By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
The ground has been officially broken to start construction on St. Kitts’ first ever track and field facility.
Prime Minister Hon. Denzil Douglas along with Ambassador John Liu of the Embassy of China on Taiwan, shovelled dirt at the site of the facility at Bird Rock.
The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Minister of State responsible for Sport, Tourism and Culture Hon. Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Public Works and Utilities and parliamentary representative for East Basseterre Hon. Asim Martin, Lester Hanley of the CARIFTA games committee along with many other dignitaries, sports icons, athletes, corporate supporters and area residents.
A representative from Terra Forma Developments, the company contracted to carry out the civil engineering for the project, gave an overview of the process.
“As part of the modernisation and upgrading of sports facilities, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis has identified the need to provide a first class athletic track and field facility for the citizens of the federation. A series of meetings was held between the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Terra Forma Developments and the St. Kitts and Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (SKAAA) which defined the need for a 400-meter running track with an associated pavilion and related amenities.
“Based on the preliminary designs, St. Kitts won the bid to host the 2008 CARIFTA games. The Bird Rock Athletic Stadium, which is dedicated specifically to track and field activities, is designed to accommodate over 4000 persons with temporary stands. The facility will boast a class two 400 meter synthetic athletic track, a 200 metre warm up track, lighting for the track and field, a covered pavilion with 500 seats, a gym, athlete and official team accommodation, VIP lounge and concession stalls,” the engineer said.
Included in the plans for the facility would be a stand to accommodate 800 persons, grass mounds which could hold in excess of 2000 persons along with toilet facilities, parking, and the relocation of the basketball court.
The facility is scheduled to be completed by January 2008, finished in time to host the sporting event in Easter. The facility will be constructed in a way that it could act host venue for other athletic activities.
The project was tendered to local contractors in two packages; a civil works package and pavilion package. Rock and Dirt along with Raymore and Associates were the two successful contracting firms to win the ‘transparent competitive bid’ and obtain the lucrative government contracts.
According to Skerritt, the contract for civil works awarded to Rock and Dirt totalled EC$ 6,734,479.18 and that awarded to Raymore and Associates for the construction of the pavilion was $4,399,749.18. Additional costs include the athletic track itself and temporary seating, bringing the total figures to an estimated US$ 5 million.
