Harbor Basin: Construction Has Begun

On the steps of the Anglican church in Gustavia, the view has changed somewhat. Earlier this week, work began on the harbor head. As a result, passersby can now see fences covered with white tarps. As for the road, it is now one-way toward La Pointe. In the previous issue of the JSB, mention was made of the controversy sparked by remarks made by two elected members of the territorial council. In fact, the 1st and 4th vice-presidents, Marie-Hélène Bernier (Action-Équilibre) and Alexandra Questel (Saint-Barth d’Abord), emphasized that the Executive Council “had not approved” the start of construction. “This project was not adopted by the Executive Council, nor was the call for bids approved by the Executive Council,” Alexandra Questel clarified. Since no Executive Council meeting has been held since then, the situation has not changed. The construction work, with an estimated cost of nearly 445,000 euros, has nevertheless begun.
In an online post dated July 6, Territorial Council President Xavier Lédée wrote: “This project will make parking easier and improve traffic flow.” ” Alexandra Questel responded in turn, writing: “Today we’re being told that simply replacing parallel parking spaces with angled parking spaces would improve traffic flow. We must not confuse ease of parking with traffic flow.”
The elected official then questioned the cost of the project. “Spending more than 400,000 euros to gain, at best, two additional parking spaces seems disproportionate,” she wrote, before acknowledging: “Nevertheless, we should commend the decision to retain delivery spaces and spaces reserved for people with disabilities.” She took the opportunity to mention the cancellation of the project to build a 130-space parking garage included in the plan for the performance hall in Gustavia. More than four years later, construction on that project has still not begun. The same is true for the new school complex in Saint-Jean, although work on that project is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.