As the campaign for the upcoming Roseau North by-election in Dominica gains momentum, United Workers Party (UWP) candidate Danny Lugay has put forward a bold economic development proposal focused on tackling one of the island nation’s most urgent socioeconomic problems: widespread unemployment.
Speaking at a public rally hosted by the opposition UWP on Friday evening, Lugay emphasized that the persistent lack of local employment opportunities has pushed a growing number of young Dominican citizens to emigrate in search of work, exposing them to serious risks abroad. “One of the major issues for us now is unemployment. That is why most of our young men are running away to countries where they get killed, when we should be having serious employment in our country,” he told attendees.
Lugay’s flagship proposal centers on repurposing the disused former Public Works site in the heart of Roseau into a mixed-use tourism and commercial hub, a plan he says aligns with the broader economic vision of UWP political leader Dr. Thompson Fontaine. Unlike the previous government plan to hand the prime two-acre waterfront plot over to a private investor for a five-star hotel, Lugay’s scheme keeps the state-owned land in public hands and prioritizes broad-based benefits for local residents and small entrepreneurs.
The planned development includes a range of community-focused amenities: a modern central tourist reception center, a covered vendors’ arcade, a collection of local food restaurants, beauty and wellness service spaces, artist studios, and dedicated work areas for local craft artisans. Lugay also proposed adding a centralized bus terminal that would serve as the starting and ending point for organized island tours, giving visitors easy access to the hub’s shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings before and after their excursions.
To position the site as a unique cultural attraction, Lugay wants to replicate the lively open-air entertainment atmosphere of Gros Islet in neighboring St. Lucia. He plans to host scheduled live music performances from local Dominican artists and weekly festival nights every Wednesday and Friday, bringing both residents and international visitors together to celebrate local food and culture. He added that the project will be designed by local architects to create an inviting, environmentally friendly public space that highlights authentic Dominican experiences, rather than a generic private development.
A core economic benefit of the plan, Lugay argues, is that it will keep more tourism revenue circulating within Dominica’s local economy, rather than sending profits overseas to international hotel operators. “What we want for Roseau North is to ensure that every tourism dollar that enters Dominica, we get 50 per cent of that dollar,” he explained. The hub is projected to create dozens of new jobs for young people across Roseau North and surrounding communities, while opening up new entrepreneurial opportunities for local small business owners.
This proposal is consistent with Lugay’s long-standing position on the future of the former Public Works site. During his previous term as the constituency’s parliamentary representative, he openly opposed the government’s push to approve the private five-star hotel development. In 2022, he formalized his objections in an official letter to then Chief Physical Planner Naomi Dorival, noting that the site is zoned for light industrial and warehousing use under the existing Potterville Housing Scheme Local Area Plan, making a large hotel development incompatible with local planning rules. He also argued that the plot’s strategic location adjacent to Dominica’s main commercial seaport makes it far more valuable for public use and long-term national development than a private hospitality project.
At that time, Lugay first proposed redeveloping the site as a public multi-purpose facility that would combine youth skills training spaces, commercial areas for local vendors, retail outlets, and community amenities. He also called for full transparency around any potential sale of the state-owned land, requiring that any disposal of the property go through an open public tender process. Lugay has confirmed his objections received a favorable response from the Chief Physical Planner, who confirmed no planning approval had been granted for the hotel project and acknowledged the public concerns he raised.
The Roseau North parliamentary seat became vacant following the recent resignation of former representative Miriam Blanchard, and a by-election is constitutionally required to be held by September. While the Dominica Electoral Office has not yet released an official polling date, the two confirmed candidates – Lugay of the UWP and Ashma McDougall of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) – have already begun active campaigning to win over constituency voters.