Preliminary works completed on Govt’s $15.8B office complex

The construction of the $15.8 billion state-of-the-art government office complex at Houston, East Bank Demerara is progressing smoothly.

Detailing the project’s advancement in the National Assembly Thursday morning, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill revealed that all preliminary works are completed.

“The new location is seeing ongoing work right now. All of the premilitary work has been completed…We are very well advanced on this project,” he told the house.

The works completed include site clearing, mobilisation of equipment, and the submission of the design plan for the new layout.

Caribbean Green Building Inc. is constructing the modern 12-story high-rise complex. It will include four towers to accommodate approximately 6,000 staff from ministries and agencies.

The massive building is being built in a highly connected and developed area, approximately 1 km from the new Eccles/Haags Bosch roundabout.

The public works minister revealed that the new location is 20.08 acres and spans 1,058 feet in length and 600 feet in width.

He said the area is far more suitable and spacious to accommodate the targeted number of staff while meeting all other criteria to provide services to the public in the most effective way possible.

More importantly, the new location will significantly reduce traffic congestion and travel time due to inter-connector roads between the Ogle East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara.

To fuel the advancement of the project, the minister outlined that a total of $6.6 billion has been expended to date in keeping with the terms and conditions of the project.

He also said that the $1 billion allocated for the project, in this year’s budget remains untouched.

Meanwhile, the ministry has been engaging the project’s supervisory consultant to ensure the project is constructed to international standards and transparency is maintained.