Question of the Day:
As we move into 2025, do you believe the governance of urban renewal and national physical development in Antigua and Barbuda is strong enough to address the glaring issues of disorganization, sanitation, and infrastructure that plague our communities?
What specific changes or actions would you like to see from both citizens and government to improve the quality of life and appearance of our national spaces?
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The archectual landscape the buildings needs a face lift and new paint for now that would enhance the town more or less a face lift
The older buildings need to be remodelled and renovated and rent controlled so small business owners can open their businesses in town. The market where the vendors sell to the tourist can also be upgraded.
The businesses need to take some civic pride in their place and do a bit of sprucing up. The buildings look dilapidated and run down. First order I would think!
This!!!!!
Most of it needs to be bull dozed, rethought and rebuilt. Zone town, parking, strict traffic regulations, too much nonsense driving, buildings need to pass upgraded DCA specs, clean gutters, proper roads, under road electrical wire system.
LOVE GOD AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER
This is the bottom line!
The sidewalks NEEDS to be redone PROPERLY, The roads needs to be repaved, something serious needs to be done with tanner street, business owner should be banned from blasting music into the open. Leave the music for your own business, and it should not be heard outside.
There’s great need for a central sewage system. There needs for proper road markings in the city.
They’re should be a busy that ensures that persons keep their building to a particular standard when it comes to appearance. All od buildings should be torn down
Create a green space, such as a park, where persons can go and enjoy a green area.
Garbage collection should be more frequent.
SERIOUS wardens are needed to ensure that everyone plays by the rules that benefit all
No parking on the frigging sidewalks!
Redo country pond, and stop them man from waking cars there.
This is just a starting point!
The chaotic vending blocking the streets needs to be done away with, people buying from their vehicles and blocking the traffic for an inordinate length of time, get rid of the stench in the city, that would be a great start
Installation of public toilets at strategic points
Several more public car parks outside the perimeter of town and usage shuttles into town
Installation of parking meters
What I would like in town would include:
1) Proper sidewalks – not too slippery, not too rough, not too narrow, not too up and down. 2) Outdoor spaces including places to sit and eat 3) Places for wholesome entertainment for the local youth e.g. arcades, theatres, art galleries, places to play warri, cards, bowling, skating etc. No adult clubs, casinos etc. Those should be out of town. 4) Properly laid out stores – e.g. sort clothes by sizes and label size and price appropriately so people can find things on their own more easily. 5) Proper customer service – Give the customer some space to breathe and think. Please don’t try to decide for the customer what they need as you do not know or understand their daily life. Please don’t try to bully or manipulate the customer into buying things outside their budget or things that you just want to get rid of. If the customer is happy with their purchase they will come back again and again to patronize you, but if they are not happy with how they were treated, you might make that sale but they will never come back again. On the other hand, please do not ignore the customer or tell them you don’t have something just because you don’t feel like searching or letting them search. When a customer enters the store just tell tell them “Good morning, afternoon if you need anything let me know I’ll be right over here.” Please don’t follow them around all the time unless they ask for your assistance. Otherwise they might just leave even though they had planned to look for multiple items on their list. So, customer service training for staff, please.
Even if you put lipstick on the pig called St. Johns , it will still be a dirty smelly pig. There’s no hope for that dump…
6) Also, some local shops in town, not just in the touristy areas e.g. affordable proper real local clothing designed in island style by local designers made with local sea island cotton, affordable everyday local food in nice simple pleasant eateries. Perhaps also local handicrafts and housewares in the heart of town somewhere. Community shops with local products outside of town as well. It’s really strange that we sell all these “local” products to tourists but we never actually use them ourselves. They are never worthy of their own proper stores. It’s a bit of a sham really…
Overall the city needs to be more functional. There is beauty in function. Giving it a visual makeover without making it easy to get things done in will still leave people frustrated and dissatisfied. So, think about what people, both visitors and locals, actually need from the city and then design around that.
Look at English Harbour/ Nelson’s dockyard and the surrounding and take a page. So the development of St.john could include the botanical garden, Perry Bay Area , Fort James, pensioners beach , King George playground, East and West Bus station , the derelict car park , country pond and The Antigua recreation ground. I mentioned these because they can play an important role in the uplifting of St.John’s.
We have Dr. Murphey who can be put uncharge of the entire restoration and I heard the architect Jenkins on a radio program with him they seems to complement each other very well.
The problem is not that it cannot be done but the will to get it done. If there is no kickbacks, no millions to be made by the creative enrichment schemes those in authority will not care too hoots.
St. John’s almost lost it appeal from a historic perspective. Once you had local businesses, restaurants etc that was far more appealing to a tourist. Places like Brother B, Nooks , Golden Peanuts , and even Maurice’s before – black faces.
Today you land in St.John’s as a tourist and almost every store is selling the same thing , all white Syrians and Lebanese selling carpets and fans made in China. The liquor store above the old court house now the museum is now a Serian store. The local restaurants are replaced with shawarma shops and the market area with Jamaican jerk chicken.
Right now the St. John’s police station is being renovated. Who is the contractor, who is the engineer, who is there to ensure that it fits into a master plan. Well the contractor Baba surely don’t have that capability and capacity. It’s just a guy that use to carry the paper bag and smart enough to keep some for himself. He is now a part of the big kickback, creative enrichment scheme.Came a very long way from a messenger with not even a proper secondary education to now a multi millionaire. Wait he is now Chairman of St.John’s development as well.
So PM you speak of bright, intelligent people with degrees. How is it this guy the chairman of St. John’s development. Is it St.John’s development or St.John’s self enrichment.
So if we ever get serious about, a proper, functional, modern town and keeping the few historical buildings that are left, then the chairman of St.John’s should be someone like Dr. Murphey with an architect like Jenkins as a senior person on the team. It’s time for Antigua to get to benefit and the future generations inherit…..
The Heritage quay , the area where Big Banans is located, is my favorite spot in St.John’s. It’s historical, with artifacts, small buildings and courtyards. If I want to take a picture in St.John’s that is the area I would go . It’s just aesthetically pleasing and so natural.