Residents and visitors of the British Virgin Islands will have an added attraction in the city of Road Town by November.

City Manager Janice Braithwaite-Edwards told BVI News on Wednesday that plans are well underway to transform the 1780 Sugar Works Museum into a cultural heritage site.

She said the museum’s roof that was destroyed during the 2017 hurricanes is being replaced and a perimeter fence is already being erected around the property.

Upon completion, persons will be able to participate in various cultural activities indigenous to the territory. The venue will also provide a new area for family recreation, the City Manager said.

“The museum is going to bring a different kind of life to the eastern end of the city of Road Town, the same kind of life Queen Elizabeth II Park has created at the western end of the city,” Braithwaite-Edwards said.

“A museum can do a number of things and one of the things that we are trying to ensure is that the museum is not just a museum. It is also an opportunity for persons in the performing arts to come out and showcase.”

Incorporating recyclable materials

The City Manager explained that the undertaking will use many recyclable materials.

She said the perimeter fencing and a footbridge across the nearby ghut for pedestrians to utilise will be constructed using wires and posts from the BVI Electricity Corporation.

Youth Empowerment site

In the meantime, Braithwaite-Edwards said the nearby buildings which house the Girl Guides and Boys Scouts Associations will be refurbished, while the home of the Heritage Dancers is to be completed.

“There will not be parking in that area anymore. We are going to push the parking to the festival ground for the time being,” she said.

The project, which started in June last year is projected to be completed in time for the next tourist season. The said project is a partnership between Recovery and Development Agency, the BVI Tourist Board and the Office of the City Manager.

It is being funded by international agencies and ‘friends of the territory’. The overall cost is unknown at this time, the City Manger said.

 

Cultural heritage site coming for Road Town — City Manager