Six years on, Gorst says Waterfront development will still happen

Wednesday 05 November 2014

Chief Minister Ian Gorst says that the Waterfront development “is going to happen” but says that there is a question over whether the full masterplan will be developed or whether the road running through the site will need to be lowered to provide more building space.

In April, it was announced that RBC – the main tenant that office developers have been looking to secure – had chosen to move to a new Dandara building on the Esplanade, not to the States’ Waterfront office scheme, which has been in the works for more than six years.

The website for the Jersey International Finance Centre says that “construction of the first buildings will commence in early 2014 with completion early 2016”.

PwC and Ogier have also moved to the Esplanade in recent years, knocking back the chance to move to the States of Jersey Development Company’s scheme planned for the flat Waterfront car park.

When the news about RBC broke in April, the head of the States’ development company said that talks with tenants were still lined up and that work could start by October.

Asked if the influx of business to the Esplanade, but not the planned Waterfront development meant the end of the scheme, Senator Gorst said the developments showed that the States were right to say that more office space was needed.

He said: “If we are serious about maintaining financial services and attracting new business, then we have to have modern office space.

“Will the full masterplan be delivered? That is a very good question. Will we sink the road? That again is a good question.

“From my personal perspective, that this might be getting further down the line is not a bad thing. But do I think we need to be delivering office space where it’s proposed? Yes I do.”

And he said that as businesses shifted towards the Waterfront, they would leave behind buildings that could be converted into much-needed homes.

Senator Gorst said: “The challenge that we have got is making sure we have got appropriate planning law and the ability to convert our secondary office space into high standard residential living, which is going to transform town.”