Proposals for former prison HQ fail to gain traction
Several plans to remake a historical property sitting empty have fallen through, with “no new proposals received” for a remake of the old prison service headquarters situated in a heavily residential Pembroke neighbourhood.
The most promising bid for the property, at 19 Happy Valley Road, came from the autism support group Tomorrow’s Voices, but the organisation ultimately withdrew.
Part of the building is now under renovation for government storage — the only use on the table for the premises.
The bid from Tomorrow’s Voices was one of nine concepts for the derelict site: three in response to a 2021 request for proposals, and a further six after the search for potential uses was relaunched last year.
With the former, Tomorrow’s Voices had a successful proposal, which was approved for consideration and reached preliminary talks.
Two other pitches were to “develop and expand for residential rental” and a suggestion of “residential, office and workshop” at the site, but both failed to get off the ground.
Six applicants last year also fell short of approval, including plans for affordable residences for “up to 40 persons experiencing housing insecurity”, and a performance and arts centre pitched as a “heartbeat” for artists.
The government-owned building, which dates back to 1894 and shows late Victorian architecture, was listed as Grade 3 in 2015 for “special architectural and historical interest”.
It was once the island’s first civilian hospital, known as the Cottage Hospital.
The Department of Corrections was based at the property until 2011, when it formally relocated to Dockyard. The Bermuda National Trust called it “vacant and in some disrepair” as of 2015.
Ten years ago, Tomorrow’s Voices headquartered nearby at the government-owned Teen Services, also on Happy Valley Road.
However, as of 2021, the Government said it had been “served with notice that the already limited space they occupy is required”.
Teen Services, an independent charity based by Fort Hamilton, announced last month that it would cease operations at the end of this year.
Jahnae Harvey, the executive director of Tomorrow’s Voices, said the group, which had subleased a portion of the building, was no longer linked to the Teen Services premises.
She confirmed its 2021 proposal for the Cottage Hospital site but said that “we subsequently withdrew it as, upon further reflection, we recognised that the space was not the best fit for our needs”.
Dr Harvey added: “Our initial intention was to establish our autism early intervention centre at that location.
“However, following further deliberation, we shifted our focus towards pursuing a property that we would be able to own outright and transition into a purpose-built autism centre.
“This approach would better support our long-term goals, particularly our ability to maintain client confidentiality, which can be challenging within a shared space.”
The vacant site was the scene of two incidents involving the late James Dallas, in 2017 and 2019. Mr Dallas insisted he had sheltered at the property, which he said had been built by his grandfather, and that he had maintained the building while living in the basement.
Mr Dallas was ultimately incarcerated for resisting arrest and trespassing, and found the vacant building boarded up when he was released from prison in 2019. He died this year.
The Government’s 2021 RFP noted that the premises was “built of traditional construction and even though the buildings are considered to be generally structurally sound ... extensive renovation works are required to parts of the structure”, including the roof.
At that time, the entire property was up for lease.
Applicants for all six proposals made last year dropped out when asked to give “additional details of commitment”, according to the Department of Public Lands and Buildings.
The department said a section of the site, just over 3,000 sq ft, was excluded from the lease for the site, which covers 0.53 acres.
That section was earmarked after “a minor maintenance repair to the roof”.
Renovations, which began with an architectural site meeting in March 2024, were said to be continuing and “approximately 75 per cent completed” as of last month.
Tomorrow’s Voices has estimated a cost of $1.5 to $2 million to convert the property as an early intervention centre for people with autism spectrum disorder.
It had planned for use as a “campus for office and residential options, and for organising programme consisting of therapy, life, social and work skills, job placement and respite”.
The approval said the charity would have “immense benefits from having a place of their own”, which would boost fundraising and allow for expanded services. The maximum lease on offer was 21 years, “less a day”.
The department said the property’s zoning category under the Bermuda Development Plan 2018 would need to be changed to convert from “offices to a social/educational institution”, while the rental agreement would take estimated costs for renovations into account.
Details from other applicants, acquired in a public access to information request, were redacted for privacy reasons.
Unsuccessful proposals sent in last year included a multipurpose site for “residential, commercial and community spaces”, to be renovated for $2.5 million.
Another, highlighting the island’s “unprecedented housing crisis”, proposed a “supportive residential community” offering “employment opportunities, starting from renovation as part of our long-term strategy to retool and reskill tenants” after a $3 million revamp.
It added: “The Cottage Hospital offers to transform the lives of 40 people in the Happy Valley community.”
A third, for $5 million in renovations, pitched a commercial/residential use, while the performance and arts centre suggested an estimated $1.5 million for renovations.
Another, also at $1.5 million, proposed a “mental health and wellness centre for youth in surrounding community”.
• For details on the proposals for 19 Happy Valley Road, see Related Media
You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.
