An eight-month extension for the restoration of City Hall was on Monday announced by City Engineer, Colvern Venture, during the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) meeting, chaired by the new mayor, Alfred Mentore, at the Kitty Market conference room.
This extension will be granted by the Ministry of Local Government, pushing back the anticipated completion date from March to November, 2023.
According to Venture, the ministry’s decision to extend the completion date was based on challenges faced during construction, ranging from structural complexities to the need for specialised materials.
“Some works were not identified during the initial inspection on the building, which led to a variation in time,” he stated.
In September 2021, a $780 million contract for the restoration of the building was signed in the City Hall compound between the former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, and a Trinidadian company, Fides Ltd.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Assistant City Engineer, Rashid Kellman, noted that most of the major structural works on the building have been completed, however due to the age of the building and its delicate, works which should have taken on average a week had to be extended.
“When the contactor opened up the ceilings and so on, it was only then additional damage could have been discovered and this led to variation. We can’t just change one part of the building, if we have to change a beam, we would need to fix the whole column”, he said.
The company was initially given a two-year time frame to finish the project, however,
the decision to extend the timeline was prompted by the emergence of further unforeseen works on the building that necessitated careful consideration and adjustments.
And as the rehabilitation project moves forward with an extended timeline, the city’s residents are being encouraged to engage with the restoration process.
When the new building is completed, amenities are expected to include an elevator and a room for holding statutory meetings.
