The influential President of the International Scientific Committee of ICOMOS on Fortifications and Military Heritage Dr. Milagros Flores Roman is due in Grenada on Wednesday to give support to the Grenada National Trust (GNT) in its efforts to save the Drill Yard which is under threat of demolition from the state-owned National Insurance Scheme (NIS).
Dr Flores who is also the Secretary General of ICOFORT holds two powerful positions as both bodies serve in an advisory capacity to UNESCO on World Heritage Sites and Fortifications around the world.
She has already given support to the Injunction Order given to GNT by a high court judge to get NIS to stay its hands on the Demolition including a visit by Heritage experts to assess the situation.
The GNT has been meeting the expectations of the court with the arrival of three Heritage experts to do an assessment of the Drill Yard and a few other historical sites that would be presented to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
THE NEW TODAY has managed to obtain a letter sent by Dr. Floes to the island’s Minister of Culture, Creative Economy and Culture, Adrian “Persuader” Thomas in which she offered assistance from her grouping on a roadmap to address the situation.
Hon. Adrian Thomas
Minister of Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture
Ministerial Complex, Botanical Gardens
St. George’s, Grenada
minister@tcec.gov.gd
Subject: Full Support to Court Granting Interim Injunction Preserving Drill Yard, Fort George Precinct, Grenada and Proposal offering Technical Assistance & Site Preservation
Dear Minister Thomas,
On behalf of the International Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage (ICOFORT), the scientific committee of ICOMOS, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Government of Grenada for its ongoing commitment to the preservation and safeguarding of the military heritage embodied by Fort George and the related structures within its perimeter. Your dedication serves as a vital contribution to the protection of Grenada’s rich cultural and historical legacy.
Simultaneously, we wish to express our strong support for the Grenada National Trust’s (GNT) efforts to seek a provisional injunction from the High Court aimed at halting the irreversible demolitions currently taking place at Dry Yard.
The significance of this site cannot be overstated, given its profound historical connections – from its integral relationship with Fort George and the West Indies Complex to its role in Grenada’s early judicial, penitentiary, military, and archaeological history.
It is imperative that any interventions at Dry Yard are subject to thorough preservation and engineering assessments to ensure that its invaluable heritage is not lost.
Preserving this site by pending a thorough evaluation is critical, for which we request the immediate Suspension of Demolition. We request an immediate pause on all clearing, structural modifications, or demolition orders currently active for the property to allow time for comprehensive assessment.
To support a viable long-term solution, ICOFORT formally proposes the following support and technical commitments:
(1).Technical Assistance & Expert Guidance on Preservation Engineering and Site Review. Our team of ICOFORT is prepared to deploy a technical assistance team to conduct an on-site evaluation.
The objective of this visit will be to:
- Assess current structural integrity and safety conditions.
- Identify viable preservation, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse alternatives.
- Develop a cost-effective roadmap for long-term site planning.
- Provides with expert’s guidance on heritage-review protocols, and salvage planning tailored to endangered fort precincts and historic urban landscapes.
- Comparative Case Studies. Provide relevant precedents and technical frameworks from similar historic military, prison, and urban heritage sites facing demolition threats to assist in strengthening the long-term legal and technical case in demonstration that safety concerns can be fully resolved without demolition.
(2). Support for Site Security & Liability Mitigation
- We fully endorse the interim measures permitted under the High Court Order – including temporary fencing, barricading, warning signage, access restrictions, and the securing of loose materials.
- We support the effort to establish a government-led interim solution that addresses immediate public safety and removes interim liability concerns from the National Insurance Board without resorting to permanent structure destruction.
(3.) Support with dissemination of the project. We recognise the enormous effort involved in financing this initiative; therefore, we are committed to supporting it by disseminating the call to action through our networks in support of the technical, documentation, and rescue phases.
ICOFORT stands ready to collaborate with the Grenada National Trust and local stakeholders to establish a precedent for heritage protection in Grenada. Please let us know how we can best coordinate our technical contributions.
Yours sincerely,
Milagros Flores-Román, PhD.
President ICOFORT
International Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage (ICOFORT) a scientific committee of ICOMOS International Council on Monuments and Sites
PO Box 20,000 PMB-399
Canóvanas, Puerto Rico (USA) 00729
Tel./WhatsApp +1 787 414 1916
Email: MilagrosFloresIcofort@gmail.com
https://icofort.icomos.org