West End customs and immigration will be temporarily housed in a 20-foot trailer donated this week, according Anthony McMaster, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works.
Meanwhile, designs for the permanent facility, which will replace the one destroyed by Hurricane Irma, are in the final stages.
Plans will be brought to the community for input.
“We have now completed designs for a new building and we are hoping that at least by the end of this week we can agree and arrange with the district representative [Op- position Leader Andrew Fahie (R-D1)] to set up a community meeting to share the schematics with the community to get their input,” Mr. McMaster said.
The new building, he added, will be designed so that it can be expanded in the future.
Donation
The temporary facility was donated by Curt and Nancy Richardson, owners of Little Thatch Island, through their organisation Blue Ocean Caribbean Enterprises, Ltd.
“We think it’s a great stride through partnership in the BVI and that persons are willing to partner with the government to rebuild and take the country forward.”
The donated container is capable of withstanding a Category Two hurricane and will be relocated in the event the territory is threatened by a stronger hurricane.
It is also equipped with air conditioning, office equipment and electricity connection, though the minister noted that it is not adequate to accomodate international ferry operations, but only to better accommodate officers.
In a press release, the Ministry of Communications and Works and the BVI Ports Authority said they “share the concerns of the community and are continuing to seek other temporary alternatives to better accommodate full ferry services at the West End Port.”