I agree that 850 million could be put to better use, but I'll refrain from talking about all other aspects of Trinidad society that could use infrastructure for improvement.......because despite 850 million being alot of money, if you try to spread it too thin, it won't do as much good as intended....
Let's assume that this 850 million is purely a sport budget, and consider what could be done in sport with 850 million......Forget fixing small goal fields, upkeep of little grass patches here and there, yadda yadda, yes those things need to be done, and the gov't budget need be better planned for such activities............so let's narrow our focus because it's obvious that the government is thinking on a academy-scale in its "vision", and there is nothing wrong with that.......The benefits of such could trickle down to the micro levels of the community if planned and managed properly
That being said, it would probably be wiser for 4 or 5 less elaborate, zonal complexes to be built, with each one catering to different sports and to different geograpic sectors of the population.....This would bolster a higher degree of inclusion and convenience....That's not likely to be done, so let's move on to the bigger issue.
The most important aspect in the whole issue, is what other programs are going to be put in place to efficiently and succesfully manage proper utilization of the complex. These would include: sporting programs, educational programs, coaching development, transportation management, facility upkeep, vending, marketing, community development, charity etc.
If programs surrounding the building of the complex, that touch on these aspects are implemented correctly, the complex could be alot bigger and better than just a seemingly wasteful 850million cash outflow. An investment has a time value that is heavily affected by events and activities surrounding the investment, and no investment can be deemed successful if it's a one-off stand alone outflow of funds.......As a concerned forum, we are sometimes too quick to jump down people's thoats about an idea......and that's understandable given the track-record of capital- budgeting by the T&T gov't.......But the biggest reason we're divided on this issue, is because our concerns are not finite/focussed enough......the questions we need to ask about this complex need to be more focussed and more constructive.
Let's question the motive behind the complex, the long-term vision, and what else will be done to protect the value of the investment. Until we get such answers, the downcry of the idea for a sporting complex may be uneducated and premature, and our opinions and criticism may be unfair as well.
