- Photos show the changing face of town
- Different areas are in the process of being transformed
- Let us know what you think
PUBLIC debate over the future of St Helier is due to get under way – but Jersey’s capital is already showing signs of change following several refurbishment projects.
Constable Simon Crowcroft yesterday opened a new building containing offices, a kiosk and 24-hour public toilets, following a redevelopment on Conway Street.
Elsewhere, the units above the former Library Place HSBC have also been refurbished.And Dandara’s modern office block – covered in protective sheeting – on the Esplanade now looks like a project from husband and wife installation art team Christo Javacheff and Jean-Claude de Guillebon who famously wrapped the Reichstag in 1995.
The Conway Street redevelopment, called La Bantchette (‘the small sandbank’ in Jèrriais), was approved by parishioners in 2013. Its kiosk is in the process of being let and the office space is understood to have been leased by the construction firm Style Group.
Redeveloping the site cost around £1 million and was paid for by St Helier. Mr Crowcroft said that rental income from the offices and kiosk will return £25,000 per year.
He added: ‘I don’t think anybody would deny it was an expensive scheme, but before when the block was just a toilet it didn’t generate any income.
‘When I opened the facility I was really impressed.
‘The site, if people remember, was extremely ugly – it was an eyesore. There was a café there with wooden trusses above it that were shoring up the neighbouring building. It was an ugly gap site in one of the principle gateways to St Helier.’
Mr Crowcroft said the parish had already received a lot of positive feedback after scaffolding around the building was removed. The facilities include a large ground-floor toilet for disabled users and six public toilets – three male and three female – inside, which will be open 24 hours a day.
The toilets have a lighting system to let people know which stalls are free – a green light shows a vacancy and red means that a unit is occupied.
‘We’re really pleased with the whole development,’ Mr Crowcroft added.
‘I’m sure the toilets will be well used in the evenings. We will be installing CCTV cameras in the main public area to discourage antisocial behaviour.’
Watch British Pathé footage showing St Helier in 1958 here:
