BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CONSTRUCTION at Beaumont Park is rapidly heading toward the finish and a November pre-opening for the new facility is expected to revive the age-old sport of horse and dog racing in St. Kitts.
Poised at the base of Mount Liamigua in Dieppe Bay, Beaumont Park is anticipated to be a fine example of high-class Caribbean racing facilities and is projected to add countless economic benefits to the surrounding area and the nation at large.
Construction for the project began back in 2004 and phase one is expected to be completed within two years. The horseracing track is 3/4 mile long (6 furlongs) and has two racing shoots for the thoroughbreds, while the greyhound racetrack is 330 yards.
The park does not yet have automatic timing, close circuit television, and wagering systems in place, but the 2010 official grand opening will showcase a polished, internationally-acclaimed racing hub fitted with the necessary equipment.
The master plan of the Beaumont development project includes stables to house over 500 thoroughbreds, greyhound kennels, bird aviary, butterfly farm, a nursery and a thoroughbred breeding farm. Over the next few years, residential lots, restaurants and shopping facilities will be constructed as a part of the plan.
General Manager Richard Cummings said that while the development saw a lengthy period of construction, design evaluation and revaluation, all efforts were made to ensure that “meaningful and sustainable” development can be seen.
“I can assure you that folks have spent inordinate amounts of time to ensure that this place actually happens. There is a commitment to this project that while longevity has occurred from beginning to middle, we are at a point where you can actually start to see... you have something that you can now visualize,” Cummings said, describing his projection as “simply gratifying”.
The next three to four years, according to Cummings, will be a test to the project and allow Beaumont Park to open a new avenue of sport in St. Kitts.
Currently, about 200 individuals have been employed full-time by the first phase of the project. This includes construction workers, jockeys, trainers, grooms and the executive staff.
While the construction of the entire project is not expected in be completed in the short-term, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas worded his confidence and optimism in the potential he envisages for the project.
“There is no doubt in my own mind that we have come a long way, when a few years ago the Government through the White Gate Development Corporation assigned this piece of property for the development of the Beaumont Park.
“It is clear to me that what’s going on here is not just the construction, as so many people think, but it is really the unfolding of plans for a racing industry starting in St. Kitts-Nevis,” Douglas told SKNVibes in an interview on October 3.
Hailing the new site as the opportunity to “bring a diversification of the sports industry”, Douglas projected that the economic spinoffs would be overwhelming, as his government expects hundreds of jobs to be provided both directly and indirectly.
“So many different economic activities will be generated here. It is unbelievable and that is why I am convinced in my mind that the government had the vision and the foresight,” he stated.
A date for pre-opening races will be announced in the near future.
