In a major step forward for the delivery of a new residential community in Antigua and Barbuda, the national Cabinet has confirmed the appointment of Kem Hodge to the role of Facilities Manager at Pelican Court, a purpose-built housing development that will soon welcome its first occupants. The announcement was made by Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant during a media briefing held immediately after Friday’s Cabinet meeting, where details of the project’s final occupancy arrangements were laid out for the public. According to Merchant, Hodge is already a well-known figure among residents of the Point and Villa communities, where he has built years of professional and personal ties through local community work. Beyond Hodge’s appointment, the Cabinet plans to appoint additional volunteer committees and dedicated management teams to share oversight of the Pelican Court property, Merchant confirmed. This appointment is part of a broader set of pre-occupancy preparations being made to welcome displaced former residents of Booby Alley, along with other pre-vetted eligible households who will soon take up residence in the new development. Merchant told reporters that the national government has approved a clear set of binding rules governing both occupancy and ongoing building maintenance, designed to protect the safety and quality of life for all future residents. Highlighting the specific issues that management will prioritize, Merchant called out illegal drug trafficking and excessive noise as two problematic behaviors that will not be tolerated within the development. “Certain activities will not be permitted in Pelican Court, and that is trade in drugs and controlled substances,” Merchant stated, confirming that consistent regulations around noise levels will also be enforced to prevent disruption to neighbors. The overarching vision for the project, Merchant emphasized, is to establish Pelican Court as a benchmark for high-quality, well-governed residential development across Antigua and Barbuda. While key leadership and policy frameworks were confirmed during the briefing, several critical details remain undisclosed: the Cabinet did not share the proposed membership of the upcoming oversight committees, the specific enforcement powers that will be granted to Hodge, or the formal procedures that will be followed when residents violate occupancy rules. Alongside the leadership appointment, the Cabinet has issued a directive to all relevant government agencies to accelerate a series of administrative tasks that are required for handover. These include speeding up property surveys, completing official condominium registration, and processing ownership transfers for incoming residents. Pelican Court is one of the major infrastructure projects in Antigua and Barbuda that has received funding from the Chinese government, and the accelerated administrative push signals the government’s goal of completing the handover process to new residents as quickly as possible.