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Demolition of old Magistrate's Court begins to pave way for new Learning Centre

-Site of Building which housed two generations of the court to be home of the new Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre
Two generations of buildings that once housed the Magistrates Court on Tortola Virgin Islands, are being demolished to facilitate the construction of the new Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre. Photo: Team of Reporters
Demolition of the buildings commenced yesterday Friday, September 22, 2023, where the larger of the two structures being ripped down was extensively damaged by the 2017 storms. Photo: Team of Reporters
Demolition of the buildings commenced yesterday Friday, September 22, 2023, where the larger of the two structures being ripped down was extensively damaged by the 2017 storms. Photo: Team of Reporters
JOHN'S HOLE, Tortola, VI - Two generations of buildings that once housed the Magistrate's Court on Tortola, in the Virgin Islands, are being demolished to facilitate the construction of the new Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre.

Demolition of the building commenced yesterday Friday, September 22, 2023, where the larger of the two structures being ripped down was extensively damaged by the 2017 storms.

Following the hurricane damage, a new building had to be constructed in its place as the court was without a home. 

This led to the construction of a smaller pre-fab building which served as the Magistrates court up until recently when court staff were made to relocate to facilitate demolition and subsequent construction of the Learning Centre.

RDA project 

The Project is being undertaken by the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) while the Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre maintains its home at the Valarie O. Thomas Community Centre in Sea Cows Bay.

The contract for the construction of the learning centre was signed by the Recovery and Development Agency on 25th August on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands with Autland Heavy Equipment Co. Ltd. to the tune of three million, nine hundred and fifty-nine thousand, six hundred and ninety dollars and fifteen cents (3,959,690.15).

11 Responses to “Demolition of old Magistrate's Court begins to pave way for new Learning Centre”

  • Well sa (23/09/2023, 13:46) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    John's hole is no where for a 4-storey magistrate building. You need to designate the lot exchanged with the differently abled school for the new Adina Donovan home.
  • Youth (23/09/2023, 14:51) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    I know the courts got a swap of land by the red cross area so both the school and courts have all the land they need to build modern facilities. These are needed and welcome initiatives.
  • 2023 (23/09/2023, 17:34) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    how long will this project take once the project begins
  • pat (23/09/2023, 18:32) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    THANKS MINISTER, LONG OVERDUE!
  • DON Q (23/09/2023, 18:34) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    Thanks Minister decastro . Keep doing what you are doing for our youths
  • Javk (23/09/2023, 22:21) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Another waist of taxpayers money,creating learning center when they already built 3 building for the high school,yet they can't fill it with students and animals,WHY NOT BUILT BACK THE MAGISTRATE COURT AND STOP PAYING RENT, these politicians think they are smart,but only jackass will eat whatever you feed to them,WHEN WILL GOV BUILDING WILL FINISH SO THE PREMIER WILL GO BACK TO HIS OFFICE AND PASSPORT OFFICE WILL DO THE SAME? 6 YEARS ALREADY GONE AND THE BUILDING CANNOT FINISH YET INSURANCE ARE BEING PAID FOR AN UNFINISHED BUILDING HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?where and who is this money going to?this is the same reason why I said journalists in this country are jokers and majority are expats so they are scared to report the truth before they get fired,look skelton built fresh building for government to rent in fish bay look carefully to see who will accupide the spots,have anyone do a report on our social security money that was spent to built apartments and villas,how many have sold and the money been recovered? The Deputy governor building villas,where the money come from?I like how the police hold Eric for drugs and gun,I wonder what will they hold Andrew and Maynard for? Or if any changes will lead to them for wrong doing in government office where people trust them to duty,remember I told you people last week about individual coming out from prison to go sleep with their woman and party in strip club,look now,remember the shooting at CSY when when the strip club was there,it was a man they let out from prison to do the act,this place is like a circus,drugs selling infront pickering and nothing can't be don't they are protected,go tru 40 second street noting can't be done they are protected,they dude even doing home deliveries once you could afford the price,the children of this generation have no choice because job is hard to optain so they want quick money,look in majority of the office in road town they are majority of females because the bosses want to see them,most of them not even from the bvi,look at one mart that's Spanish and Phillipines yet the government talking about hiring local,tag auto group! How many local,alphonso how many local,I could keep go on forever but until fresh people in power this nonsense will keep going on,especially business that are under paying employees and rob them of their benefits by treating to send them back to their home country,bvi is a beautiful country which I could call home but until these GOV officials get serious in savings money to bring this country forward I will keep complaining of the lock of incompetent these people that hold office are...
  • @ ministers (23/09/2023, 22:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Use some of this land to make another alternative way of getting the traffic flow from Enid Scatliffe out. In this way u enter one way and exit the other way.
  • ONE BUILDING (23/09/2023, 23:21) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why not construct one building capable of housing both Eslyn Henly and Althea Scatliffe. Wouldn't it be more cost efficient. Entrance and campus can be separated.
  • Hmm (24/09/2023, 07:22) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    But that's not the old magistrate court that's the new one the older is right next to it? What a waste of taxpayers money.
    • Real People (24/09/2023, 10:30) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      Glad you seeing what's going on. Now the new one became the old one when it was constructed after the old was destroyed be the hurricane 2017. But yet some how it's not fit anymore for court. Watch how the people money getting spend


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