Cayon Community Centre Reopens After Nearly Five Years
CAYON — The Cayon Community Centre has reopened after nearly five years of closure, with Acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley describing the Sept. 30 reopening as the return of an important community asset to the people of Cayon following extensive rehabilitation work.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony, Hanley said Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew remained personally engaged in efforts to restore the facility. He said Drew repeatedly called for the work to be advanced, followed its progress and visited the building during the renovation because he understood its importance to the community.
The renovated building will once again house the Cayon Post Office, and postal services have now been restored there. It will also include a satellite office for Social Services and Community Development, giving residents greater access to government programmes and services.
Hanley said the government’s commitment to communities must ultimately be reflected in the places where people live and work. Officials are encouraging residents to take ownership of the facility and help preserve it as a centre for government services, community programmes and activities.
According to the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS), the rehabilitation included roof repairs, interior and exterior painting, perimeter fencing, work on the cistern and plumbing systems, improvements to internal spaces and the removal of mold-affected materials.
Project Officer Kerissa Roberts said the project encountered additional challenges involving water intrusion and air quality. SKNIS reported that initial roof-sealing work did not completely solve the problem, and further assessment found the roof was not adequately sloped toward its perimeter drains. Additional work was carried out in December 2025 with assistance from the Public Works Department, including installation of a second gable concrete slab. Monitoring and air-quality testing followed before the building was cleared to reopen.
The centre was closed in November 2021 because of structural and environmental concerns. Hanley said that when the Drew-led administration took office in August 2022, it remained closed. He added that while the extended closure was inconvenient, the health and safety of employees and residents had to take priority.
According to Hanley, the centre was built under a previous St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party administration and officially opened May 30, 2006. Over two decades, it has housed the district post office and community library, provided space for a computer lab, hosted CXC examinations, and accommodated meetings, wedding receptions and Green Valley Festival activities.
The reopening comes amid political criticism over the facility. In a social media statement in August, Drew accused former St. Christopher 8 representative Eugene Hamilton and the former Team Unity administration of neglecting Cayon while in office. Drew alleged the community was downgraded while moving toward town status, and that deterioration and mold at the centre contributed to the post office’s relocation. Those were political claims made by the prime minister about the previous administration.
Drew also pledged at the time that postal services would return to Cayon before the end of the year. They have now been restored, with the post office reopening Sept. 30.
