The Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex has been closed for business ever since it was gutted by the 2017 hurricanes, and the government is now paying more than $2 million a year to rent office space elsewhere as a result, according to Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer.
Now, however, repairs are progressing and the reopening is in sight, Mr. Rymer said last week.
The current target date for “substantial completion” of the complex is the fourth quarter of next year, with full commissioning by the second quarter of 2027, according to the minister.
These dates, he explained, are based on a new procurement timeline for outstanding works.
“The Ministry of Finance has begun procurement of long-lead [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] equipment under the Caribbean Development Bank loan facility,” he said. “This includes $5.6 million for MEP and [information and communications technology] outfitting.”
In the meantime, he said, architecture firm OBM International — which received a $1 million contract in 2020 — is completing interior and exterior design work. That effort, Mr. Rymer explained, was previously expected to be completed in June.
“The schedule was extended to accommodate changes required following the 2023 election, including the reassignment and establishment of new ministries,” the minister said.
Now, the designs are expected to be finished this month, according to Mr. Rymer.
“OBMI has completed about 70 percent of the design work, and the ministry continues to press for timely delivery and quality outputs,” he said.
Once the design is complete, the procurement of the MEP and ICT works can move forward, according to the minister.
“Assuming designs are finalised in October and tendering proceeds in November, we aim to award contracts in December and mobilise a contractor on site by January 2026,” Mr. Rymer said.
Elevator work behind
Other works that are behind schedule include the installation of an elevator. While the elevator shaft in the west atrium is complete, the installation is “about one year behind schedule,” Mr. Rymer said.
He added that the ministry is in “regular communication” with the contractor, Building Construction Management, to resolve any “logistical issues.”
Mould remediation
Mr. Rymer also said that contractor Biogerm Solutions is carrying out mould remediation, with completion expected by November.
As part of that effort, all files have been safely removed from the building’s basement, according to the minister.
Starting within the next two weeks, he said, they will be cleaned and restored in coordination with the Deputy Governor’s Office and in line with international standards for record management.
Biogerm is responsible for removing “compromised materials, ” as well as “laboratory testing, treatment, and post-treatment verification,” according to Mr. Rymer.
The minister also gave an overview of work that has already been carried out since the restoration began in 2019.
So far, he said, major contracts totalling more $4.9 million have been completed.
These works included making the building “watertight and secure” by replacing the roof membrane, completing exterior and skylight repairs, and installing impact-resistant windows and doors, according to the minister.
Other works are nearly finished, he explained.
“Demolition of internal office spaces has been carried out, and exterior structural works such as retaining walls, drainage systems, and driveway access are approximately 85 percent complete,” he said.
$2m-plus in rent
Mr. Rymer also disclosed the cost of renting space elsewhere while the complex is being restored.
“While the complex has been out of commission, taxpayers are currently incurring over $2 million each year in rents and related costs for ministries and departments housed in temporary facilities,” the minister said.
When the facility is commissioned and all the government ministries and departments are moved there, this expense will be avoided, according to Mr. Rymer.
“Bringing offices back together will improve inter-agency collaboration, reduce recurring expenditure and enhance public service delivery,” he said.
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