The White Elephant that is the Belize City Center
The Belize City Center was inaugurated with much fanfare when it opened its doors on April thirtieth, 2018. That was at least two years before COVID-19 became a reality. In the time before the pandemic made its way to Belize, the building was hardly in use, despite the number of scheduled events necessary for its stakeholders to turn a profit. Since March of last year, the giant sliding doors that protect the structure have remained shut and the future of the facility built from PetroCaribe largess was up in the air. In the coming months the Civic will be turned over to the Ministry of Sports, Youth and e-Governance and plans are to join forces with the Belize City Council to operate and maintain the sporting complex. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The Belize City Center, one of several multimillion-dollar facilities constructed through Belize Infrastructure Limited, remains closed to the public. Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced the indefinite suspension of many, if not all, sporting activities, a new political administration is in office and there are questions regarding the building’s usage and upkeep. Taking over from the former Minister of Sports is Kevin Bernard whose portfolio also includes youths and e-governance.
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Sports
“Currently it is still under the control of BIL. BIL is now under the Ministry of Infrastructure [Development] and Housing, however, I must say that the National Sports Council, the Ministry of Sports, Youth and e-Governance will be writing to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Infrastructure [Development] because we are told that the said management contract has come to an end, it has expired and they are now looking at handing over the Civic Center back to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and e-Governance since it’s a sporting facility.”
Built at an estimated cost of thirty-four million Belize dollars, the Civic Center stands as one of the most expensive structures in the country and its maintenance alone carries an exorbitant cost. It is not clear what, if any, profits have been realized from use of the facility. The management contract to which Minister Bernard alludes was an agreement between Apex Events Service and the previous government.
Kevin Bernard
“We at the NSC and under my ministry, we are finding ways in terms of how we can partner with the Belize City Council in terms of this facility and the proper use and maintenance of this facility. I must say that from just the estimates that we are told, the monthly maintenance cost is very high and the current budget that the National Sports Council has will never be able to sustain the maintenance of that building.”
In March 2018, upon assuming management of the facility, Chad Eckert informed of the many potential uses of the edifice and its outdoor spaces. Notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic which shuttered the building, its usage on a month-to-month basis was limited to only a few events.
Chad Eckert
Chad Eckert, Proprietor, Apex Events Services Ltd. [File: March 19th, 2018]
“We can have large conventions, small conventions, you could have business meetings, you could have trainings. It’s basically unlimited for whatever ideas you have here. We’re gonna be creating multiple rental venue spots in the building alone, I think we’ve come up with about seven different areas in the building that can be rented individually or simultaneously. You could also have, one of our ideas is where you can rent the inside, as well as the outside. You have like a large expo or something where you can have vendors on the inside and you can have, you can have them wrap around the court inside here, around the upstairs. You can have them all out in the parking lot as well.”
Despite an unspecified delay in the resumption of sporting activities, Minister Bernard says that it is important to regain control of the facility and its management. Director of Sports Oscar Arnold is also a member of the Belize City Council and is, himself, a sports enthusiast.
Kevin Bernard
“We feel that it is critical that we get back hold of the Civic Center, there’s a lot of potential that we can utilize the center for and I believe that we cannot continue having it sitting there. The more that building is not put to use it is going to run down. It’s going to be another eyesore if we don’t get to that building. And so, I know last week when I met with the director, the C.E.O. and I were discussing and I briefly reached out to the Minister of Infrastructure Development, Honorable Julius Espat, who also supports our initiative in taking over back the Civic Center so that we can properly start to manage that Civic Center. You know, as part of our planned, phased in approach to sports, we are in this pandemic but we are also looking at ways how we can get back these facilities up to track.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
