It is amazing what you can meet when you go walking in Anguilla . I have been away in St Kitts for a few days. Today I resumed my walking regime and went to explore the Brimegin area. I came upon what appeared to be an abandoned hotel project. I never knew there was such a project on that coast. There was no “No Trespassing” sign. The entrance was open. Each room was open to the elements. No doors or windows were installed. There was not a speck of building materials left on the site. It was so clean, you could eat off it (if you ignored the goat droppings in the pool area). There was no sign indicating who the owners were. There was no sign indicating who the architects or contractors were.
The project as seen from Albert Lake's quarry
I wondered who started building it.
The back entrance?
I wondered why it stopped. Did the money run out? Or, had there been a health issue?
Approaching up the rear entrance What dashed hopes and plans does this abandoned property represent?
The rear of the back row of buildings
Is it going to be restarted, or is it closed down for good, eventually to go back to bush?
The front row of buildings from the rear
Did the contractors and local suppliers get paid?
The pool, bar and restaurant from the front
Was there a Memorandum of Agreement with government relating to this project too? And, was it honoured, by both parties?
The pool deck and the buildings beyond
Or, is it locally owned, and there was nothing for government to give away?
From the windows to the pool deck looking back to the rear row of buildings
Was there an Aliens Landholding Licence that government ministers could give away so that no fees or taxes need be paid to the people of Anguilla for the next 125 years?
The rear view of the front row of buildings
Or, did it stop because the owners want to have a Cap Juluca type MoA too, and government was not sufficiently accommodating?
The front view of the back row of buildings
The buildings just sit there, enigmatic, clueless, but not giving away any information either.
Rock fill at the entrance
What an amazing amount of rock used in this construction! The most expensive finishing touches are yet to be done: The wiring, the plumbing, the furnishing and equipping.
Datura bush
Leaving the site, I noticed the largest datura bush I have seen in a while. I wonder how many Anguillians know about the ritual use of the crushed seed. Thugeeism, after all, is not a common topic of conversation in the West Indies . How many of us would be aware of the use of its psychotropic qualities in drugging the sacrificial victims murdered in honour of the goddess Kali, the goddess of death and destruction?
Yet another Anguillian stonehenge.
ReplyDeleteActually, since there were actual treehenges, I suppose this is a steel-reinforced concretehenge...
Lat year I heard that Alberlake was building housing near the quarry for his Filipino and other foreign workers. Unless you saw another apartment building near there, this must be it.
ReplyDeleteI guess there's no point in finishing it until the demand picks up.
Wow that is some mighty fancy housing for his quarry workers,that will be some seious competition for viceroy, they better up their accomodations for the indians there.
ReplyDeleteI heard it belonged to the Harrigans
For those of us who are off island at the moment, would it not be possible for you to inquire at Lands and Surveys as to who the ownwer is? That would make more sense then endless speculation.
ReplyDeleteThis is a group from France who ran out of money. The project is for sale.
ReplyDeleteAs big as it is, when I snooped around it awhile back, it appeared to me to be private villas (2) and work was occurring at the time. This was in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteI heard that Kenneth Harrigan was in charge of it on behalf of 4 doctors who were building 4 villas. Pity this development has stopped but we should have recieved lots in the treasury for the alien landowners licences.
ReplyDelete