The BTL Park on Newtown Barracks has been undergoing renovations geared at achieving a major facelift of this public recreational spot. The Belize City Council held an official groundbreaking ceremony today, Monday, and announced the plans for the park’s new look.
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley said they are currently at phases two and three of the renovation, which are being taken on simultaneously. Phase one involved the land reclamation and the building of the seawall, which was completed about two weeks ago.
The Mayor said that the land reclamation added 40 percent more land space, which was necessary to accommodate the new facilities – the foremost of these being an artificial beach – that will be added to the park.
Phase two and three works will commence on Tuesday, July 9. The construction will be done by International Environment, which is the same group responsible for construction at the Memorial Park.
Among the phase two projects will be the construction of park benches, a pier, a new and larger stage, and a food court. Phase three is what the Council calls the economic development component phase, during which 23 kiosks will be constructed.
The Mayor said that a lot of the funding for that phase will come from CARILED (Caribbean Local Economic Development), who will be financing the business and maintenance plans for the park. Another plan for the business component of the park will be the hosting of monthly events in the park.
The Mayor said that Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) will continue to sponsor the park’s cleaning and maintenance – a venture that the company has spent over $1 million on over the past 10 years.
“I really want to stress that we’re doing this in partnership with the private sector, particularly Belize Telemedia Limited,” the Mayor said. “BTL has been a very integral partner in reaching to this stage. We’re also doing it in partnership with CARILED, which is the Canadian-funded local economic project. And I’m pleased to announce that this is the first project of all the six implementing countries in the Caribbean; this is the first project that has received direct sponsorship. So Belize City is ahead of the game.”
The Mayor said that the plans for the park are a part of a larger vision the Council has for Belize City. Other upgrades in that area of the City include the concreting of Newtown Barracks adjacent to the BTL Park up to Princess Margaret Drive in front of St. John’s College.
The first phase of the park was done by RGB Construction and had cost just under $800,000. The second and third phases will cost a little under $1.2 million. The park is expected to be completed by November, when a grand opening will be held.