE , ONLY IN THE BVI , HE CAN GET AWAY WITH WITH SH*T LIKE THAT MORE POWER TO YOU BRO
Why not downgrade on the West End ferry terminal since the U.S. is threatening to impose tariffs on the B.V.I. Invest that money into the airport and expand the runway to allows bigger planes and more flights to come directly to the B.V.I.
It’s way too expensive to go to St. Thomas these days.
How many locals can afford airfare? Hard enough to pay ferry, surely airport expansion won’t be of much use to residents, geared strictly for the rich, white tourists.
abandon building a new expensive West End Ferry Terminal. The current one is fine for JVD and STJ.
This man should not have a say. He was given millions for Cane Garden Bay youth program and all he produced is one new computer and a refurbished one . My people this man not to be trusted plus collect thousands for doing nothing as a advisor in the Premier Office…
the wolves are still hunting sheep.
Whats the sense in attacking this man every time he gives sensible advice on any subject. This is so stupid. One thing is for certain and that is with hundreds of millions in debt you can forget the independence talk. Wake up and recognize the game that is being played and forget about the ignorant small minded talk and attitude.
That is BVI for you. Nobody cares about principle, it is ALWAYS PERSONAL! This is why nothing is ever completed or done in the right way because everyone is deep in their feelings.
Regardless of what the airport cost it was designed by a Dutch company. Hence it was never air conditioned, it had openings for the natural flow of air and the tropical breezes. It didn’t take into account the hot summers or the life sized mosquitos off the salt pond. It is also turned in the wrong direction if “breeze” was the consideration. So now a German company will design the West End building. What do they understand about Tsunami threats? Do they know what it cost for hurricane rated glass? I take it the RDA didn’t know how much that would cost either. The Germans may build ferry terminals in Europe all day long but they don’t know a single things about building on the ocean in the tropics. But we want to go there. I am not saying I agree with CSC because his $5mil won’t get it either in today’s economy and what it cost to build even an outhouse in the Virgin Islands. Especially when you are building for the government where everything is inflated way above what it might normally cost. Nuf said.
The writing was and is on the wall for the WEFT to be significantly scaled down. The airport is about to be expanded, there are 4-6 flights a day on American Airlines, not to mention more InterCaribbean flights, LIAT, Winair, Caribbean Airlines, Cape Air etc. The airport is busier than ever and the success of AA flying here bringing on average 300 people per day means that other airlines will want to get in on this. Therefore the need for such a big ferry terminal has diminished. The reality is most present day tourist value their time more and would rather pay about $400 – $500 more per ticket to get to the BVI from Miami by midday. St Thomas is no longer a viable option. Angry and rude taxi drivers, similar for some ferry customer service reps, the ferry schedules are not aligned with the flight arrivals, the post Covid costs ( which have not come back down ) and the added time wasted. BVI belongers and residents dont even shop in St. Thomas en masse like they used to. The cost of the goods is almost the same, ferry ticket prices are expensive and its just a hassle. Most of the ferry traffic is going to Road Town anyway. West End is mostly for the private charters coming from the USVI. Why wasn’t their a more real time analysis done to determine the viability of the terminal. A new one is needed but not at the present scale.
So because Claude has done some questionable things in the past (allegedly) and we may not usually agree with him on politics etc., does that mean even when he is saying something sensible we still attack him? I’m really trying to understand!! The people on here jumping down the man’s throat had no problem with Government and RDA putting out a tender to build a Dubai looking structure for $15mil knowing full well the price would be 5-7 times that amount. I’m no Cline fan but the man is correct. It should not cost more than $5mil to build what is needed there and that’s that. The stupid tender process for the space ship station should have never gone forward, wasting precious time!
I agree wit Cline on this one. Why all that money to house people who deliver horrible service in the first place?
I been Japan and I see bigger projects than that cost way less than that. Premier just give a man came from jail for murder and give him the money what to that project