Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is optimistic that Government will soon break ground for the construction of a new National Stadium at Waterford, thanks to $40 million in grant funding from the People’s Republic of China.
Ms. Mottley, who is back from high-level talks and appearances at major events in Europe, Africa and Asia, showed the media designs for the proposed sports facility, at Thursday’s press conference, and indicated that she had discussions with experts during her recent visit to China.
Ms. Mottley explained that the amount of funding identified initially before the designs were submitted was $40 million. However, she stressed that she would not give a finite figure for the construction until the designs were completed.
Phase one of the planned stadium will have seating for 10,000. The Prime Minister said the structure would incorporate things synonymous with Barbados, including flying fish, sea shells, Parliament buildings, and historic Bridgetown.
“Phase one will be 10,000 seats, which is significantly more than anything that we’ve had at the stadium before… I look forward to this project happening. Barbados has long needed a National Stadium. The discussion for it took place from when last we were in Government; it went through 10 years of the last Government, and then we were ready initially with the Chinese, in fairness, up to 2019. We had started to have the discussions and then… COVID came.
“The different studies and assessments are being done, the gap analysis is going to be done now by Town Planning [Planning and Development Department] once the formal [plan] goes in, I believe in the next few days. Once that gap analysis is done and we see what needs to be done, we [will] complete any [required] studies and then we [will] start the work of construction of a new national stadium.”
Ms. Mottley added that a number of studies still needed to be conducted, and expressed optimism that the project could commence in the coming months.
(GIS)
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