St. Kitts and Nevis could become the epicenter of aquatic sport and other indoor sporting activities in the Eastern Caribbean with the realization of CJ’s Fitness & Wellness Sports Center (CJSC). The facility is earmarked for construction in the vicinity of the old Sugar Factory off the FT Williams Highway. The visionary behind the project is Calvin James, an engineer from St. Kitts and Nevis with a wealth of international experience. “CJ’s Fitness and Wellness Sports Center is a very diverse project that entails several areas in the well-being of humans. This vision came into being over 10 years ago and we have been working behind the scenes within the diaspora to develop this particular area having been given the opportunity so to do,” said Mr. James.
But Mr. James is not working alone. He has a team of persons working in various fields relevant to the project. Derionne Fleming is the Senior Architect and Director “The project mainly is a multi-purpose facility. It will have many amenities including an Olympic size swimming pool, hotel, in close proximity to the airport, it will have gym-based activities, sports museum, St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing corporation museum; so, it’s really a plethora of activities taking place here,” Mr. Fleming disclosed as he explained the concept of the project. He disclosed that it will be built on four acres of land and certain amenities currently on the property will be utilized as part of the project. These include the cooling pond and the water tank. The cooling pond will serve as the area for aquatic sports.
Financial advisor to the project is Dr. Eustace Esdaille. He pointed to the financial benefits of the project not just to the principals and shareholders but to the country at large. “This I guarantee, this project will be a strong economic impact for the Federation,” Esdaille said, while disclosing that the project will cost upwards of US$40 million. “When you invest US$40 million, it does not remain 40 million, there might be a multiplier of maybe 1.5 to 5, so 40 million runs into 200 million or somewhere in between,” he explained.
Mr. James said that there is a health benefit as well to the nation when CJSC is fully functional. “We want to focus within the project itself, the area of reducing the scourge or eliminating the scourge of non-communicable diseases,” he said. “We will have a lot of workshops, a lot of training, fitness, aerobics, nutritional guidelines, performing arts and culture, a hotel component…the overall impact is enormous and in addition to that, it’s very diverse,” Mr. James added.
The project will be done in phases, which Mr. James noted should be completed over a three-year span. According to information from the project principals, CJSC world class multi-plex aquatic facility, will facilitate fitness, wellness and rehab programs for children from age five, as well as, adults and groups, including the physically-challenged. This facility will provide indoor court games, including basketball, volleyball, netball, table tennis, squash and a bowling alley. CJSC will also facilitate local, regional and International swim meets, seasonal training, exhibition and aquatic shows.
In collaboration with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, education institutions, business sectors, the community and other stakeholders, CJSC will develop and establish, St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC) Model Museum, and a National Sports Museum with an integrated Hall of Fame division.
To further complement this state-of-the-art multi-plex, home-grown facility, a premier restaurant and sports lounge with HD TV viewing of live sports from around the world will be available. Also located adjacent to the sports lounge, will be a modern concert and performing arts theater, with seating capacity of up to 700 persons. More information on the project will be released at a later time.
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