PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Egbert Doran said during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday that the four priority hurricane shelters are expected to be completed next week as scheduled.
The four shelters are Rupert Maynard Community Youth Center in St. Peters, Dutch Quarter Community Center in Dutch Quarter, National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) in Cay Hill, and Milton Peters College (MPC) in South Reward.
The repair work is being funded via the St. Maarten Trust Fund’s Emergency Repair Project 1 (ERP-1). A total of 13 shelters are set to be repaired under ERP-1, but these four were given priority.
The repair work was scheduled to be completed by August 20, just before the traditional peak of the hurricane season. Doran confirmed on Wednesday that the work is still on target.
At Rupert Maynard Center, the water tank and generator housing have both been plastered and painted, said Doran. He also said the doors and downspouts have been installed and the electrical and plumbing inside the building is complete.
The remaining work includes waterproofing for the water tank’s interior and the generator house roof. The generator also needs to be installed, said Doran.
At Dutch Quarter Community Center, the roofing has been replaced. Additionally, air conditioning (AC) units, the water tank’s doors, a retaining wall, and the extension of an overflow drain have been completed. The shutters are 75 per cent done, said Doran. The remaining work includes waterproofing the cistern and painting a section of the generator house. The generator also needs to be installed.
At NIPA, the generator house still needs to be plastered and a window still must be replaced. Installation of the shutters, as well as electrical and plumbing works, are in their final stages, said Doran.
At MPC, the interior doors and the water tank’s doors are complete, as well as plumbing and electrical installations. The water tank is being prepared for painting and the generator still must be installed.
According to Doran, the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) aims to award the contracts for the remaining nine shelters next week.
The repairs on the remaining nine shelters are scheduled to be completed in January 2021. However, the work on some of these shelters will be completed before that date, said Doran.
