And because of COVID, the Civic Center has not been used for the sporting activities and other events it was built for. But out of sight does not mean out of mind, and the Ministry of Sports has set its sights on managing the 33 million dollar facility.
According to Minister Kevin Bernard, the building is currently under the Ministry of Infrastructure, but he is looking for collaboration with private sector to transfer the management where he believes it rightfully belongs - under the Sports Council. He spoke to us via Zoom:
Hon. Kevin Bernard, Minister of Sports
"Currently as you know the civic center is under the care and auspices under BIL which is under the ministry of infrastructure and Development and so we are working closely with the Minister Julius to ensure that we can look at ways that we can bring over back the civic center over under our control, but we have to be real, this is a very huge expensive building and the cost that we have and the budget that we currently have for sports is very limited, but under this new government and under the commitment by our prime minister to ensure that youth and sports get its right attention. That is the reason why we have a ministry now of youth and sports and e-governance and youth and sports play a critical role and so we are looking at where we can partner with the Belize City Council. Like I said it is not something that has been final. It is still under BIL, its still under the ministry of infrastructure and development. We have been in negotiation with them and I know that at the end of the day that its a sporting facility. It was always under NSC. We must return the facility under the NSC."
"When I spoke to the minister and the cost that is being levied on the monthly maintenance for this facility is very huge. So we have to look at that. With our new budget cycle coming up we are looking at presenting a comprehensive plan, but like I said we have to look at partners, we have to look at stakeholders, we have to look at how we can jointly work with the civic center and I think that we cannot continue to operate it in that white elephant opportunity, but we have to start look at it from a venture opportunity where the organization that maintains it start to also see some form of revenues."
