National Trust chair 'excited' over Mille Fleurs reopening

After years of waiting, the chair of the National Trust, Margaret McDowall, said she is excited that the organisation has been given clearance to use Mille Fleurs as its headquarters.

The state-owned building, one of the "Magnificent Seven" on Queen's Park West, was dilapidated for many years.

At the PNM's virtual meeting on Tuesday night, the prime minister announced that renovations to the building were nearing completion and put the timeline for reopening "within a few days."

He also said the house will serve as the headquarters for the National Trust.

Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday, McDowall said she looked forward to the reopening, as the trust had been in the process of making a proposal to the government.

"We're very happy right now for the reopening of the building. It's a very exciting moment for us, because we've been knocking on the door (of the government) for some time now to be able to use the building, and now we finally got an answer.

"Right now we are in the process of organising a proposal, because there has to be something on paper over the leasing arrangement, and we need to ensure that it is something that is financially feasible for us to do."

McDowall said she did not want to give details of the plans the trust had for the building but said it had several "exciting ideas."

The renovations were done by a team of engineers and technicians from Cuba.

Dr Rowley said he was pleased with the completion of the building

"Today the most prestigious drive in TT is off the (Cipriani) Boulevard and onto the (Queen’s Park) Savannah and onto your left is the Magnificent Seven...alive and well again.," Rowley said.In the past several years others of the seven that have been restored are Queen's Royal College, Whitehall and Stollmeyer's Castle (now renamed "Castle Killarney"). President's House has also been repaired and restored.