Property owners on Gladstone Road are voicing concerns about the Gladstone Road Improvement Project, a $29 million roadworks initiative of the Government to transform the major thoroughfare into a double carriageway highway.
Pia Farmer of Easy Car Sales said, “the issue is that while the Ministry of Works people are working and getting paid and doing their job I’m losing clients.” In advance of the beginning of the roadworks Farmer has decided to relocate her business. “We have bought a new property on the East West Highway because we have outgrown this location. We have outgrown this location anyway. I had to move anyway but I’m taking as many steps as I can to leave before the worst of the construction. I am hoping that actually the property owners can have a little stronger structure to find out what are going to be the incentives for property owners here. Are we gonna get tax breaks, for example. Is something going to happen in that regard? Are we going to get any set of reparations for business loss. I think the people of Village Road are still waiting.”
Also weighing in was Bryan Bethel, owner of Honda Plus. Bethel said, “they’ll be taking the front parking and we’ll have to put a side gate to the side for people to park.” Bethel expects to lose business and says he objective is to use his Nassau Street building as a front.”
A concrete date for the beginning of construction is yet to be announced.
