Gov’t finally appoints Prospect Reef board
It seems the government has plans to move forward with the redevelopment of Prospect Reef as Cabinet recently approved the members of the new management board for the resort, which has been in a state of disrepair since the 2017 hurricanes.
According to a document which shows Cabinet decisions made on February 16, the government has appointed six persons to the board for a period of three years, ending December 2026.
Collingston George, a seasoned businessman recognised for his extensive experience, will be leading the board as Chairperson for the next three years.
Joining him is Kerrel Wilson, a business owner and legal secretary; Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe, an attorney and former Speaker in the House of Assembly and the nominee of the Leader of the Opposition; and Kimberly Kuntz, a representative of the tourism industry.
Their appointments are effective from January 1, 2024, until December 31, 2026, except for Kuntz, whose term will conclude a year earlier, on December 31, 2025.
Additionally, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sustainable Development, or their designee, will serve as an ex-officio member.
The Cabinet also decided to reappoint Nathaniel Isaac, the former Managing Director of the Prospect Reef Management Company, for a two-year term.
Notably, Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer recused himself from the decision-making process, since his sister was reportedly one of the nominees to the board.
The government has been toying with the redevelopment of Prospect Reef, saying the absence of a board of directors was the primary reason for the current state of neglect of the former resort.
The government had said there were some legal issues with the previous board that prevented them from moving forward with repairing the facility.
In the meantime, it is unclear how the government will use the Prospect Reef facility once it’s restored. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had stated that the facility would be used as a business or convention venue.
However, previous governments had said it would be used as a four-star or five-star resort and to advance culinary arts training locally.
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It had boards before….We need a hotel chain to take over not a bunch of cronies on a board wasting more time
One of the worst set of selection. No tourism experience and no project management experience. [two] need to come off the Board. They are old half dead retirees who have little or no real value added.
A disgrace. The public housing estate on Joe’s Hill will end up the same.
This is how we have so little to show for the billions of government revenue paid in (and out to cronies) since the 1980s; and now the music has stopped.
Headline shoulf read VIP appoints more cronies. This place is disgusting.
Natalio what are you doing? This board is just a way to waste millions of dollars and end up with a zero rated shack. Natalio why are you doing this s**t to your birth land and us co inheritors of this beautifuñ piece of God’s earth? Natalio the country is not going to get a 5 star rated resort or any resort for that matter from this lane board that you hsve appointed. We are the laughing stock of the caribbean. Natalio please you and your government negotiate with a reputable and recognized hotel chain to do this development. Please I beg you don’t go dow this route. We are not going to get the desired results. Please don’t waste our money needlessly. It amounts to stealing because you know full well there will be NO VALUE from this poppy show exercuse. Stop it now.
Finally, a new board. Good move government! Ensure that Tourist Board is included in the brainstorming sessions, planning and implementation. Here is a summary of previous mentioned suggestions and more:
1. Make it a 4-star or 5-star hotel
2. Expand westward to Duff Bottom land mass to
(a) accommodate more yacht docking,
(b) bring back Dolphin Discovery franchise,
(c) a marine swimming with fish zoo of sting
rays, other fish, turtle, etc and
(d) water tanks of Caribbean fish, coral,
seaweed
3. a convention centre,
4. a culinary training centre and annual food and
beverage fest,
5. multiple places of different music genre – take
a page from Lime Tree, St. Thomas, USVI
6. Shops and restaurants,
7. bring back the annual conference of doctors,
8. as one of the annual venues for BVI own fashion
week in May, in the same month of Poker Run and
Music Fest.
Some elements of this are not bad plan.
Complete f**king nonsense! The board needs to be made up of persons with experience in dealing with hospitality and property development.
The usual suspects. Not a shred of business experience amongst them.
Jobs for the cronies.
Prospect Reef has been in a state of disrepair since 2009, lets be honest.
Have all the lawsuits been resolved yet?
If so the please sell the property to any successful hotel chain so we might see something in our lifetime.
New board appointed to what end ?
This amazing opportunity needs to go out to tender for private enetrprise. No dolphin zoo –
Great work here. Maybe now you could think about appointing a board to the National Parks Trust? Oh right saving the environment and conservation is not a priority because in your short term mind there is no profit in conservation.
Actually, on second thought, please don’t appoint a board for NPT, based on what you have done here that will bound to be a disaster too.