By Yves Ephraim
You would have been bombarded with the righteous indignation from the politicians of this country, claiming how the worthless private citizens of St. John’s have left the city in such deplorable state.
You might have taken them seriously, had it not been that the St. John’s Development Corporation, a government agency whose sole purpose was developing the city, has been overseeing this infrastructure decline for over 30 years.
What we see in St. John’s today did not look like this 44 years ago.
What went so wrong with the St. John’s Development Corporation? Did they fall asleep at the wheel?
Why then is everybody behaving like the dilapidated state of St. John’s happened last year?
As you listen to the government’s public pronouncements, the thing to note is the absence of any admission by the government of its own contribution to this situation.
Now, I am not suggesting that private property owners have not contributed to the problem, but rather that government officials should cease behaving like the government did not drop the ball.
I contend that the abandon properties we see today are a natural consequence of the ephemeral neglect by the government of the city’s infrastructure.
You can walk in St. John’s right now and observe:
1. Bad and uneven roads in the city.
2. The poorly maintained gutters;
3. Corroded and dangerous sidewalk grills;
4. Dug up and uneven sidewalks;
5. Dirty water settlements;
6. Non-functioning drainage systems, resulting in stenches all over 7. Tattered road markings and signs
8. Grimy and dingy sidewalks that require a thorough clean.
9. No place to park and irrational traffic flows.
Is it not reasonable to argue that the government’s decades long neglect of the city’s infrastructure has contributed to owners not seeing the value in re-investing in their St. John’s properties.
The state of the infrastructure has devalued properties in St. John’s.
Why throw good money at bad? What is the incentive?
If you have been observing the foot traffic in St. John’s these days, it is nothing close to what it was 10 years ago.
It had become very clear, for years now that St. Johns is not a good place for business, which has led to the trend of building new businesses outside of the city.
How did St. John’s Development Corporation, allow the city to fall into this decrepit state for this long?
It is noteworthy that nothing is said about the abandoned Social Security building and adjoining run down properties; nothing is said about Ministry of Agriculture building on Queen Elizabeth highway; Country Pond; or the former parliament building.
Is it really fair to put all of the blame on private property owners.
It appears to me from the resent town hall meeting that all this interest in a “clean” St. John’s may be somewhat motivated by the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.
I suspect that had it not been for the CHOGM, everything would have been business as usual, further supporting my constant observation that the government of Antigua and Barbuda is never concerned about anything unless it involves foreigners.
We somehow feel that we can undo in months, what 44 years of neglect has produced.
The government so neglected the infrastructure maintenance of the city to the point it created no incentive for private citizens to want to invest.
When was the last time have you seen any new private property constructed in St. John’s? That should tell you something.
Everyone knows that St. John’s is neglected. That is why businesses have been gradually moving out.
Nobody is holding their breath waiting for all of the promises of improved sewage systems, etc.
The government has a part to play but as usual, the leadership again, deflects responsibility and makes it all about the private property owners.
Why does it matter that the government accept culpability?
Because if they do not, they will not see the need to fix their own problems and the city’s infrastructure.
You should be tired of the holier-than-thou attitude from the leadership, as it again, throws private citizens and the business community under the bus.
The issue of derelict properties was allowed to explode over the years because the government was derelict in its duty to manage the city through the St. John’s Development Corporation, plain and simple!
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This is the problem that society faces, there is talks now about improving our city and all you can do is lay blame. Private individuals need to invest in themselves and their property point blank. You see a problem an always waiting on the government to fix it first. If you improve your building most of the time your neighbors will follow. Stop the blame game and start to do better. Improve your spot.