Booby Alley – By Latrishka Thomas
Booby Alley Housing Project
What was once a community of cramped, ageing wooden structures is now rising into 150 modern condominium units, and Prime Minister Gaston Browne said they will be ready for handover by October 30th.
Browne toured the Booby Alley Housing Renewal Project on Friday alongside Chinese Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Her Excellency Jiang Wei, and left with no shortage of words for those who tried to stop it from ever being built.
The project’s contractors confirmed during the visit that construction is on track, and Browne used the occasion to reflect on a development he first announced back in 2018 — one that survived a pandemic, legal challenges, bad weather and years of public opposition before breaking ground in October 2024.
Speaking after the tour, the PM described the development as an independence gift to the people of Antigua and Barbuda, and particularly to the former residents of Booby Alley.
“This will be a beautiful independence gift for the governing people of Antigua and Barbuda, especially for the people of Booby Alley who will take up residence here shortly thereafter.”
When asked about those who had opposed the project over the years, Browne said he felt vindicated.
“There are many who saw me as mean-spirited, trying to displace very poor people and to steal their land. It all turned out to have been a lie. For me, it’s a form of vindication.”
He said the experience had not deterred him, adding that he had grown accustomed to criticism throughout his tenure in office across various major projects.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And here’s the proof of this particular project. It doesn’t stop here.”
Browne went on to say he was impressed with what he saw and took the opportunity to thank the People’s Republic of China, whose grant funding is covering the cost of the EC$50 million project.
“I want to take this opportunity once again to thank the People’s Republic of China for the assistance that they’ve extended to us. I think this is one of the most significant projects that they’ve funded so far. In fact, there’s no doubt that in terms of impact, this is easily the most transformational project that has been pursued by any administration in the history of our country.”
The PM confirmed that a competition will be held to rename the community, saying the Booby Alley name would be retired along with its past.
“We’ll be having a competition to determine the renaming, so it’ll no longer be Booby Alley. In fact, somebody was saying it should be like Pelican Court or Pelican Condos. Something a little more sophisticated to show the transformation that has taken place.”
Browne also issued a direct appeal to incoming residents to maintain the development, warning that he did not want to see the community deteriorate.
“The last thing I want to see a few years from now is people who come here and vandalize and ghettoize this beautiful place. This place must be maintained as one of the pristine developments on the island, because this is the prototype for what we expect to replicate throughout the island.”
He said standards would be put in place and residents would be trained on how to maintain the environment.
The Prime Minister said Booby Alley was just the beginning, with similar interventions planned for Gray’s Farm, Greenbay and Potters.
“I would say to them that we’re coming — just as how we’re here to transform the lives of the people of Booby Alley, we’ll be doing likewise in areas such as Gray’s Farm.”
He added that the government’s ambitions extended beyond housing, pointing to planned investments in healthcare, education and entrepreneurship, including a $200 million upgrade to The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus and the reopening of the cancer centre by the end of June.
