The Ministry of Communications and Works is providing an update on the West End Ferry Terminal Redevelopment Project, one of the Ministry's priority projects, acknowledging the community's patience while outlining the path forward with a completely redesigned plan.

As some may recall, the Ministry would have gone through the entire lengthy process before, only to have to return to the drawing board after the initial tender process. Bids came in significantly higher than anticipated. The two submissions received were approximately $64 million from a joint venture comprising two local firms, and approximately $94 million from a Canadian firm. These figures were not feasible, and simply put, the original scope was more than could be afforded. This required the Ministry to seek the necessary permissions from the Caribbean Development Bank to pause and revisit the design phase entirely.

The Ministry has now completed that work. Engineering reports indicated that some reclamation is still necessary because the current footprint is not stable enough, and the building has been made smaller as a result. The Ministry recognises that this is not the outcome anyone had hoped for, but the redesign was necessary to keep the project moving forward within available resources.

This new design, led by international consultants INROS Lackner SE, works within the approved budget while preserving the essential amenities needed to enhance travel for residents and visitors.

The Ministry understands that people are disappointed with the pace of this project. That frustration is felt keenly. The Ministry can only say that every effort is being made to move the project forward as quickly as possible. The construction tender process is currently targeted to open later this year.

The Ministry remains committed to delivering a terminal that serves the Virgin Islands well, and thanks the public for its continued understanding.

Renderings of the revised design are provided below for public viewing.