Kai de Castro’s memory will be kept alive as we develop Main Street

The memory of slain businessman Kai de Castro will be kept alive as the government moves ahead with efforts to enhance and preserve historic Main Street in Road Town.

Junior Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sustainable Development Luce Hodge-Smith made that commitment during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly, where she reflected on de Castro’s entrepreneurial spirit and his passion for the development of Main Street.

“When you speak of the de Castros, you think of Main Street, Road Town, and the contributions that they have made to this territory,” Hodge-Smith said.

She described the de Castros as a family of entrepreneurs, noting that Kai followed that tradition and had strong views about the future of the historic area. “He did have some words to say about Main Street, and he wasn’t afraid to express them, even when he expressed them on social media,” Hodge-Smith said.

The junior minister revealed that she and de Castro had discussions about plans to improve the area.

“We’ve had a couple of discussions as to how we’re going to enhance our Main Street,” she said. “We will continue to make strides to improve our Main Street and to keep him in mind, because he wanted to be a part of the efforts to rebuild or to enhance our historical and cultural Main Street.”

The government has been pursuing wider efforts to modernise Road Town, including improvements aimed at revitalising historic Main Street while preserving its cultural character and strengthening the capital as a commercial and tourism centre.

In the meantime, Hodge-Smith also used her remarks to renew calls for an end to gun violence, noting that lawmakers recently mourned another young murder victim, K’Moi Walters.

“We can’t give up,” she said, adding that the community must continue searching for creative ways to tackle the problem.

“Gun violence doesn’t deserve to be here. It doesn’t belong in our community. It’s a senseless act,” Hodge-Smith said. “It’s a cowardly act to just take someone’s life with a gun.”