2 Months ago, 7News told you about the Fort Point Facelift which was launched under the Sustainable Tourism Development umbrella.
This IDB funded tourism project is being called the "Belize City Fort Point Pedestrian Walk". It has a budget of just over 5 million dollars and it is supposed to deliver a comprehensive renewal of North Front Street from the bridge-foot to the Memorial Park and Tourism Village.
Work has been taking place at the Memorial Park for about a month now, and all the old elements of the park have been demolished. If you are concerned that they've been destroyed, don't worry the experts assured 7News today that the basic footprint is still there. It's just part of the renewal process.
We stopped in to get a quick look at how the work has been going. Here's what the Project's Coordinator told us.
Christy Mastry, Sustainable Tourism Program
"I guess we started construction probably about a month now. We already started with the demolition of the entire park, and what we are doing is recreating a lot of the really traditional user spaces that used to be here. So I know there has been a lot of speculation about where the park is."
"Basically, the footprint is still here, and we are re-improving on a lot of the uses that used to be here. We already drove the piles for the new stage. The stage is pretty much almost in its similar location. It's still going to have a very ceremonious space in front of it."
"There will be concrete pavers in front of the area there, and behind there will be another seating plaza as well. What we've done is demolished and taken down what is the memorial itself; the actual statue that was in the park, we are preserving that, and we are recreating that space for the ex-servicemen league and their ceremonies that they have in the area as well."
Daniel Ortiz
"Has there been any issues, or any kind of problems that the constructors have been having while trying to maintain the footprint?"
Christy Mastry, Sustainable Tourism Program
"No, actually we've been moving right along, there haven't been too many issues which is good. We've been coordinating with all of the utilities. We want to really create friendly user spaces, so all the electrical is going underground in the park itself. So BEL is coordinating and working with us on that aspect."
"When it comes to the streets itself, we are looking in putting in all the new drainage as well as upgrade that BWSL has come to the table and mention that they are in dire need of upgrading their main supply lines for water."
"So what our project is doing is trenching and opening the actual drains themselves and we will be allowing for them to come in with new PVC piping and all of their connections from their main to the actual residences or business themselves to upgrade the water supply as well. So we are coordinating with all of those throughout the area."
"The entire project is budgeted at 5.7 million Belize dollars and we are working in phases. We start with the park and then we will be doing South Park Street at first. Every street is roughly around 3 month timeline, and then we will allow traffic there. Then work on North Park Street and then Cork Street and then eventually North Front Street as we go along."
This full project will emphasize the access to pedestrians, which should highlight better walking experience for tourists and other residents of the city.
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