New Government Complex Stalled Over Eviction Delays
Plans to construct a new government complex in Antigua have stalled due to delays in relocating business operators currently occupying the proposed site, according to Chief of Staff Ambassador Lionel Hurst.
Speaking at the weekly Post-Cabinet Media Briefing, Hurst confirmed that construction of the complex—intended for the southwest corner of Factory Road and American Road—has been held up by a tenant who has not yet vacated the property, despite having been notified years ago.
“This discussion about relocating the operator began almost ten years ago,” Hurst said. “We’ve identified land for their relocation, and while they’ve written asking for more time, it’s clear they can’t remain there permanently.”
The complex is part of the government’s plan to reduce long-term rental costs by housing multiple ministries and agencies in a state-owned facility.
While no specific timeline was given for when the government expects the site to be cleared, officials acknowledged that continued delays are costing taxpayers. The government currently leases office space from multiple private landlords, including facilities occupied by key departments and the state-owned broadcaster ABS Television.
In one notable case, the government is reportedly in arrears of approximately EC$8 million to a single landlord for rented properties—a figure that has prompted debate about wasteful public spending.
“If we continue to rent instead of building, that’s money we’ll never get back,” one civil servant said. “Owning our infrastructure is the only sustainable path forward.”
Despite the setbacks, Hurst said the administration remains committed to expanding its public building footprint, with the goal of constructing at least one new complex per year.
He added that the government owns enough land to accommodate future construction and that building its own facilities would offer long-term financial savings while giving the state more control over the work environment.
As pressure grows to reduce dependence on private rentals, officials are likely to face further scrutiny over the pace of relocation and whether additional incentives or enforcement mechanisms are needed to move tenants out and get construction underway.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Regardless to what government is planning this novel idea in building an office complex the logistics will not be there for a synergy or efficiency in merging government services as obtain in other countries that has one administration building and one government phone keyboard to connect calls , hadeed will still be king being the landlord for all government offices including the court house and prime minister office, parliament and ministry of education and legal affairs with the sweetheart deal of also furnishing the same, and the deal so sweet that hadeed is not responsible for maintenance, only collecting the charbo ( money )the same as the sweetheart APUA power agreement, then step over to Mr shoul where renting his building
to house the passports office is forevermore paying monies 5 times that of what Mr Ryan rent was, and take into consideration the government don’t maintain anything, the hospital comes to mind and court house with mold, this newly proposed office complex will suffer the same in the future where government workers are working half day due to health risk. It’s always a pork barrel to steal monies as Gaston said it’s the best way to cream the tax payers treasury. Not saying government office is not needed, but look how he cut a deal withe Fernandez family for old deluxe building, and believe he rewarded max Fernandez because UPP under hon. baldwin Spencer freed up the media including granting radio station and cinema where Antigua got the taste of a real cinema on friars Hill Rd, causing the max Fernandez shack cinema to close. Max Fernandez and his family are so much so the recipient of white privilege that his brother on Vivian Richard street has a sweetheart deal with tourism board to direct passenger from the cruise ship to go to his shack bar to drink alcohol and get paid handsomely through the tourism plant while the same tourist board discouraged tourist from patronize locals trying their best with jet ski and other creative ideas.
So wah happen to de man now? Government giving him somewhere else to go?
Unfinished car park in st johns should be completed to house some govt offices as well
They need to treat the tenant fair, How can they push him out?
Max and this government keeps thinking thst we Antiguans are dotish!! Whenever they change that mindset, all will become well
Yes. They literally said that in the article.
It’s clear people read to respond and not to comprehend. It says clearly that the Government has been engaged with the tenant for almost 10 years when he was advised that he needed to vacate.
“This discussion about relocating the operator began almost ten years ago,” Hurst said. “We’ve identified land for their relocation, and while they’ve written asking for more time, it’s clear they can’t remain there permanently.”
This administration is so shitty when it comes to proper organization and putting their own house in order yet the people keep attacking the opposition that is not wasting the country’s resources. Antigua is a place to study for stupidity in government
As usual Max Hurst is not clear about the site control.
They are asking the business person to relocate. Is this Government land or are they pursuing the site through eminent domain?
From a town or urban planning point of view this is among the worse site they could have chosen.
Retail development wants to go where there is vehicular tragic and pedestrian traffic
A government complex needs to be conveniently located but not at an intersection that will create a traffic nightmare.
@ Countryman Abroad
Go to the head of the class
Unless that junction is covered to a roundabout it will be a traffic nightmare. And even if it is it will be bad
The Holberton Hospital would be ideal for building a complex. It’s off-road and has entry exit gates and loads of parking and vacant land
Provisions should be made for cafes, after school child facility ,ATMs and even a superette
The question to be asked is if a private citizen was renting his or property would they give their tenant have ten years to vacate and would his landlord offer him another property for rent? When we talk about Government inadequacies and waste, these are some of the issues that must be considered no matter which party forms the Government. That’s partly why we are disillusioned with the United Progressive Party and criticise the Gaston Browne Government. You are dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.
I think that one of, if not the biggest, problems in this country, is our aptitude to view everything through political party-coloured lenses.
This is not a new issue. The land belongs to the government, they DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO REQUEST VACANT POSSESSION. I believe that when they initiated the process to relocate the current occupant, the proprietor of the business was ailing and have since died, or maybe have been recently deceased. Nonetheless, 10 years is a long time for an extension, and if we’re honest, it’s rather generous.
As another commenter pointed out, if the owner were a private business or person, we would think it unreasonable to expect they’d wait 10 years for vacant possession of their property.
In terms of access, why should we think that it would be a “traffic nightmare”?
Do we realize that the property from “southwest corner of Factory Road and American Road extends southwards to the Police Headquarters and westwards all the way back Holberton Hospitals? This is quite a sizable amount of land!
Access NEED NOT BE via Factory Rd or American Rd; it could be from Queen Elizabeth Highway!
With all our complaints about government lining the pockets of comrades and friends, true though it may be, we should be encouraging and embracing this plan to construct a government office complex: We are in dire need of being able to conduct business with the government without having to run all over the country to find departments or ministries. So many ministries have departments (or even employees of the same department) located in multiple places around the city, mainly because of limited space.
It is long overdue to fix this!
Better use of our skills might be to keep them ALL accountable – ELECTED OFFICIALS and CIVIL SERVANTS/PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES ALIKE!
We are talking about the legendary Monroe Spencer, west of Harney motors. There was a time when this nation depended on Monroe Spencer/ God bless his soul to pay salaries. The Shouls did the same but was awarded hundreds of acres of lands. As usual black picky headed Antiguas getting the shitty end of the sick.
There was a renderings and plans submitted by professional engineer to develop some of the crown land on Friars Hill Rd to develop a twin tower that would house all government offices in one location. This would have been an iconic building but good ideas are always overlooked when they don’t come from the top.