The Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday approved a declaration authorising the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to acquire an additional 0.05-acre parcel of land on St. Mary's Street, clearing the way for a key phase of the National Performing Arts Centre expansion.
The acquisition forms part of the ongoing transformation of the former Deluxe Cinema into an 875-seat, state-of-the-art performing arts facility that government officials say will become one of the most advanced theatre venues in the Eastern Caribbean.
Minister of Social and Urban Transformation and St. Peter MP Rawdon Turner told Parliament the parcel is essential to meeting the security, safety and infrastructure requirements of the project.
"Without vision, the people perish," Turner said. "In order to ensure that the performing arts in Antigua and Barbuda does not perish, this administration has made a decision that we will transform the Deluxe Theatre into the Performing Arts Theatre of Antigua and Barbuda."
Turner said the facility was designed following consultations with experts from the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as local stakeholders including musicians, dancers, steel pan players and persons with disabilities. The venue will feature advanced acoustics, modern lighting systems, large digital display screens, multiple dressing rooms and accessibility features for both performers and patrons.
"We have changed the entire configuration of the building and established a stage area that would rival any facility in the Caribbean," he said.
The centre is expected to host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a commitment that carries stringent security requirements for visiting heads of government and dignitaries. Turner said the newly acquired parcel will facilitate the construction of a dedicated VIP entrance and exit, emergency access routes and critical wastewater infrastructure.
He disclosed that the lower level of the planned structure will house a sewage treatment facility capable of handling waste generated during large-scale events. "Calculations show that an event with 875 persons can generate approximately 20,000 gallons of liquid waste in a day, and that has to be properly treated," Turner said. The upper level is expected to accommodate administrative offices and a dedicated dance studio.
The acquisition follows the government's earlier purchase of the adjoining Glorious building, which Turner said will provide space for concessions, restroom facilities and a recording studio.
The resolution did not pass without objection. Opposition Leader and All Saints East and St. Luke MP Jamale Pringle questioned whether the landowners had consented to the acquisition and raised broader concerns about compulsory purchases and compensation. He argued that Parliament had not been furnished with sufficient details, including a property valuation.
"We don't have the information, and I cannot come and support something and people are outside hurting," Pringle said, adding that he could not support the measure in its current form.
Despite the opposition, the declaration was approved with backing from government members, including St. Mary's South MP Dwayne George and St. Paul MP E.P. Chet Greene, allowing the acquisition process to move forward as part of the broader National Performing Arts Centre expansion.
