AT THE CONTRACT SIGNING FOR THE PROPOSED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
HERITAGE SUBDIVISION
FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA

4:00PM, 1ST MARCH 2007

Bishop Godfrey Williams;
Colleague Minister Alfred Sears, the Minister of Education, Science & Technology;
Parliamentary Colleagues, Percentie-Russell and Bridgewater;
Senators Caleb Outten & Doswell Coakley;
President Of the GBPA Albert Gray;
Permanent Secretary Sturrup;
Acting Permanent Secretary, Poitier;
Other senior public officers of the Ministries of Works & Immigration and Education, Science & Technology;
Mr. Patrick McDonald and Representatives of Patrick McDonald Construction;
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls;

I am again extremely delighted to be here with you today in lovely Grand Bahama as a bearer of good news to execute a contract for the construction of a new Junior high School to be built here on this plot in the Heritage Subdivision.  You will recall that it was just only last week that I was here when my Ministry executed an approximately $ 2 million dollar contract with Smith’s Construction Company for the re-construction of critical seawalls at a number of locations throughout Grand Bahama Island which were destroyed by recent hurricanes.

Over the past several years, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, realizing that the High Schools in the Port Area were grossly overcrowded, began dialogue with the Grand Bahama Port Authority with the view of having a Junior High School constructed in the Freeport area to alleviate this problem.
 

Consequently, the astute Minister of Education S & T the Honourable Alfred Sears held discussions in this regard with the late Edward St. George, along with the present Port Authority’s President, Mr. Albert Gray, contributed to the realization of this dream.

The late Mr. St. George was kind enough to commit $3 million as the Port Authority’s contribution to the project’s construction cost because he strongly felt that the total cost of the project should not exceed $6 million. However, the Ministry of Education felt that the school would cost significantly more to construct which has been proven to be the case as evidenced in the Tender process.  After much discussion with Mr. St George on this matter, it was finally agreed that the Port Authority would give consideration to the upward adjustment of its contribution after the completion of the project.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority also arranged for an architect from Grand Bahama to design the public Junior High School to be constructed in the Heritage Subdivision within the city of Freeport at a cost of $140,000.00.

This important project, for which the contract will be signed today, was projected to commence some 12 months ago.  Unfortunately, due to unforeseen difficulties the architect experienced, the drawings had to be completed by the technical officers of my Ministry.   The design plans have been reviewed by Perry Christie’s Government and it has been agreed that the same plans will be utilized for the construction of a new Junior High School in Southwest New Providence, for which the bid documents have just recently been sent out to a list of contractors.    I should further note that the layout design to be used for this project has been accepted as the proto-type design for future government schools of a similar size throughout the Bahamas.

This practically designed Junior High School will be constructed on more than fifteen (15) acres of land in one of the newest housing sub-division being developed in the Port area here on Grand Bahama.

This school will certainly be a state-of-the-art structure when completed and users will be adequately accommodated.  It will have more than 76,000 square feet of enclosed building space and will provide for about 900 students to be accommodated in 35 standard classrooms.
Additionally there will be a number of special classrooms including:-

o A food laboratory
o A needle crafts laboratory
o An agriculture laboratory
o A wood workshop classroom
o A technical drawing classroom
o 2-computer laboratories
o 3-general science laboratories
o 3-music laboratories
o 3-art rooms
o Library
o (Indoor basketball and volleyball) gymnasium (with stage and changing rooms).
o Student Sick Bay.
o Student Tuck-Shop and covered landscaped courtyards and walkways;
o Student restrooms;

In addition, students will also be accommodated with outdoor sports facilities such as: track and field, softball field and tennis courts.

The needs of the administrative staff will be met through the provision of an administrative block containing offices for;
• the school principal;
• vice principals;

• senior masters;
• senior mistresses;
• resource personnel;
• security personnel;
• staff lounge;
• elevators, particularly for the physically     challenge persons;
• handicap ramps

Ladies and gentlemen, having just given a detailed list of what this new state-of-the-art school will comprise, I urge the students, teachers, and members of the public who will utilize this structure when completed to take care of and protect what is being built here and not to vandalize and destroy it.
 

On progressing this project, the Government invited ten (10) locally based Grand Bahama Building Construction Companies to submit competitive bids for this work.  Of that number, bids with a range between $8 million - $15 million   were received from eight (8) companies.

The Company which submitted the lowest tender was the only one which did not include provision for customs duties and after serious deliberation withdrew its bid.  The second lowest Tender, Patrick McDonald Construction Company’s bid of $8,830,204.15, inclusive of Customs Duties, was considered and subsequently approved by Government and it is anticipated that the works will be carried out over a period of eighteen (18) months.

Mr. Patrick McDonald’s Construction Company was formed some fourteen years ago and has successfully constructed a number of major projects over the years. Mr. McDonald comes highly recommended as a strongly qualified general building contractor. The Government has every confidence that Patrick McDonald will perform and execute these works within the contract time frame. The contractor is obliged to provide a Performance Bond, in compliance with the terms of the contract.
 

While the Architect of Record is Cory Devries, a Freeport based Architectural Firm, my Ministry’s Architectural, Engineering and Quantity Surveying Sections, together with the technical team from the GBPA, will administer the contract during the construction period.
Ladies and Gentlemen, during a recent visit to Grand Bahama, the Rt. Honourable Prime Minister spoke about the strong level of construction here in the Port area.  For the record, I wish to share the following information, with the residents of Grand Bahama that was provided by the Grand Bahama Port Authority on building Construction Statistics for the year 2006 with the comparison of the year 2005.

Building Permits Construction Value      2006    2005    % change
  $186,165,000               $107,000,000                        + 42.5%

Number of Building Permits
 1050    962    +8.0%
Occupancy Certificates
  569    450

$ Value of Occupancy Certificates
2006    2005    % change     $69,198,000     $50,000,000

Ladies and Gentlemen, it was only about a year ago that I discovered that the building statistics that were being published by the Government of the Bahamas for many was only building on construction in New Providence.  I have since directed that statistics be compiled on construction for the entire Bahamas by island.

I am therefore able to share with you this afternoon some building statistics on the rest of Grand Bahama, excluding the Port area.

Building Permits Construction Value
 2006    2005    % change
$23,600,000  $20,102,000   +8.5%

* These figures do not include any reference to the Ginn Project in West Grand Bahama.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that these robust construction numbers put a lie to our detractors’ claim that the economy of Grand Bahama is in shambles.

On behalf of the Government of the Bahamas, I would like to thank the Grand Bahama Port Authority, the Architect of Record, Mr. Cory Devries, the Staff of the Ministries of Works & Immigration and Education, Science & Technology, and all who have contributed to the realization of this project.

Ladies and Gentlemen, following the remarks by the Hon. Minister of Education, Science & Technology I should be pleased to execute the contract on behalf of our client Ministry.

God Bless the People of Grand Bahama and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.