BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 5, 2024 (MMS-SKN) — Newton Ground on St. Kitts was a hive of activity on the weekend when the Whitegate Development Corporation held open days on Saturday and Sunday November 2-3, to market The Village at Brotherson Estate to Kittitians and Nevisians and its Diaspora.
Present on both days was Area Parliamentary Representative (St. Christopher Six), Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Economic Development and Investment, The Right Hon Dr Denzil Douglas, who was the Prime Minister when the Whitegate Development Corporation was established following closure of the sugar industry.
“The history of the sugar industry is embodied here,” observed Dr Douglas. “My own little village of St. Paul’s, in the heart of Capisterre, was surrounded by no less than about or six sugarcane plantations, which therefore to a large extent demonstrated the role that this part of the country played in the overall economic development of the past, and therefore had to play a future role in its renewal – rebirth – and basically finding a new path for economic development.”
According to Dr Douglas, the idea of holding the two Open Days was to market the development at The Brotherson Estate because at the closure of the sugar industry, the project was started and designs and buildings started before the Labour Government that he led left Government in 2015.
The Village at Brotherson Estate, which is for middle income residential development and other commercial development, has 66 residential lots ranging in size between 6,000 square feet and 9,863 square feet, and three commercial lots ranging in size between 25,562 square feet and 31,787 square feet. Two of the commercial lots are reserved.
“We have decided this important piece of real estate must not be just simply sitting idle,” said Dr Douglas. “The time has come for us to be aggressive in our marketing of what we have, just like the Ramada Hotel, and just below on the sea-side of Kittitian Hill. So we are saying we now put into the market this significant piece of real estate, which is mainly for residential development, the others being commercial.”
The area which he said is one of the most pristine beautiful sites of the country has stunning views where if one were to look across the ocean they would see the neighbouring Dutch island of Sint Eustatius, which is better known as Statia, and St. Maarten. And if one were to make one hundred and eighty degrees turn, what they would see is the mountain range of Mount Liamuiga and he noted that they would again see the distinct beauty of the area and of its landscape.
“This is why the area was chosen to be the site where people of middle income level, and people who had successfully done well from this area would have an alternative to the low income homes that dot the area,” said the Area Parliamentary Representative.
The Rt. Hon Dr Denzil Douglas, who was accompanied by Director of the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (SKIPA), Mr Stanley Jacobs, however emphasised that the development was not just for people of that area, but for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as to the Diaspora of St. Kitts and Nevis.
According to the Chairman of the Whitegate Development Corporation, Mr Lincoln Maynard, marketing of the development at The Village Brotherson Estate to Kittitians and Nevisians in the Diaspora will be done in collaboration with the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (SKIPA).
Also attending the Open Day on Saturday November 2, was Minister of Tourism; Civil Aviation. International Transport; Employment and Labour; and Urban Development, the Hon Marsha Henderson, while Cabinet Secretary Dr Marcus Natta was among the many persons who attended the Open Day on Sunday November 3.