By Robert Andre Emmanuel
The National Asset Management Company (NAMCO) is moving ahead with plans to repurpose the northern section of the Sunshine Hub facility, Minister of Information Technology Melford Nicholas has confirmed.
Following years of delays and false starts, the Cabinet in October met with an architect to chart a path forward for the undeveloped asset located in close proximity to the East Bus Station.
The lower floor will be allocated to the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS), providing the permanent home for the media entity.
This move is set to breathe new life into the long-stagnant Sunshine Hub project, Minister of Information Technology Melford Nicholas has confirmed.
“I have confirmation that the architectural and electrical drawings will be made available to the public shortly,” Nicholas, who sits on the NAMCO Board, told the Observer media at the post-Cabinet press conference.
Additionally, the ground floor of the northern section has been assigned to PDV Caribe, which has been housed in a building on Long Street.
The Sunshine Hub has been a challenging project for NAMCO since its million-dollar acquisition in 2015.
Resource constraints and other priorities, including the pandemic, had previously forced the company to divert funds to the construction of the 5th cruise ship berth for the St John’s Development Corporation.
The minister also used the opportunity to highlight NAMCO’s expanding portfolio, including joint venture agreements with Antigua Distillery for the resuscitation of the Antigua Brewery, and potential hotel development projects.
“NAMCO is involved in a number of initiatives at an equity level,” Nicholas stated, adding that the company had also invested $2.6 million in a blue economy dredging venture to address sand-mining issues in Barbuda.
“Going forward, there was a group from Jamaica that indicated that they wanted to develop the fort at Fort Barrington and the intention is that the land would be vested in NAMCO, and NAMCO would be economic partners with the venture,” he said. “We have not heard from the enterprise, so it is something we have to follow up on.”
Minister Nicholas also revealed that the Audit Department has already conducted the first three-year evaluation of NAMCO’s operations and has been invited to follow up on the audit which will be laid before Parliament.
