PHILIPSBURG--The Daily Herald understands that at least two private entities are interested in purchasing Mary's Fancy Estate now that the Island Government has decided not to include purchasing the historical site as a priority for 2010. The Executive Council called the measure "temporary" earlier this week during the debate on the budget for 2010.

Reliable sources indicated that the entities in question started preparing resources to attempt a purchase once it became clear that government was not moving ahead with the purchase immediately. Government has not indicated when or if it plans to resume the effort to pursue the purchase.

Arguing that this exact possibility might arise, opposition Democratic Party (DP) presented an alternative in last Monday's debate on the 2010 budget that would have allowed the land to be purchased by taking some funds from other pending projects to make a down-payment on the project.

DP suggested that NAf. 200,000 guilders each be diverted from the more than NAf. 11 million put aside for the new Government Building, NAf. 10 million from the Social Economic Initiative (SEI), NAf. 2.3 million proposed for the school in Belvedere, and NAf. 3.985 million allotted for infrastructure, to come up with a down payment on the estate. The diversion of funds from these capital projects totals NAf. 800,000.

However, the Executive Council believes that transferring SEI funds to accumulate a down payment for the purchase of Mary's Fancy Estate is not possible "in the first instance," as there is a financing agreement with the Netherlands on the manner the funds have been allocated for use. This belief apparently does not bode well for the proposal, which will be voted upon when the Island Council meeting on the budget re-convenes on Monday.

The Executive Council also said that no contractual obligations had been made with the owner of Mary's Fancy Estate. According to the council, extensive deliberations have been held between the lawyer of the selling party and the committee appointed by the council to handle the purchase of the estate. However, nothing firm has been finalised to date.

The Executive Council had made a decision on September 8, 2009, to purchase the property for a reported US $1.8 million, which was to be included in the 2010 budget, under terms of a payment schedule with the owner of the property.

Mary's Fancy Plantation, recently placed on the monument list, features a number of historic cottages, a sugar mill, reported slave graves, etc. A bid to purchase the property by the owner of a tour bus company for almost US $2 million fell through some months ago.

The intention was to re-develop the property into a tourist attraction, complete with restaurants and other amenities. Local environmental and cultural groups objected immediately and urged government to purchase the property for historical, environmental and cultural purposes.