De Castro Remembered in Main Street Plans
Junior Minister Luce Hodge-Smith pledged to honour the memory of slain businessman Kai de Castro as the government advances plans to enhance and preserve historic Main Street in Road Town. Her remarks, made during a recent House of Assembly sitting, also included renewed calls to tackle gun violence following the recent death of another young resident, K’Moi Walters.
Junior Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sustainable Development Luce Hodge-Smith has pledged that the memory of slain businessman Kai de Castro will be kept alive as the government moves forward with plans to enhance and preserve historic Main Street in Road Town. Speaking during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly, Hodge-Smith reflected on the contributions of the de Castro family to the territory’s commercial life and described Kai as an entrepreneur who cared deeply about the future of Main Street. "When you speak of the de Castros, you think of Main Street, Road Town, and the contributions that they have made to this territory," she said, noting that Kai had frequently expressed his views on the area, including on social media.
Hodge-Smith said she and de Castro had discussed ideas for improving the area and that the government would continue those efforts with him in mind. "We will continue to make strides to improve our Main Street and to keep him in mind, because he wanted to be a part of the efforts to rebuild or to enhance our historical and cultural Main Street," she told lawmakers.
Government officials say the wider Road Town modernization work aims to revitalise Main Street while preserving its cultural character, and to strengthen the capital as a centre for commerce and tourism. For residents, Main Street remains the heart of local business and civic life, and plans to update infrastructure, storefronts and public spaces are expected to have impacts on small businesses, heritage sites and visitor experiences.
Hodge-Smith used her remarks to renew appeals for an end to gun violence, highlighting the recent murder of another young resident, K’Moi Walters. "We can’t give up," she said, urging the community to continue seeking creative ways to tackle the problem. "Gun violence doesn’t deserve to be here.
It’s a cowardly act to just take someone’s life with a gun." As plans for Main Street development proceed, officials say they will seek to balance modernization with cultural preservation and community input. Hodge-Smith’s comments underline an intention to remember local figures like Kai de Castro while addressing wider challenges that affect safety, business confidence and the quality of public life in the British Virgin Islands.
Primary source: BVI News