QEII Park plans are most welcome

We are glad that government is once again working to complete the Queen Elizabeth II Park, which we hope will prove to be a valuable addition to a capital city that currently leaves much to be desired.

 

The park project has been a long time in coming. Since the 1990s, plans have been delayed — or shelved, as when the previous government hatched a misguided scheme to build a four-lane highway in the area.

The current government deserves kudos for deciding to move forward with the longstanding plan to establish a proper park in collaboration with the National Parks Trust.

To understand the importance of green spaces, one need only consider the success of the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park, which opened in 2007.

Though relatively modest, that facility is a breath of fresh air among the hustle and bustle of Road Town, much of which is unpleasant at best. Residents and visitors alike can often be seen enjoying the park, which also provides a much-needed outdoor venue for public functions and festivals.

Recently, the most basic maintenance at the QEII Park — mowing the weeds and leveling the ground — has enabled the hosting of similar activities there: the Queen’s birthday parades; the recent John Legend concert; and last month’s Rotary Club of Road Town Kiddies Fiesta, to name a few.

But the QEII Park still leaves much to be desired. Currently, it is little more than an open field, offering no shade and few amenities. The planned improvements, which are to cost some $2.7 million, seem sound: They include a walkway, extensive landscaping, a fountain, a dock and otherfeatures.

Once the park is complete, we expect that it will draw many residents and visitors, helping to create a sense of community and greatly improving the area’s atmosphere.

As work proceeds, government should ensure that it is carried out properly the first time around. The project must not be allowed to become yet another political football, with mismanaged petty contracts leading to further delays, budget overruns and other disappointments. Instead, it should serve as a model for much-needed improvements to the territory’s capital city.

Such endeavors are crucial in transforming Road Town back into a destination that residents can be proud to call home.