Hinds, Part 8
Current developments
At a public meeting after the reopening of the library in Independence Square, Minister Blackett reiterated the government’s commitment to Carnegie’s legacy. He promised that both the building’s functional use as a library, as well as the historical and architectural integrity of the structure, would be preserved. At the time, he said that the building would be included among those put forward in the nomination dossier seeking to have historic Bridgetown and the Garrison designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Unfortunately, the refurbishment of the Carnegie library has been placed on hold.
The Daily Nation newspaper of January 6, 2010, reported that the Mr. Blackett said in a telephone interview that “due to the current financial situation, it was going to be difficult to restore the Carnegie Building, on Coleridge Street, right now.” He went on to say that it would be too costly an exercise to tackle in the current financial year. However, he hoped that it would be something that could be addressed in the future.
We continue to await the rebirth of what Professor Henry Fraser called in the Daily Nation on August 5, 2007 “one of the seven magnificent buildings in Bridgetown.”