Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, receiving an update of the project from Director of Strategic Projects, Sagicor Life Inc., Edward Clarke (third from right). They were joined on tour by (from left) Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn; Director of Sagicor Financial, Dr. Jeannine Comma; Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle; and Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Cynthia Forde. (Photo by David Crichlow)
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has commended Sagicor and The Estates of St. George project as an example of hunkering down and rebuilding during a period of downturn in anticipation of the upturn to come.
Ms. Mottley said the project was a “true statement” of confidence not only in the Government, but in the nation of Barbados, and it brought quiet satisfaction in a world filled with despair.
During a ceremony following a tour of the construction site yesterday, the Prime Minister stated: “It gives us quiet satisfaction because the world in which we live today is turbulent in every respect…. Currently, all of the North Atlantic countries are confronting this second wave of COVID-19 that even without us doing anything has the capacity to offset economies in this part of the world,” Ms. Mottley observed.
She continued: “Yet with all of that, our small rock has made it our business to continue pressing ahead not necessarily full steam ahead, but pressing ahead conscious that were we not to use this time effectively when we come out of it, we would now have to go and do what we are doing now, which would be a disruptor in the provision of services and goods because we would now be looking to build out a year or two from now, rather than using this time to our advantage to build out as much as we can.”
In this vein, the Prime Minister promised to partner with the private sector in any area where the venture could deliver goods and services that were “hitherto not available, or must depend on the physical space available to the Government”.
Meanwhile, Director of Strategic Projects at Sagicor Life Inc, Edward Clarke, said the project, which sits on 32 acres of land, represented an investment of $206 million.
It includes 10 residential buildings, an assisted living and skilled nursing home, a clubhouse, and a commercial centre. A total of 350 people will be employed on the site.
julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb
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Remarks: Mr Edward Clarke, Director Strategic Projects, Sagicor Life Inc. on the occasion of a Construction Update and Site Tour for the Prime Minister of Barbados and the Media
Wednesday, November 4, 2020: 2:00 pm
Protocol List: (If not handled previously)
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment
Hon. Cynthia Forde, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs
Lieut. Col. Hon. Jeffrey Bostic, Minister of Health and Wellness
Hon. Dwight Sutherland, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment
Hon. Marsha Caddle, Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment
Hon. Ryan Straughn, Minister in the Ministry of Finance
Permanent Secretaries in the respective Ministries
Members of the Board of Directors, Sagicor Life Inc. and The Estates Group Holdings Ltd.
Mr Paul Inniss Executive Vice President Sagicor Life Inc and General Manager Barbados operations
Members of the Executive Leadership team at Sagicor Life Inc
Specially invited guests, all of whom are closely associated with the project
Members of the media
Thank you Ezra – and with protocol having been established, Hon.
Prime Minister, distinguished ladies and gentlemen:
Good afternoon and welcome to The Estates at St. George!
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this beautiful site to
experience what is just the beginning of the construction journey. This
occasion represents for many, the much-anticipated construction launch
for this new and exciting development.
What was initially conceived as a project to be developed on around 13
acres of land, literally the old Boarded Hall Plantation yard, and the land
on the ridge, has been meticulously worked through and improved by
our team. We have challenged ourselves to develop and bring to market,
a visionary concept for integrated and holistic living in a community
offering a full range of world-class amenities, from walking or jogging
trails, community gardening areas, lawn tennis courts, pool, a fitness
centre, spa and restaurants all in the Clubhouse, to the delivery of 24
hour on-site urgent care medical services, a pharmacy and a
convenience store.
The Estates at St. George now sits on just over 32 acres overlooking the
beautiful St. George valley and represents an investment of $206 million.
This investment includes the construction of 10 residential buildings, an
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing building, the Clubhouse,
Commercial Centre and Back of House Administrative Support complex.
The Support Complex will support the community’s technical
infrastructure and features an environmentally friendly facility, for the
treatment and reuse of wastewater.
The Estates at St. George will be built out over 4 phases commencing
September 2020, with completion targeted by December 2024. By the
end of this first phase, the community will feature four residential
buildings with 88 condominium styled residences, the commercial
centre, the Clubhouse with all its health and wellness amenities and
almost 15 acres of dedicated green space for recreation. During Phase
1, we will also be bringing to market, the Tamarind building. This building
will provide 53,000 sq ft of space dedicated to the provision of Assisted
Living, Skilled Nursing Care and Memory Care Services complete with, 53, best in class, residential care suites for rent, catering to those in need
of such services.
This project, the brainchild of retired Sagicor Director, Richard Kellman,
is four years in the making, and is a clear sign of confidence by Sagicor
in the recovery of the Barbados economy. We have been providing wise
financial solutions for our customers while improving the lives of those
in the communities we have served for close to 180 years, and in 2020,
we are still holding firm to that mandate.
