|
Repairs to the roof of the Central Administration Building resumed last week after a delay, and further works are planned to improve the building’s poor air quality, which allegedly is making some workers sick, officials said.
The $1.9 million roof repairs started in July 2009 but were delayed by frequent rain in the past several weeks, said Natasha Lettsome, information officer with the Ministry of Communications and Works. The project originally was scheduled to be finished by December, but now contractors aren’t sure when the repairs will be complete, according to Ms. Lettsome. Communications and Works Minister Julian Fraser told the House of Assembly last Thursday that the government had originally “underestimated the complexity of the undertaking.” But now, he added, government is “proceeding full speed ahead” to find contractors to renovate the building’s interior. According to Mr. Fraser, air quality will be further improved once the air-conditioning system is redesigned and the ceiling grid, lighting fixtures, sprinkler system, carpets, furniture and office interiors are replaced. An additional project to be performed by the Garcinox Corporation is underway to upgrade the handrails and railing in the buildings, Mr. Fraser said. In the short term, the government plans to retrofit the building’s 18 air handlers with liners that use ultraviolet light to kill allergens, which may be causing the illnesses. That project should be completed by March, Mr. Fraser said. For Shaina Smith, president of the Virgin Islands Civil Service Association, sooner is better than later. “Currently, the way things are, it’s a challenge,” she said. “It’s definitely a hazardous situation that needs to be addressed.”
The full article appears in the Feb. 4, 2010 issue.
|
Home 
