Crafts alive, but struggling

When Communications and Works Minister Mark Vanterpool provided a spreadsheet last week to the House of Assembly detailing the rent Crafts Alive Village vendors paid in early 2016, Opposition Leader Julian Fraser glanced at the numbers briefly before remarking that the document “tells a story that is troubling.”

The document indeed paints a bleak picture, showing that government only collected $29,140 of the $192,150 due in rent between Jan. 15 and March 16.

The spreadsheet also shows that all but one of the 61 units at the village are behind in their rent payments, and that the vast majority of them did not pay any rent during the specified timeframe.

Some of the storeowners at the village said that it’s been tough to make ends meet due to slow business.

“Business is very bad from the time the cruise dock opened,” said Joseph Hodge, who owns an art studio in one of the buildings. “It was bad before, but now it’s worse.”

Mr. Hodge explained that cruise passengers used to walk to Crafts Alive and shop before catching taxis and buses around the territory, but now many of them are shuttled straight from the pier park before they have a chance to walk to town.

Boardwalk

The artist said he thinks the construction of the planned boardwalk running from the pier park to Crafts Alive would go a long way toward encouraging the cruisers to go to his shop and others in the area.

Mr. Vanterpool did say in HOA last week that the boardwalk is “expected,” but he didn’t say when construction might resume.

“As we encourage direct signage and tours to the village, both along the boardwalk — that’s expected to continue on the bay side — and along Admin Drive, we hope to see more traffic there,” he said.

Mr. Hodge also suggested building a “convenient centre” at Crafts Alive with restaurants, bars and other amenities that would bring shoppers.

Village vendor Erma Smith said she and other store owners have sought to meet with Mr. Vanterpool to find out exactly when government will take steps to encourage more shopping at the village, but that the minister has yet to meet with them.

“Mark’s not studying us,” Ms. Smith said.

She added that she and her fellow vendors can offer a variety of products that cruise passengers won’t be able to find at Tortola Pier Park, and that encouraging foot traffic there will benefit everyone.

“[TPP stores] can’t take nothing away from [us] because we still sell cheaper than them,” she said. “So they’ll still come over here picking up little things.”

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