The field on September 5, 2012.
Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News
The field on September 5, 2012.
Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News
After some four years, if all goes well, the Seventh and Eighth District communities will be able to have access to the Greenland Field in East End from next month.
In the House of Assembly this week, Hon. Myron Walwyn, Education and Culture Minister said he has been advised that Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed by the middle of next month.
"We expect to have the first phase of the field completed by October 15. So the field should be open for playing from the 15 of October. That is the indication I have received from the project manager and persons involved in the project," he stated. The Minister said they will not be able to complete the netball court in this phase which the Hon. Marlon Penn, Eighth District Representative spoke to him about.
"I told him that we would try to accommodate it very early during the second phase that is the netball court. It was $500K allotted in the budget to the field and so we were not able get everything in but we do understand how important netball is to that community," the Minister stated.
Hon. Penn said he is delighted that the project is moving forward, and spoke of the importance of the netball to the women in the community.
"I am happy to hear that you are committed to getting the netball court up and running, it´s something that the women in our community fought very hard to install in the first phase because of the challenges they were having sharing the basketball court with the youngsters...I am hopeful that the field will be finish this year so that we can at least resume activities on that facility. It has been out of commission for four to five years, it´s time we get it back into shape," the Eight District Representative stated.
In June at a signing ceremony, the five contractors who were awarded petty contracts for works to restart on the Greenland Field were told with no uncertain terms that they have to move expeditiously.
At that event, one contract was signed with Cliff Williams in the amount of $34, 605.96 to supply and install an all weather outdoor basketball court. Another contract was signed with Jerome Lettsome in the amount of $40,172.96 to construct and erect concrete block walls. Nathaniel Penn whose contract is in the amount of $30,514.22 will purchase and install four additional steel-based light poles for the softball field and basketball court.
The field on September 5, 2012.
Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News
The field on September 5, 2012.
Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News
A contract was also signed with Arona George-DeWindt in the amount of $27,282.20 to prepare for the installation of sod for the Greenland playing field, while Alexander Thomas will be constructing and erecting fencing works and supply and install panel back stop for the softball field in the amount of $68,756.02.
In March, the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government announced that it has allocated $500,000.00 to get the much needed Greenland Field project restarted.
At that time, Hon. Penn said what was allowed to happen to the field in the past four years can only be described as criminal. He said the $500,000.00 which is being allocated by this Government for the project will at least get it started and Hon. Walwyn and Premier Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith have registered their commitment to the project.
Hon. Penn, who was speaking in the House of Assembly, lamented that he was disturbed after learning during the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) deliberations that some $400,000.00 was previously spent on the facility, but there is nothing there to show what has been done.
