Two stalled construction projects will be restarted by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis after years of abandonment. The two projects in question are the new Police Training Complex at Lime Kiln Commercial Development and the new Government Printery at Church Street.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Police Training Complex, which was dubbed as a modern Multi-purpose Security Training Centre was held in January 2014. The European Union provided more than $10 million dollars to the project. A steel frame for the 38,741-square-foot facility was erected, with blocks running up to a certain level. However, work ceased sometime after.
“I would say that the project, from our perspective here in St. Kitts and Nevis, was badly managed,” Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, said on Wednesday (April 19) during a special interview with media members. “After the change in government in 2015, it was badly managed, and presently there is no funding coming through the European Union anymore to complete it.”
The process to move forward with construction in 2023 begins with a much-needed assessment by the Public Works Department (PWD).
“We are committed to finishing it,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew expressed, “but we are in the process of doing an analysis from a construction/engineering standpoint and also to source new funding to finish it.”
Meanwhile, construction of the Government Printery started in January 2019 with the laying of the foundation. EC$1.5 million was budgeted for the modern three-storey building with a nine-month timetable – that is completion by September 2019. Work also subsequently stalled.
Dr. Drew added that an analysis was done on the project, which determined the cost to complete the project.
“We are going to move on that very shortly,” the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance stated. “I am not going to leave the printery building abandoned because it came from another administration.”
He added that while administrations may change, the role of government remains the same, and the continuity of key projects in the best interest of the people must continue.