WILLEMSTAD – The design of the controversial West Werf development project in Otrobanda has been significantly revised and the version that recently circulated publicly is outdated and incomplete, according to the project’s architect.
Architect Cees den Heijer, who is leading the design of the project, says the plans that became public were never intended for external distribution and no longer reflect the current state of the development.
The clarification comes as criticism over the West Werf project continues to grow, particularly after the Monumentenraad Curaçao raised serious concerns about the legal and heritage implications of the planned construction.
According to Den Heijer, the design has undergone major changes in recent months.
Those adjustments, he said, were made partly in response to feedback from the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning of Curaçao (VVRP) and concerns raised by nearby residents.
The updated version of the project is expected to be formally submitted by the end of May.
Only after that official submission, the design team and developers plan to present the final plans and visualizations to the public.
The decision to wait until formal filing, Den Heijer said, was made deliberately to avoid confusion over incomplete or evolving plans.
The West Werf development has become a sensitive issue because of its planned location near Curaçao’s protected historic urban area and concerns about its scale, architectural fit and impact on the surrounding environment.
Questions have also emerged about the transparency of the project.
One of the biggest unresolved issues remains the identity of the investors behind the development.
So far, the developers have not publicly disclosed who is financing the project.
That lack of transparency has added to public concern, especially as debates continue over heritage protection, urban planning and the future of development in Willemstad.
With the revised plans expected later this month, public scrutiny of the West Werf project is likely to intensify.
For now, both supporters and critics are waiting to see what the final design will look like — and whether it will address the growing legal, environmental and heritage concerns surrounding one of Curaçao’s most debated development projects.