Premier promises Prospect Reef ground-breaking before election
The state-owned Prospect Reef Hotel on Tortola.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the long-delayed redevelopment of Prospect Reef will break ground before the next general election, describing the project as one he intends to see started during the life of the current administration.
The Premier made the remarks during a recent radio appearance when questioned about the status of the stalled development.
“But I’ll guarantee to you, we’re going to break ground on that before the election. Yeah, that’s one thing that I will not leave undone,” Premier Wheatley said.
The government has been attempting for several years to restart development at the Prospect Reef site on Tortola, which once housed a government-owned hotel and marina before it was severely damaged during the 2017 hurricanes. Since then, successive administrations have explored plans to redevelop the waterfront property as part of broader tourism and economic development efforts.
During the interview, Dr Wheatley explained that part of the delay involved shifting responsibility for the project from the Ministry of Tourism to the Ministry of Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation.
“We asked that the portfolio be switched from Ministry of Tourism to Ministry of Financial Services… to complete the request,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He said the change was intended to allow a different government unit to handle the project because it already has structures in place to facilitate investment and development initiatives.
“We have a certain type of infrastructure in place in the Ministry of Financial Services… We have an investment unit there… and we thought that they had the experience and they had the tools to be able to facilitate the process,” Dr Wheatley said.
According to the Premier, the government expects the project to move forward once the transfer of responsibility is completed.
He also indicated that the request to move the project between ministries had been made some time ago and that the government has been awaiting the necessary administrative approval.
In recent years, the government has been seeking investors to redevelop Prospect Reef into a mixed-use tourism facility that could include hotel accommodations, marina services and other commercial amenities.
The project has been viewed as a key component of the territory’s tourism redevelopment plans following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
Despite the delays, Premier Wheatley told listeners he remains confident the long-planned project will finally move forward before voters return to the polls.
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Of course this is the case, the illusion of progress only happens just before elections.
The balance of the time our elected 13 spends their time gorging on the public purse while showing indifference to the people who elect them!
The progress will be short lived, the fanfare bright, and we’ll watch as the band-aid that got us all so excited, falls off, while the ‘wounds’ remain underneath.
We the people will then ask ourselves, as we inevitable always do, “how were we so stupid?” All while we will ‘rinse and repeat’ again, and again.
In doing so, defining the very insanity we all seem so terminally inflicted with as a Country.
If we the BVI public can’t see that Natalio is taking us for complete idiots then we really are idiots! Let us get the rid of this nuisance and his whole VIP gang.
Exactly, no agreed plans, no backer, no developer, no financing but he’ll turn up shortly before elections with a spade claiming to have broken ground
& it will be won by MARK VANTERPOOL!
Mark Vanterpool already possesses much of the operational infrastructure required to bring this project to fruition. He has demonstrated access to financing, he has meaningful experience in the hospitality sector, and he clearly has a vision for what this development could become. Whether through his own leadership or in partnership with a globally recognized hospitality brand, he has the capacity to deliver.
It would be a positive and encouraging outcome if a project of this scale and importance could remain in local hands. Across the Caribbean we have seen how locally rooted initiatives, when given the opportunity to grow, can evolve into internationally recognized brands. Sandals, for example, began as a regional enterprise and today stands as a globally respected name in hospitality.
Mark can’t get more than 4 rooms rented at Albatross by the Bay or whatever he call it. Access to financing is really sugar coating that.
“Action Man” failed one hotel project as was allegedly being sued by the P* guy for not paying up?
it should be available to local participation but not held back by the cartels still. years of nothingness shows the ability of locals to do this one.
The previous owners screwed their investors then the government process out of that was more corruption.
Time for a new era. BVI can benefit from the construction jobs and jobs created there in future if the usual suspects get out of the way
The elected Government is a reflection of the voting population. You don’t have to agree with me but this is a fact. We got VIP because you guys voted for freebies and noise, over substance. Now here you are pretending to be shocked that they can get nothing done when they campaigned on nothing but foolishness. Enjoy the ride because it will get a lot harder before it gets better.
They had and still have no or very little substance. The VIP died right behind Ralph. Carvin was the last bit and they had no respect for him.
Bingo! They didn’t elect themselves.
