Renowned architectural historian Professor Sir Henry Fraser has strongly condemned plans to demolish the historic Holetown Civic Centre and Police Station to make way for a high-rise hotel, calling the proposal “poorly thought out” and an affront to Barbados’ heritage preservation efforts.His scathing critique comes amid growing opposition to the government’s plans, with the Barbados National Trust joining the chorus of dissent. The proposed demolition of the centuries-old site, in the shadow of a monument to the island’s European settlement and governance, has sparked intense backlash from conservationists who argue that such a move would erase a critical piece of Barbados’ history.Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Professor Fraser, a longtime champion of heritage conservation, voiced unwavering support for the National Trust’s president, Geoffrey Ramsey: “I agree with him 150 per cent.“This is not a well-thought-out proposal.”He lamented what he described as a contradiction in the country’s approach to heritage preservation—embracing cultural elements like music and cuisine while allowing significant historic structures to deteriorate.“Everybody is talking about our food and our food and our dancing but meanwhile our buildings are all falling down,” he said.“We have a historic Bridgetown and its garrison as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and half of it is derelict. Half of it... The buildings of Bridgetown are derelict.”Professor Fraser further noted the implications of relocating the police station, particularly for the average citizen, echoing the Trust’s concerns that dismantling the civic complex would disproportionately affect those who rely on public transport.“The whole complex there is so convenient to people getting off the bus, as Mr Ramsey said. Instead, they’ll have to walk hundreds of yards up a gentle hill to a new site, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars building a new one,” he said, suggesting that the costs of relocation far outweigh any purported benefits.The UWI emeritus professor dismissed the idea that a new complex could be built at a reasonable cost.
