As the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) draws closer, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed a preliminary traffic and parking strategy to accommodate the event at one of its key host venues. Speaking during an appearance on Pointe FM’s popular Browne and Browne Show this past Saturday, Browne addressed a lingering public question about parking access at the site of the former Deluxe building, a structure currently undergoing full conversion into a modern performing arts centre that will double as a CHOGM venue.
Under the draft plan being evaluated by the national government, all event attendees will park their private and official vehicles at the expansive Rising Sun Grounds location, before boarding organized shuttle buses to transport them directly to the performing arts centre. To strengthen security and streamline movement around the high-level summit venue, Browne confirmed that the immediate perimeter of the site will be cordoned off, with all parking and through-traffic restricted in the adjacent surrounding area.
At the time of the announcement, the prime minister did not release additional critical details about the plan. No information was provided on the exact shuttle routes that will connect the parking hub to the venue, the maximum vehicle capacity Rising Sun Grounds can accommodate, which local streets will be impacted by the restrictions, or a firm timeline for when the full finalized traffic arrangements will be made public. It also remains unclear whether the parking and traffic limitations will only be in effect during official summit sessions at the performing arts centre, or if they will be enforced for the full duration of the CHOGM event and extended into the pre-summit setup period.
Beyond laying out the logistics framework, Browne offered an update on the renovation progress at the former Deluxe building, noting that the project has already delivered dramatic transformations to both the building’s interior layout and its exterior facade. He emphasized that the multi-purpose venue is being purpose-built to serve the Antigua and Barbuda community as a permanent performing arts centre long after the international summit concludes.