Pelican Court Handover Marks Major Transformation of Booby Alley

The transformation of Booby Alley reached a major milestone on Thursday with the official handover of Pelican Court, a 150-home development intended to replace some of the country’s most difficult housing conditions with modern, climate-resilient accommodation.

Financed through an approximately EC$50 million grant from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the development comprises nine buildings and represents a substantial investment in housing and urban renewal in the Point community.

The ceremony marked the transfer of the completed development to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said residents are expected to begin moving in by January, following landscaping, meter installation and other remaining work.

For former residents, the handover brings closer the end of a lengthy transition involving temporary relocation, disputes, construction delays and the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Browne said the purpose of the project extended beyond replacing buildings.

“It’s about improving the quality of life of those to be resident here,” he said.

He reiterated that former residents would receive priority, with people who owned and occupied homes in the community to receive replacement condominiums without an additional charge.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Wei formally handed over the development, describing it as a gift to the people of Antigua and Barbuda ahead of the country’s 45th anniversary of independence.

Project Chairman Ambassador Dr. Clarence Pilgrim paid tribute to residents, workers and officials who helped carry the undertaking through years of challenges. He also remembered former residents and a project team member who died before its completion.

The ceremony included performances by Villa Primary School students and the Harmonites Steel Orchestra.

With the buildings handed over, attention now turns to allocations, preparations for occupancy and the management arrangements intended to preserve the development for future generations.