Ever since I have lived on the island I have noticed that in many parts of the island there is some type of development going on whether it’s for a hotel development or residential. Even after the monumental recession in the US, which subsequently affected the rest of the world, the development in Curacao has continued– I would say slowly– but nevertheless the pace has been continuous.

One of the reasons I came to Curacao was because property values were very affordable compared to other places in the Caribbean. In addition to affordable real estate, the government, although somewhat corrupt, is quite stable, as well as the economy. Most people work and know how to balance their work life and social life and care about supporting their families. In many other parts of the Caribbean it is a lot different. Tourism may be very popular on some islands, but residential communities lack support from their government and the infrastructure of their towns and cities are not properly planned and maintained.

There are definitely some eye sores in Curacao such as the dilapidated buildings and areas where people dump their garbage but I do feel that my tax guilders at least go to repairing main roads and cleaning up garbage, especially alongside the roads. On another note, I do feel that the people of Curacao should do a better job of disposing their garbage and maintaining a clean environment for themselves. All they need to do is appreciate where they live. And that’s a very simple thing to do living on an island like Curacao.

Many people believe that too much development on the island is not good for the nature and environment of Curacao. They do make a good point considering that there are a lot of important natural areas, wildlife, and resources on the island. This should be taken into consideration before encroaching on a particular area. I do believe that for any large development that could interfere with nature in some way, an environmental assessment should be mandatory by the government in order to determine the impact on nature and the environment. This way the developer can determine if it is possible to do a development or know how to minimize the impact if they are permitted to proceed with the development.

For the economy to remain stable and strong I think real estate development is a good thing for the island. For one, it is a good alternative to other industries that are problematic for the island and its people and secondly it can bring investments and new businesses to the island. This in turn can help to expand tourism and create new jobs for locals. Tourism does not have to be an impediment for the island but instead a healthy alternative to conventional industries such as oil. And the tourism sector can be expanded in such a way that it does not largely effect Curacao’s natural environment but still offers an atmosphere that can attract and cater to the average tourist.

There are so many possibilities for real estate development in Curacao, particularly on the west side of the island. As the main center of Curacao becomes congested with residential communities and traffic, it may be worthwhile for investors and developers to look towards the other side of the island for real estate as well as tourism opportunities. This can also spur the development of businesses on this part of the island and create a more expansive semi-urban area which reaches from one side of the island to the other. Of course, nature and the environment need to be considered in all of this brainstorming and planning but there are many methods which can be implemented in order to preserve nature while expanding development on the island.

Curacao is truly a hidden gem in the Caribbean. As real estate development and tourism grows more people will come to the island seeking a particular niche that suits their ideas and backgrounds. Development will continue, as it has been doing for the last several years, and perhaps this development will reach towards the west side creating new and exciting opportunities for the island and for the people of Curacao.