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15 months to rebuild WE ferry dock | Gov’t hunts consultants

The West End ferry dock was destroyed by the hurricane.

A permanent ferry terminal in West End is projected to be reconstructed within 15 months of government securing a consultant for the job.

Government said it is currently in the process of procuring consultancy services for the ‘design and supervision’ of the terminal.

Interested eligible persons are being asked to submit what government described as ‘Expressions of Interest’ to provide these consultancy services.

Government said expressions of interest must be submitted electronically to the Ministry of Finance (via [email protected]). It said a copy must also be submitted to the Caribbean Development Bank ([email protected]), adding that all submissions must be sent no later than midday on Thursday, June 7.

The $65 million loan from the aforementioned bank is funding the project.

News that government is seeking consultants to design the West End terminal comes months after architectural firm OBM International offered to design the West End Ferry Terminal for free. At the time, government had accepted the offer.

In the meantime, Minister of Communication and Works Mark Vanterpool has been promising to erect a semi-permanent terminal at the West End location since December 2017.

In March 2018, the minister made fresh promises to have the semi-permanent structure erected by late-April or early-May. However, the structure is yet to be erected.

The original West End terminal was destroyed during the September 2017 hurricanes and Customs and Immigration officers based at the location have been operating under a tent since around that time.

Government recently completed repairs and renovation work to the ferry terminal in Road Town. That terminal had also been damaged during the hurricanes.

Fahie: Workers suffer as gov’t rejects free West End facility

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25 Comments

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  1. Family i guess says:

    This is so dumb! Didnt OBM offer it for free? I am sick of this Government. All they had to do us work with the company to design a building of their likes. My vote this election will be based on all theae stupid decisions and wasting tax payers money.

    • Einstein says:

      We don’t need a building. We need a long term plan. Not too ling ago we talked about moving the ferry dock to another location. Then we talked about developing the area around the existing circus tent. Since most of the guns and drugs come into our country from the west, shouldn’t the marine police be located there? Shouldn’t the building be designed to monitor boat traffic and catch the perps?

    • @Family says:

      If CDB is now funding the process they will require a procurement process, that may be the issue here.

    • An Observer says:

      Totally agree with you! Then they wouldn’t get their cut and slice of the pie. Reason for a consultant. Nothing like a good “kickback”.

  2. Sailor says:

    Tourism is our primary business now and this arrival station is our primary port of entry. We need a long term plan. That white tent looks like a circus tent…..

  3. Richgdgy says:

    Sounds like the US under Obama!

  4. @ Richgdgy says:

    All sense of rational thought still evades your mental processes.

    Obama is not the world’s problem, it is minds like yours.

    Perhaps relying on obtaining truthful facts through your senses is not a mental possibility, as your statement does not reflect them, but your super hatred for humankind, especially the one who averted a world economic catastrophic melt down is quite so evident.

    Sad mental state to be living in.

  5. ? says:

    Anybody else tired of hearing his rhetoric and empty promises and blah blah blah? His first term in office…..Promised the sewer system would be fixed…I have lost count of the time we are for improvement in Telecommunications.. a decent water supply…..the list goes on and on!

    • Reality says:

      It’s 3rd world! We lack the commitment to education, planning, leadership and a desire to improve our situation. Our minister’s will continue to manage our treasury as though it’s their piggy bank. Until … someone stands up to them and says “we aren’t going to accept this anymore!”

      Let’s change course!

  6. Rubber Duck says:

    World Champions of False Promises.

  7. Peace says:

    Election lets go!

  8. SMH says:

    Anybody else miss H. Lavity Stoutt?

  9. Tiny Tim says:

    The CDB is probably forcing this procurement. We’ll probably end up with something designed by a firm in St. Lucia or Barbados. CDB likes to deal with their own people. On another point the folks promising a port in 15 months, or decent telecommunications, who can’t provide the people of this country with staples such as a decent water and sewerage system are the ones telling us we are filing for a divorce from the UK. If they can’t deal with governing now, can they get better if we are independent? Lord help us all.

  10. No nonsense says:

    Same s**t, different day and same people!

  11. Jay says:

    They always need consultant and when they do get one they jack the “ish” up and it usually ends up costing more money or not completed…SMH

  12. Onething says:

    $65 million? Why do these numbers have to be sooo high once it’s something for the BVI?

  13. Home Boy says:

    It said the new ferry terminal will be built from the $65 million dollars loan from the CDB, not that to the new terminal will cost $65 million.

  14. @ says:

    You could not write an intelligible summary defining a “LIB” if you had half a brain to attempt such.

    So, throwing labels around are what your type do as substitute for knowledgeable, informed and intellectual responses.

  15. The Visitor says:

    Le’me see here. Something smells like many hands in the cookie jar.
    If the entire Pier Park, including extending the pier for gigantic cruise ships, multiple shops, rental facilities and fancy landscaping cost $83,000,000.00 and was $40,000,000.00 over budget, how can a single building ferry terminal cost $65,000,000.00?

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