Enhanced marine access will not only facilitate more efficient and cost effective port trading and export operations but will also attract a sustainable volume of tourist visitors arriving by ferry, cruise ships, and a broad spectrum of high value sailing and international yachting visitors. “At last, the enormous potential economic benefits of Montserrat been strategically positioned on the international yachting highway of the Caribbean will be able to be harnessed”. In the minds eye of the visitor arriving by sea, the development proposed for Little Bay will project and instill a unique and memorable place marketing image.
Capital Waterfront
The features that compose the waterfront will create a capital with a striking, vibrant and distinctive character – the new leisure and recreational heart and chic place to be in Montserrat.
- Breakwater protected main bay offering year round, secure conditions for efficient port operations, cruise ship transit and ferry berthing.
- Prime foreshore and boulevard real estate development opportunity.
- Enhanced public beach and boardwalk. International yacht marina and related onshore facilities.
- Pipers Pond fishing and small sailing craft safe harbour + Mangrove Nature Reserve Parkway will form an impressive new entrance gateway to Little Bay.
The Integrated Waterfront Strategy
The addition of a comprehensive waterfront strategy to the original Town Centre Action Area Plan transforms the potential stream of positive socio-economic benefits for the whole of Montserrat that can be derived from the development of Little Bay in this way.
To harness these positive transformational benefits will mean a concerted effort and support by all the people for the realisation of this new ‘Vision’ Montserrat.
It was agreed with the bi- and multi-lateral international funding agencies, the GoM and key policy stakeholders that a Little Bay breakwater should be a working assumption for the preparation of the Preliminary Master Plan.
The components of the waterfront strategy are:
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INTERNATIONAL YACHT MARINA
The proposed off-shore international yacht marina project will realise the latent potential that Montserrat’s strategic location on the yachting highway of the Caribbean presents. It is aimed at attracting a recognised ‘blue-chip’ developer-investor and operator that will ensure Montserrat is firmly and competitively positioned in the sophisticated and lucrative Caribbean yachting market place. The marina’s off-shore location will enable it to meet the exacting standards of the increasingly important super and mega-yacht charter growth market as well as the needs of the individual seafarer. The close relationship between marina’s, hotel and other added value landside developments will be fully exploited through the integrated development packaging of high value sea front reclaimed land and the landmark Potato Hill site. Every aspect of its design, operation and berthing agreements will stringently meet the internationally recognised standards set by the Yacht Harbour Association’s Code of Practice.
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PIPERS POND - FISHING HARBOUR AND SMALL CRAFT MARINA
A leisure and recreation harbour where locals and visitors mix and spend time relaxing and browsing the on-shore daily activities of a working fishing harbour and leisure marina. Pipers Pond will be the land-side gateway to Little Bay and will, in its own right, have all the popular ingredients to establish itself as a major island attraction for residents and visitors alike.
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3 BAYS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY – THE BIGGER PICTURE
By re-casting the Little Bay development within the new, wider development framework of the 3 Bays concept a dimension is added that has implications for the whole of Northern Montserrat and the Nation’s future.
Negotiations are positively advancing with the private land owners of Rendezvous Bay. The process of planning the integration of Carrs Bay is under way and steps are in place to dovetail the concept into a Transport and revised Spatial Plan for Northern Montserrat. The concept is already stimulating considerable interest in the international investor market place, priming the way for successful local and regional development partnerships.