Warrens rising
Published on: 6/10/07.
by AMANDA LYNCH-FOSTER
MOVING ON UP!
The skyline of Warrens is set for some major changes in the next few years with a number of high-rise complexes planned for the area.
Developers, seeking to maximise Barbados' limited land space and seemingly unlimited demand for building space, are seeking to build multi-storey high-rise buildings. When completed, these buildings will rival the ten-storey Central Bank, currently the island's tallest building.
Business magnate Ralph 'Bizzy' Williams told the SUNDAY SUN: "Buildings will get taller. I know of a ten-storey one that is being planned now and I have heard of a 20-storey one that is being considered."
These buildings would join other Warrens high-rises, such as the seven-storey CGI Towers and the five-storey Warrens Office complex, giving the quickly-emerging town a completely different look than Barbados' four other older towns.
General manager of Consumer Guarantee Insurance, Peter Harris who developed CGI Towers in a joint venture with Jada Builders Inc., predicted that the high-rise trend would continue.
"In a place where you have limited land available, not only will commercial buildings go up in the air, but residentials will have to take the same route," said Harris.
His comments echoed those of Minister of Public Works and Transport Gline Clarke in the 2007 Estimates Debate, when he made a call for accommodating more high-rise housing.
"I believe that in the coming months we have to challenge the Town Planning Department to be more creative in looking at how we build upwards," Clarke said.
"I think that two storeys are still a bit low for societies like Barbados. We need to bring people back to The City and the only way of doing
so is to create high-rise units."
* amandalynch@nationnews.com
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