Too much invested in Ellis Thomas Downs to lose it now — Parsons
Former legislator, Eileene Parsons, OBE, has expressed regret about the absence of traditional horse racing events on ‘August Tuesday’ for yet another year.
The event has been a hallmark of the BVI’s annual August Festival celebrations and a highly anticipated feature for locals and visitors alike. But it has been absent since last year after the government announced that it was prevented from using the racetrack in Sea Cows Bay.
A discovery of ‘anomalies’ in the lease agreement signed between the Virgin Islands government and the Thomas family (owners of the land) back in 2012 is the main reason behind the family’s reported refusal to allow the government to continue using portions of the land at Ellis Thomas Downs.
But Parsons expressed that the government has already invested too much into the annual event and repeated her calls for the forcible seizure of the land by the government.
“It is going to take — this is my personal opinion and I don’t want anybody to go on Facebook and crucify me for it — it’s going to take [the] government’s will to decide what it wants to do with Sea Cows Bay,” Parsons said.
She continued: “We have invested too much money to get that track to date. We brought in somebody from Kentucky. We spent untold sums in ’98. We can’t afford to move the track from there, so we have to settle. Whatever it is the young lady wants, we have to go to the drawing board with her and convince her that she can’t hold the country hostage.”
Parsons said the other land owner was previously willing to sell and she said she believed he was still willing to go in this direction.
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How much of a cut is Mrs. Parsons gonna get if she convinces the govt to buy this land? Sure does seem like she has a vested interest in it.
Spending and investing in property not owned by the investor/ developer is a gamble u n less a contract says otherwise.
Government or otherwise,you cannot lose what you never owned. Snatching it just because you can is immoral disingenuous and a crime.
Snatching it for the purpose of Gambling,an illegal activity in these VI, adds another layer of sinister and immorality.
Ms P ,your heart and sense of fairness is questionable. I thought better of you. Perhaps it is a personal agenda propelling you but whatever, downright ugly and tacky.
I thought the Thomas owned the entire track, but I learned that it is just a little piece of property they own, so why is it so expensive?
Yes it was fantastic in 1998 but used rarely. The space is of huge community value, AO Shirley is too crowed for pubic use, QE2 closed for 3 years, a training facility for all sports would be packed and games held most nights. If it was funded by the horse owners fine but Gov cant afford a big expense to please a few once a year. The treatment of slow/retired horses was awful and at most races a horse shot. It is not years of cumulative investment, the track has returned to the earth and we should consider better uses.
A lil occasional horse race every now and then don’t justify the money it costing to use this track bottom line.
People have a habit of charging some exorbitant prices when dealing with the government and wonders why there’s never enough money to handle the regular business of the government. I don’t pretend to know what the contract whether old or proposed states but I hope an agreement can be made between both parties without the government having to painfully pay “the price of blood an arm and a leg”. Would the individual prefer to have the property sit and become overgrown with no income at all or coming to an mutually beneficial arrangement? The country also benefits of this happens. Horse racing is something I have looked forward to from childhood to present and it’s a shame that it has come to this…..nothing! To the individual concerned I say, please consider everyone your decision affects.
Cut the ties and spend $$ on what is needed. Maybe like education, roads, water, safety? You know, the stuff taxpayer money should fund, first. But thats just my 2 cents…..
Why not use land in Anegada for horse racing?
I’m sorry Ms. Parson but this never ending draining of the public coiffures has to stop! Continuing to squander the publics’ money is not the solution. Just force eminent domain on her a– and be done!! We’ve paid for her little piece of land 100 times already. SHE’S HAD ENOUGH TIME TO BE REASONABLE.