A major expansion project at Massy Stores’ newly opened Worthing supercentre in Christ Church, Barbados, has officially entered its second phase, with the firm moving forward on a long-awaited plan to resolve ongoing customer parking shortages by adding 200 new spots.
The redevelopment initiative launched this week, with scheduled demolition of the site’s half-century-old original building set to begin after dark on Wednesday, September 2. Dionne Clarke-Emtage, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Massy Stores (Barbados) Ltd, formally announced the project’s kickoff at a press briefing held Wednesday on the grounds of the existing supercentre, joined by other company leaders including Operations Manager Kim Forde.
This phase of work comes just weeks after the official opening of the brand-new Massy supercentre, constructed on land behind the aging original structure that has stood in Worthing for more than 50 years. While Clarke-Emtage declined to publicly disclose the total monetary cost of the expansion, she framed the investment as a critical commitment to both local communities and the national economy, noting that the value of improved customer experience cannot be measured by a price tag alone.
“Putting a number to it does not replace what it’s going to do for the comfort of the customer, but I will not say that it’s cheap either,” Clarke-Emtage told reporters. “we are happy to continue to invest in the community and to continue to invest in Barbados and ensure that our customers have the best experience possible. So the cost, while it was heavy and is heavy for us, does not replace what the effect is going to be after its completion.”
Clarke-Emtage made clear that the rapid push for the second phase is a direct response to customer feedback, with parking shortages emerging as the top complaint since the new supercentre opened. Preparations for the demolition work have already reduced available parking, as large sections of the site in front of and beside the old building have been cordoned off for construction, leading to growing congestion and customer frustration around parking access and on-site traffic flow.
To minimize disruption to daily shoppers and local commuters, all demolition work will be carried out exclusively overnight over four consecutive nights, running from Wednesday, September 2 through Saturday, September 5, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Clarke-Emtage emphasized that the overnight scheduling was chosen specifically to cut down on daytime traffic interference, and to ensure the new supercentre can remain open for business throughout the demolition process with no disruption to regular operating hours.
The project also includes upgrades to the area’s drainage infrastructure, a much-needed improvement for the site. To address common concerns around construction impacts, the company has put mitigation measures in place for noise, dust, and public safety. Dust control, identified as the top priority, will rely on continuous site watering and installed sprinkler systems to keep particulate levels low throughout the demolition. Clarke-Emtage also confirmed that no heavy overnight drilling will take place, further cutting down on noise disturbance for nearby residents.
Following the completion of demolition and site preparation, construction of the new 200-space parking lot will begin, with the expansion on track to be finished by the end of November, in advance of the busy Christmas holiday shopping season. A follow-up sub-project, labeled Phase 2A, will see the repaving of the existing parking lot stretching from the nearby post office to Peronne Village, with completion scheduled for January of next year.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, the expansion project has also created new local jobs, Clarke-Emtage revealed. Including both new in-store hires and external contracted construction workers, the project has added roughly 30 to 40 new positions to the site’s workforce. Extra staff have already been deployed to manage parking and speed up checkout processes, as the new supercentre has already seen a noticeable uptick in customer traffic since its opening less than a month ago. With parking currently the biggest barrier to a smooth customer experience, adding extra support and accelerating the completion of the new parking areas is a top priority for the company, Clarke-Emtage said.