Plans for a major multi-purpose development at Tindale Park are moving forward, with land acquisition nearing completion, according to Antigua News Room, which reported on comments made by ABLP candidate and Education Minister Daryll Matthew during an interview on ABS Television's "Know Your Candidates" programme.
Matthew said the project hinges on securing approximately an acre and a half of land through an exchange arrangement with a private family, with discussions described as being at an advanced stage.
"There's a parcel of land at the top of Tindale Road… we are at an advanced stage, and I believe we're at the end stage of negotiating with the family… so that the government could acquire that," he said.
The minister outlined a plan to transform the site into a community hub anchored by a two-storey building. The upper floor would serve as a community centre available for meetings and after-school programmes, while the lower portion would house a remodelled bandhouse for the Pandemonium Steel Orchestra.
"The upper floor of the building will be a community centre… you can have community meetings, after-school programmes… the community can have access to it," Matthew said. "The lower portion of it will be a remodelled bandhouse for the Pandemonium Steel Orchestra."
The development would also dedicate space to micro-enterprises, accommodating approximately 10 to 12 small business operators. Matthew suggested uses such as barber shops, bakeries and other small trades, emphasising the need to create income opportunities within the community.
"You'll see a series of small buildings… we are setting up there a small business hub… there are spaces for approximately 10 or 12 of these small business hubs," he said, adding that "the government can't be the only employer in the country."
A fenced playground and park, which Matthew said has already been sourced through donations, would also form part of the development.
Funding for the project is expected to come from a combination of private support and community effort rather than direct government financing. Matthew said he has already begun speaking with private donors and intends to organise fundraisers while drawing on community labour.
"I've been speaking to private donors already… I'm not asking anybody for money… I need some steel… we will do fundraisers… I can get labour from the community," he said.
Matthew framed the proposal as part of a broader effort to improve quality of life in the densely populated constituency, where a scarcity of government-owned land has long constrained development. He described the project as a firm commitment should he be re-elected.
"If it wasn't realistic, I wouldn't put it in here and promise it," he said.
