Age Concern To Develop Admiralty House Building
Age Concern Bermuda said they are “pleased to announce that they have been granted a conditional offer to develop” the building at Admiralty House, with the Minister noting “it’s about creating a space that will benefit the entire community, particularly our seniors and the broader community near Admiralty House Park. ”
Minister Lt. Col. David Burch said, “Today, we come together with excitement, hope, and optimism as we unveil the successful applicant chosen following a Request for Proposal from our Ministry. This process, launched in January 2022, aims to identify the best-suited organisation to restore and revitalise the historic Admiralty House Ballroom, which is a Grade 2 Listed building that holds a special place in Bermuda’s heritage.
“Before I proceed further, I’d like to acknowledge and thank the Planning Department and Conservation team for their valuable input during the preliminary consultation phase. Their feedback and guidance were instrumental in protecting the Ballroom’s historic status, a vital aspect of this redevelopment initiative.
“Restoration of this cherished landmark is at the heart of our vision. However, it’s not just about preserving history; it’s about creating a space that will benefit the entire community, particularly our seniors and the broader community near Admiralty House Park. The Ballroom’s redevelopment allows us to breathe new life into this iconic structure while incorporating ancillary spaces to enhance its utility further.”
Mercedes Pringle-DeSilva, Executive Director of Age Concern Bermuda stated: “We are extremely happy to have been granted a conditional offer to develop Admiralty House. As many of the Park’s frequent users will know, the main Admiralty House building has been vacant for several years and consequently has fallen into a state of disrepair.
“It is our intent to not only restore the main building and adjacent buildings and property to their former glory, but to add various levels of useability and functionality that are valuable to current and prospective users. “
Tanya Bule, the Charity’s Chairman continued: “We are completely aware of the historical, social and environmental significance of Admiralty House and its grounds and are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to become stewards of this magnificent property.
“We are also cognizant of the significant responsibility that cones with such a stewardship and as such, we will be launching a community engagement process to determine what the community feels the re-development of such a historic landmark should look like.”
“The community engagement process will be inclusive and transparent and will allow all members of the community to provide their opinions, suggestions, and views on the future use of the property.
“It should be noted that even though Age Concern’s mission is to enhance the quality of life and promote the rights and opportunities of older adults in Bermuda, the end-result of this development must be one that provides sustainable benefit to all residents of Bermuda.”
Ms. Pringle-DeSilva added: “The engagement process will include both online and telephone surveys with the general population, stakeholder interviews and both virtual and in-person ‘Town Hall’ style events. We are pleased to be working with the reputable market research team at Narrative Research who were selected after an extensive RFP process conducted earlier this year.
“The first step in the engagement process will be an online survey that will be launched in the next few days. The survey will be available to all residents through to November 30.
“We will, of course, provide more details on this and I can share with you that the links to the survey will be emailed to all Age Concern members, emailed to other stakeholders for them to distribute to their memberships, and will be available on the Age Concern website – www.ageconcern.bm. Please also feel free to email us at info@ageconcern.bm if that is your preferred method of communication.
“In addition, a virtual town hall meeting is scheduled for the Age Concern affiliates and the general public on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 6:30 pm. An in-person town hall meeting is subsequently scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the West Pembroke area.
“Additional details on the Town Hall events will also be shared as they are confirmed. We want to hear from everyone who has an opinion on the various ways the site can be used and hope that by providing a wide range of available engagement forums, we can get as many viewpoints and suggestions from the community as possible.”
Ms. Bule concluded by saying: “We are extremely grateful to the Minister of Public Works Lt. Col. David Burch and his team at the Ministry, along with the Department of Parks for their valued input and support. This is a project that will have a significant positive impact on the neighborhood and wider Island community, and we look forward to sharing the results of the engagement process with the public in early 2024.”
