Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 24, 2019 (SKNIS): Work crews from D and D Construction based in West Farm are busy laying the foundation for a modern three-story building on Church Street that will house the Government Printery, when it is completed in September 2019.
According to the 2019 Estimates, $1.5 million was allocated for the building’s construction. The project is being managed by Engineer Warren Thompson of Construction Management and Consulting Agency. He said that the ground floor will be used to accommodate the machinery that is used by the staff and will also host office spaces. The other floors will feature a conference room, kitchenette, and additional offices.
An elevator and wheelchair ramps will help to ensure that the workplace is friendly to persons who are differently-abled.
The unique look of the previous building will return as the original stone structure of the walls on the ground floor was recycled and will be reused. Mr. Thompson said that the workmen were sure to preserve the face stones when the building was demolished in 2017 for this specific purpose.
Some 40 construction workers are expected to be working on the building during the peak of the project creating employment opportunities for locals. The various tasks are shared amongst several contractors to expand the economic impact.
Mr. Thompson, who has overseen a number of similar projects for government over the years, credited the Cabinet for its leadership in upgrading and constructing a number of public buildings. He said that new or refurbished buildings offer a more comfortable, safe and healthy working environment that makes it more conducive to productivity from staff.
“It’s good to see that government has taken the initiative to really take down these old buildings and put up modern buildings,” he stated. “I really congratulate them.”
A number of refurbishment projects are being implemented across government including the Coast Guard Base, Basseterre Fire Station, and Newtown Dental Clinic. On Wednesday, January 23, 2019, government officials broke ground at Bouncing Hill, Sandy Point, symbolically signalling the start of construction of a multipurpose Sandy Point Police Station.
