COVID-19 no problem - Grange: Preparation work for redevelopment of National Stadium ongoing

Minister of Sports Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange says that preparation work for the redevelopment of the National Stadium complex is continuing despite the threat of the COVID-19 virus locally.

Up to yesterday, 69 persons tested positive for the virus. Thirteen had fully recovered while there have been four deaths.

Grange told The Sunday Gleaner that Apec consultants, who were hired to research the redevelopment of the National Stadium and to give an estimate of the cost for the project, have made their submission to the Public Investment Management Secretariat (PIMSEC), Ministry of Finance and Public Service. This is a requirement for major projects.

“PIMSEC, as recently as the past week, has been in contact with Apec (about) the reclarification on aspects of their submission,” said Grange.

PREPARATIONS ONGOING

“The preparations are ongoing because COVID-19 has not delayed the process. The design, fine-tuning, and whatever that is needed to be done between now and breaking ground, that work will continue and is continuing,” she said.

Among the recommendations for the project that have been sent by the consultants to PIMSEC are the covering of the bleachers section, increasing the capacity by installing over 10,000 new seats, the installation of a new velodrome, a sports museum, and an anti-doping facility at the National Stadium.

The sports minister underlined that all is in place for construction work on the facility to begin in 2021 as she was pleased with the pace at which discussions have been taking place. According to her,new opportunities have been presented by the COVID-19 crisis.

“What we are doing now is finding more opportunities to work in other ways that we have never given thought to before,” said Grange. “We have had a number of virtual meetings, and to an extent, those virtual meetings have enabled us to use the time more efficiently and more effectively, and so in adversity there are opportunities. We are seizing the opportunity to deal with matters that normally, we would not have been able to because we would probably be involved or preoccupied with other things,” she added.