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Taken from the Trinidad Express:

Construction of the new National Carnival and Entertainment Centre will start in September, Culture Minister Marlene McDonald has said.

"Construction will start in September 2008 and we are hoping that by the first quarter of 2010 the Centre will be completed," McDonald told the Express in a telephone interview.

"The design is finished but we are just doing the final tweaking. We will then invite tenders and award contracts."

Construction of the proposed $450 million National Carnival and Entertainment Centre came to a halt last year because the design was being reviewed.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning had made the announcement of the work contract stoppage in November 2007, almost a month and a half after the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) said the Requests for Proposals for the project were to have been issued "in the coming weeks".

Manning then said: "The Carnival Centre is on hold because of the events of Carnival this year and the need to rethink the design in the face of all of that."

The Express understands that the original design incorporated the Parade of Bands in the Centre, but the Government is now considering keeping mas on the roads.
When asked to comment on this, McDonald said: "A few changes are being made which I cannot speak about at the moment, because I haven't yet sat down with the designer and Udecott to finalise the design." In February last year, former Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams said construction of the centre would not be completed in time for Carnival 2008. However, she said it would have been built by 2009.

While work is still on hold for the centre, work has already begun on the Academy of the Performing Arts, another cultural facility approved by the Manning administration.

Ok so I started reading the article saying 'Oh well road again for 2009' then I read the whole blasted thing..........I am speechless.....No stage

will we have to start a blasted petition or something.

Steups 2010 that sucks. Therefore, no Trinidad carnival for me until the band 's put it in writing that they are going to be more organzie on the road. I am not blowing over $2,000 to walk around on the roads of Trinidad. I don't know why the bands stickin and can't build their own stage for their members.

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No stage this is sad. Mas on the strrets of trinidad is pointless. if you just played mas last year and this year for the first time then you may not know what you are missing... without a stage there is no build up to anything, in tribe on tuesday only when the ban crossed south quay did it look like a band after that no one knew where any judging points were. Crossing the stage is what we look forward to doing, mas just on the streets is of no purpose it is like i said several years ago one day tnt will wake up and ask what happened to carnival. nothing ever last when it is fuel by greed. I belive i will be in tnt 2009 (gsl) but i plan to sit out playing mas. There is nothing to look forward too, I will hold on to my many memories of crossing the stage, since we may never have another. it is sad...

Dam, I guess this makes my 2006 Carnival experience that much more memorable. It was the last time we had a stage as well as the last time for Poison on the road . I'm just glad I was a part of both

On another note this sucks! The Vibez you feel as you approach stage was so special . Dam Trinis

i knew it 2010! just as i been saying all along. i knew they weren't going to have that stage ready for 2K9 carnival! sad to say TNT government ain't ready yet. *sigh*

A stage?????...............daiz de least of deh problems lmao

I ent know where allyuh get 2010 from. Whether or not the thing is built, the article implies that mas will continue to be in the streets because plans are not being made to facilitate mas in the new center.

I could buss Manning head...

It is truly dissapointing to watch bands wander by the judging point at the savannah, with no idea where it starts or ends. By the time most masqueraders realize where the judging point is, it's way behind them and what was once the most anticipated moment of the day has become an anticlimictic "that was it ?" moment. I miss the sections exploding on to the stage under showers of confetti. I miss the adrenaline rush that people displayed when they finally got their time under the spotlights and video cameras. I am puzzled as to whose input was considered when making such decision ? It seems that older heads would prefer to see a geriatric sailor band powder the stage for 20 minutes rather than to see a younger, more energetic and and exciting section misebehave for even 5 minutes.
It OK to have "Mas on the Move" shouldn't it actually be headed somewhere in particular ????

i rather like the idea of no stage
no standing up to cath heat stroke waiting to jump cross


But on another note
they could build a platform in front each judging area so folks know they have reached the judges.

Or put some big banner across the top of the street or somthing.

Cause this year i walk pass the judges like it was nothing and aint even realize where at the judges.

O well no matter i still goin be there

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The carnival on my mind,on my mind, on my mind, on my head. Ohh o o o ohho o o o ohho o o o oh , Carnival, carnival, carnival.

They need to build a temporary structure for me.

I had a tender (yes I said tender) moment cross the savannah stage in 06 - one which I'd like very much to repeat.

We must have a stage for mas, stage for mas. Its ah part ah we ting.

How the govt figure we ain't need one?

I think its now down the the mas association or who ever to fix it. Surely, them making PLENTY of money from costumes (that they cut corners on) to be able to BAND TOGETHER and hire a company to erect a stage? Its about time they fix up things for themselves.

If the bands said they ain't bringing no carnival without a stage, the govt would quickly fix something.