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McKenzie commits funds to complete Portmore municipal building

Published:Friday | July 27, 2018 | 4:39 PM
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Gladstone Taylor
Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie (second right) with (from left) Norman Shane, acting senior director of technical services and major projects, Ministry of Local Government; Councillor Fendley Douglas; and Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas yesterday toured the Portmore municipal building that is under construction in St Catherine.
Gladstone Taylor
The Portmore Municipal Building under construction in the vicinity of Braeton Parkway and Municipal Boulevard in Portmore.
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Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has committed more funds to ensure the completion of the new Portmore municipal building situated on four acres of land adjoining the Hundred Man Police Station in Portmore.

The minister, along with Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas and councillors who toured the complex yesterday, was assured by contractor Hugh Burton of HDB Construction Limited that the 22,654 square-feet building, which is slated to house the municipal council's central operations, will be completed on schedule in February 2019.

McKenzie, while not able to say how much of the $190 million originally estimated to complete the building has already been expended, stated that he was pleased with the quality of work that was being undertaken and will release a percentage of the remaining funds as the work progressed.

RAISING THE BAR

"I am hoping that on completion, this will now raise the bar because when people operate in an environment that is not conducive to proper service, then they will have excuses not to perform.

"Now we are producing the environment that will more than be enhanced [and] that will triple the tools that are going to be required," McKenzie said.

He said that he had no doubts that the municipality would rise to the occasion and the people of Portmore would be better off with the investment that the Government has made.

Thomas described the building as the most modern in the English-speaking Caribbean and said that it would provide a better working environment and ensure more effective service delivery.

According to the contractor, the building is estimated to be 55 per cent complete and is on target and within the original budget estimated for completion.