Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Pier Park to get valet parking, for charity

Pier Park to get valet parking, for charity

Parking may soon get easier for holiday shoppers at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park after the launch of a valet parking service as part of a partnership with the new Provisional Rotary Club of Central Tortola.

“We’ve had a lot of parking wars with some of the events that we’ve got here. These are some of the complaints we got, so we’re going to try that and see how that works,” park CEO Vance Lewis said during a press conference last Thursday. “The limitation is we have 30 parking spots in the pier park.

And I’m sure frequent visitors recognise that we have a lot of double and triple parking here and it causes quite a bit of consternation on people who come here to shop. We hopefully can begin this weekend. We’re working with various agencies to ensure that we have a smooth transition to the valet service.”

Because of the pandemic, the park has been largely quiet in recent weeks during what would ordinarily be one of its busiest times for cruise arrivals.

However, with the explosion in Covid-19 cases in North America and Europe, Mr. Lewis said, the park will have to exercise patience a little longer.

“The expectation that we’re going to have early resumption of cruise ships in the Caribbean was slightly dashed when there was an outbreak of cases on Seadream headed from Barbados,” he explained. “We are looking at how our protocols can merge with the protocols that the [United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] will be giving to the cruise lines so as to make sure that everyone is safe. So it’s a matter of being flexible, understanding what’s happening on the global scene.”

Vaccines


Mr. Lewis was optimistic with the recent news that Covid-19 vaccines are on their way. “Basically, I think you’ll be hearing a lot more in terms of firm timing of resumption of the cruise industry, perhaps over the next couple of weeks as vaccinations start flowing,” he said.

In the meantime, pier park officials have been working to assist tenants, according to TPP Business Development Manager Zoe Walcott.

“We have given a number of concessions to tenants to ensure that they are able to navigate these difficult times in a manner that allows their business to sort of ride the waves to be sustainable,” she said. “So how do we come out of
this? Not smelling like a bed of roses, but most certainly in a survival state.”

Besides the new Rotary partnership, she said, the decision to partner with Virgin Islands Search and Rescue on its “glice” skating rink and with the BVI Food Fete have been instrumental in driving traffic into the park and keeping residents engaged with it.

“Partnerships are critical, we recognise, even with the challenges that we are facing, to make sure that sans the ships we do have the community within our borders,” Ms. Walcott said.

New club


Shan Mohamed, membership chair of the Provisional Rotary Club of Central Tortola, explained that the TPP partnership will be just the first in a series of projects the club hopes to undertake.

“We have some innovative ideas, not only in terms of how we will raise funds for projects, but innovative ideas in terms of the type of projects that we will
undertake, and on the specific focus of projects that have sustainability,” he said.

Mr. Lewis, who is part of the club’s steering committee, added that the club already has 27 members, though more than 40 people have been attending meetings.

Some were drawn from other clubs, he said, but “the majority of the members” have never been involved in Rotary before.

“They were not interested [in Rotary previously] because they felt that it was too much of a commitment, but they like the idea of lesser attendance commitment and a more innovative approach to how we work together to strengthen the Rotary family and strengthen the community,” he explained.

The new club began meeting regularly in July, and it has submitted an application to Rotary International to be formally chartered in January.

The club, alongside various businesses, will sponsor events throughout the holiday season, starting with sponsoring its own tree next to the Lions
Club tree.

Proceeds from the valet parking and other events will go to support various charities: Spina Bifida Awareness, the Jaleel Cameron Foundation, the BVI Cancer Society, and the Family Support Network.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×