From Stephen Izatt, managing director, Waterfront Enterprise Board

WE would appreciate the opportunity to respond to Christine Herbert’s (11 April) and Chris Whitworth’s (19 April) unsubstantiated views and provide the public with the correct facts to consider their own viewpoint on the proposed Esplanade Quarter.

There are a number of locally based financial institutions and other large organisations that require purpose built, cost efficient, flexible, up-to-date and modern office accommodation with the latest in communication and energy efficient technology. There is also a pressing need for many of these businesses to consolidate disparate, out-of- date offices into a larger headquarters building.

The economic downturn has required many organisations to make immediate cuts including redundancies but they also understand that to survive and grow in the future, they need to plan ahead and have expressed interest in the appropriate office space to accommodate their staff.

Both commentators refer to the office development at Green Street. While of a very high standard, this building is now in a secondary location and may not be desirable for many of the Island’s professional services institutions. Perhaps that is why it is the only development both writers can think of as an example of significant sized empty office space in the Island.

There is currently, as far as we are aware, no other large office accommodation ‘going spare’ in town and the Esplanade Quarter is presently the only site in St Helier that can provide the floor space required by certain large organisations.

It is also important to point out that this development will only commence once pre-lets have been secured, thereby eliminating the financial risk inherent in large scale projects.

Contrary to Mr Whitworth’s comments on taxpayers footing the bill, there is no cavern pipe work beneath the Esplanade Quarter and no public mains sewer work needs to be moved as part of the development. It has also never been the case that the taxpayer will have to pay for excavating and dealing with any contamination that may exist beneath the site.

The Esplanade Quarter Masterplan was initiated by the Minister for
Planning & Environment; the plan was then subjected to public consultation and finally adopted by the States Assembly in June 2008.

To make sure the planning application was as transparent as possible, the development was subject to the Island’s first public inquiry to ensure it meets the agreed Masterplan.

Turning to Ms Herbert’s assertion that the lowering of the main road beneath the Esplanade Quarter will take ten years to complete, we need to again correct her research and make clear this part of the project will in fact be finished within two-and-a-half years of the start of work.

If WEB had anything to do with finding new occupants for the now empty Liquid and Rock Cafe
buildings, we would be happy to publicly announce what interest has been received.

As it is, the Leisure Complex is owned by Axa and it will be up to Axa who the new tenants will be.
In relation to the Energy from Waste plant currently being built at La Collette, WEB has had nothing to do with this development which is being constructed on public land by the States of Jersey.

And finally it is important to clarify WEB’s position with the developer Harcourt. WEB terminated its relationship with the company because Harcourt missed the second deadline to prove it could provide the necessary financial guarantees to build the Esplanade Quarter development.