Did the lady in fat hog’s bay win?
CANT FINISH THE COMPLEX BUT U GOING DOWN THERE LOL…BET THEY WONT GET PASS CUTTING THE GRASS…
TAKING ODDS… MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE FOR US TO GO WITH THE KIDS AND RIDE BIKES LOL
One of VIP’s campaign slogan is likely to be ‘we have broken ground’ but the public waiting to vote them out, so they can pile up on breaking ground. Not all 13 just the VIP lot.
With tax payers money is the only way the pigs are going to be able too feed , otherwise government will continue to fight amongst themselves over who’s head gets in first.
Let’s go Elton I’m voting for your project, even if it is too much for there, and like the cinema it will be dilapidated in a few months and be another eye sore on the shoreline.
Since it is slated for multi purpose how about we first build some studios to house all the very professional, but unhappy, staff from all over the world we bring here to work at the hospital. They will all tell you that they are working to pay rent. So if we are going to continue the dream of selling the Social Security first time home buyers project that no one can afford instead of renting to the hospital staff for rents they can afford on their salaries why not just build some little apartments at Prospect that they can afford while moving on to the high end dreams of pie in the sky. At least housing hospital staff would be a positive move in the right direction for something like our very understaffed hospital. Not only that it would actually be kind and make sense instead of making them suffer just so they can work. Again, they are from off island so we brought them here and are paying them wages for housing they cannot afford.
Building in the BVI is extremely expensive. Your “little apartments” at Prospect Reef will not be any cheaper than the Joe’s Hill development. Not saying the BVIHSA shouldn’t have staff housing, but a cistern alone will cost $100k, so the only way to get low rents is government subsidies.
Govt stole that from rightful owners. Had been timeshare. People think folks forget. I still have 2 contracts of purchase on units there. Govt stole it.
Are we really falling for this BS at the 25th hour?
Why do that before election just as an election gimmick, then after election win or lose it stops. Don’t blame me. That’s the pattern.
My takes on prospect reef is that the government should create the atmosphere and even security guarantee for local BVI people to own their own boutique hotels in that area and build generational wealth, not just the vanterpools, it becomes dangerous when you put you egg in one basket, divide up the area and have different young entrepreneur invest through backing lines by government, come on break the economic slavery that still continue after freedom from physical slavery.
WELL YOU SAIT IT ALL / THESE SET OF WANNABES , REALLY BELIEVES IN THEIR FANTAST WORLD , THAT WE ARE UNDER THEIR SPELL , AND WE WILL SWALLOW EVERYTHING THEY SAY AND JUMP WHEN THEY SAY * J U M P NIG~AZ * AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY HOW HIGH – MASTER NAT-AL-EO
Well sah. I swear these young people who thinks the old people should be at home planting vegetable gardens and knitting don’t have a fri**ng clue.
You trying to tell me, this Premier can’t open the Ralph T. O’Neal Complex after spending upwards of $10 million, and it could be double that and he is going to break ground on Prospect Reef? To do what? With what? This is sad to say, but they neither have book sense, common sense nor business sense. So it begs the question, what do they have? They need to retire buddy. Their brains are empty.
Persons are blaming and singing All 13 must Go, but if there is a chance we will refill our Ministries with another crew like this, if we are smart enough to vote them out, we better give Hon. Skelton or someone like him the wheel. He has business, common and economic sense, maybe because he doesn’t see dollar signs that blinds his b***side. He sees an opportunity to build his country and take it higher.
The question everyone should be asking particularly the government, is, why aren’t outside investors knocking the door down to develop a prime location like this. Why is this beautiful island location not attractive to international investors.
What about the tourist dem who had fall from the taxi?
Government should not be investing in hotel development , you all can’t even finish the Admin Building, fix our roads, give us water 24/7, stop the Prospect Reef development nonsense.
I am voting all 13 must go party
Is this going to be a brand establishment or juzt another guest house or Airbnb? Its like government is reluctant to upgrade our hospitality accomodations. What is wrong with in having a Sandals, Marriot or Four Seasons? Give visitors to our shores a variety. The mentality here appears to be this is what we have here,”take it or leave it”. That is the main tourism product. Sorry state of affairs.