As you will see shortly, during our tour, construction work is underway,
and at its peak, there will be 350 people working on the site. We have
the best of the Barbados construction industry at work here, to provide
the quality end product we and our customers expect.
I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the teams at
the Prime Ministers Planning Office, the Town and Country Planning and
Development Office and The Environmental Protection Department
without whom, this project would not be where we are today. We look
forward to continuing this relationship with you. Further, I would like to
thank our internal stakeholders; the architects, Mechanical and
Electrical Engineering teams, consulting Civil engineers, quantity
surveyors, CO Williams Construction Co Ltd. who did the infrastructure
groundwork, and the entire Sagicor project team. Today, we also
acknowledge the presence of the principals of the main contractors,
Jada Builders Inc and Shelbury Construction, who now have the
responsibility to provide us with the finished product….. And they have
clearly understood …. This project must be delivered at the highest
quality, it must be on time and on budget!
In preparation for the delivery of our senior care service in Tamarind,
there is a cohort of auxiliary nurses in-training in a Sagicor-sponsored
enhanced programme at the Barbados Community College. I recognize
our BCC partners here today and look forward to a successful
partnership with them as we work together to raise the standard of
Senior Care in Barbados.
I will speak a little now to the philosophy behind, The Estates at St.
George:
We are creating a world class residential community that will fulfil the
needs of our residents of all ages, with condominiums for couples,
professionals and small households to the best-in-class Tamarind
building which has been conceptualized and designed by our
architectural team of Sealy and Simpson Architects, in collaboration with
industry experts in the USA and Canada to deliver an globally
recognized level of senior care, specifically assisted living, skilled
nursing and dementia care. The catered living and skilled nursing
operations are key elements of this community, but we offer so much
more than that to our residents of The Estates!
Let’s picture the finished product: A full range of world class residences,
recreational facilities, concierge, lifestyle and enrichment activities, a
social community with a clubhouse, pool, restaurants, English Pub,
tennis courts, fitness centre and a relaxing spa, community garden area
and green space all around; so many things to do indoors and outdoors.
In addition, the entire property will feature 24-hour security, with keyless
entry to buildings, and WIFI enabled services. No matter your age or
stage in life, we are taking a holistic approach to our residents’ health,
wellness and very importantly, to their well-being. We will be delivering
a best in class, resort-environment, right here in Barbados, at The
Estates at St. George.
( In closing ), I wish to especially thank the Prime Minister, the Hon. Mia
Amor Mottley Q.C., M.P. and the Government of Barbados for giving
their full support to Sagicor for the project and to thank all of the partners
with whom we have collaborated to bring The Estates at St George to
life. We have just begun; and we are very excited to set a new standard
for lifestyle-centred residential living here in Barbados. We invite you
ALL to be a part of this journey with us! Follow us along the way as we
keep you up to date on our progress.
You will see that at the Estates at St. George, you will undoubtedly Live where you Love – for life!
Thank you.
Mr Edward Clarke, Director Strategic Projects, Sagicor Life Inc. 
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment 
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment 
Mr Edward Clarke, Director Strategic Projects, Sagicor Life Inc. and Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment 
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment (Photo by David Crichlow)
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said the fact that the Sagicor was going ahead with the project despite suffering a significant loss as a result of Government’s debt restructuring over a year ago and having now to respond to the negative effects of the current health pandemic, was definitely a sign of confidence in the Government and people of Barbados.
“You could be forgiven for pressing pause or stop. The truth is, however, you have done exactly what needs to be done in this period, which is to hunker down and start the building, recognizing that this down period globally must eventually go somewhere,” said Mottley.
Hinting that another major private sector project from a different investor should be announced on Thursday, Mottley said this gave her “quiet satisfaction” of the confidence being expressed in the country as it continues to “press ahead” economically and maintain a politically stable environment.
The Prime Minister used the occasion to issue a call to other private sector firms to make similar investments, stating that Government would continue to play its role to ensure that the welfare of the country and its people was secured.
“I want to encourage other members of the private sector to participate in similar activities . . . I want to say, those who want to do like what Sagicor has done here and what we have done at the senior citizens village at Vauxhall or what the Soroptimists has done in Eden Lodge, we will be prepared to put similar packages of concessions, because there has to be a public-private approach to being able to resolve these matters,” said Mottley.
Officials did not give an update on the planned construction of a high-end cardiology medical facility, which Barbados TODAY understands is still in the planning stages.
It was reported last year that this medical complex, to be built a stone’s throw away and offer a range of specialised care, would be built once the Estates at St George was completed, and it would cost in excess of $200 million.
