Information Minister, Melford Nicholas revealed that the delayed completion of the Sunshine Hub car park in St. John’s is due to liability insurance yet to be acquired by the contractor.
The government has announced that the US$ 7.5 million renovation work will begin next week to complete the Sunshine Hub car park in St. John’s, beginning with an evaluation.
Work was previously scheduled to begin after carnival last year.
“We were confronted with a particular challenge involving the contractor having sufficient insurance to get workers to go into that facility” explained Nicholas.
However, he expects that this issue will be resolved by the end of this week.
“We would expect in the week that we will begin to see workers in that particular location. The first thing that has to be done is that it has to be fenced off and some of the debris has to be removed while the engineers do the evaluation,” said Nicholas.
Renovation work will first commence on the southern section as the northern section poses more of a challenge and would require additional funding.
The car park is said to have a capacity of over 250 vehicles.
However, the government sees an opportunity to phase the implementation of metered parking in the city.
“The intention here is that NAMCO will provide the funding and would work with the Transport Board in developing these metered parking at certain locations inside St John’s. It is not necessary to populate all the streets in St John’s but to ensure that there is paid-parking for those temporal persons. Persons who temporarily would have to be in St. John’s” said Nicholas.
He says the success of eliminating parking congestion in the city would require a change of behavior.
The National Assets Management Company (NAMCO) has retained the services of Project Manager Alexis Thomas. He will oversee the metered parking project and have it completed in short order.
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“…liability Insurance yet to be acquired by the contractor.” No Medford could not have said that, because if he’s serious about said statement, this is why, at times the term, PPM – Piss Poor Management rears its ugly, in the midst of the Ruling Arm of Government managing the Peoples monies.
There is no way, that said Construction company’s bid package should have being even considered, muchless, awarded the contract.
It’s the norm in the Construction Industry, unless things are done differently in Antigua, it’s the norm for ALL submitted Bid Packages bidding on any project, to include Underwriting Insurance.
You do not procure Insurance, after you have being awarded the Contract. It MUST already be in place!
PPM – Piss Poor Management which will lend to addition delays, and cost OVERRUNS!
The COI was not in order? That should have been spelled out in the packages that went out to proposed contractors as a requirement for consideration. Hoping those in authority with this project approach this with “lessons learned” from previous projects.
Notes From A Native Son Of the Rock! “The unpreparedness of the educated classes, the lack of practical links between them and the mass of the people, their laziness, and, let it be said, their cowardice at the decisive moment of the struggle will give rise to tragic mishaps.” ― Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth! Environmental Degradation! Lack of Urban Planning and The Best and Most Ecological Land Use!
Liability Insurance! What does that say of the Contractor! Let others quibble with that credit deficiency!
The vendors at the Market say, “Pay Attention!’ On August 7, 2014, this mere voice in the wilderness wrote: “Given that the electorate expect to be treated, by GoAB, as subjects rather than objects, a natural response should have been a full and complete Financial & Forensic Audit of this Project! Given that this unfinished facility has sat idle for years resulting from “the collapse of Trinidad’s CL Financial Group” and “the lack of proper ministerial oversight and guidance,” one would have expected an economic analysis on the future of this facility as part of the decision process to “Rebuild”! Given that this poorly master planned facility has elicited authentic interrogations of environmental location, GoAB should be collaborative and actively engage citizens, residents and other publics in this … This mere voice in the wilderness suggests that this facility should be bulldozed and written off as a sunk cost and loss! Preserve the Urban Green Spaces in St. John’s and Enhance Independence Ave for Pedestrians, Cyclists and Vehicular Circulation!”
The Minister announced: first an engineer’s evaluation(why now), then the US$ 7.5 million renovation work will begin! “There may be some incompetence involved there as well, from a ministerial standpoint and the lack of proper ministerial oversight and guidance throughout the whole project,” – Dean Jonas! … “That endemic master/servant conflict has burned itself into our national consciousness, and seriously affected our on-the-job relations! Managers with huge responsibilities but no serious training or experience in handling resources and Architectural, Engineering, Capital Procurement and Construction!” August 7, 2014!
A spanking brand new multi-story above ground 250 space car park with all of the electronic bells and whistles could be built for less than $7.5 Million US! If you went totally underground it would add another 20% to what GoAB is prepared to spend! Where are A&B’s Certified QS’s! MIA you say! OK Engage RS Means!
“The cognitive and structural aspects of a paradigm are incomplete without the functional aspect. There is something more than knowing in the Afrocentric sense; there is also doing.” Lest anyone quibble with the estimates, kindly know that “Afrocentricity holds that all definitions are autobiographical.” – Dr. Molefi Asante!
The degree of seperation between family, friends, cohorts who sit, on both sides of the aisle in Parliament, as they switch allegiance from party to party, like rats jumping from ship to ship, in the port, looking and procuring the “best meal,” will never allow for, “FORENIC AUDITS,” in any department of the Government.
The reason why, Sir George Walter, would not be the “only” politician, to spend time, at 1735.
Now, let that sink into that, sinkhole, you wish to bury, this project into.
Your opening quote by Frantz Fanon, speaks to the reasons why.
I can’t wait for this eyesor to be over. Hurry up and cleanup the UPP mess. It is now being used by vagrants and rats who have really made it a shit hole. It stinks.
The people are being shafted, 🌵🌵🌵all over again.
The awarded contract is already going into, the cost overrun zone.
How could a comprehensive analysis, of the present state of this project/building be carried out, by Engineers AFTER, the Contract has already being awarded to a Contractor; which by the way, said Contract should include the amended/revised Plans/schematics by licensed engineer/architects/surveyors, in order for the, final cost analysis be done, to procure FUNDING.
A…The “horse before the cart…?”
B…Creative Accounting, to bury nefarious activities?
C…PPM-Piss Poor Management by those handling, the public/peoples monies?
Maybe, we should bring in another BLOOM COOPER INQUIRY on this project…
It’s crazy how all of a sudden its costing 7.5 million wow bull
You awarded a contract without Insurance in place only in the Caribbean this under hand crap take place
I guess some one Getting a kick back
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