BVI News

Quality Construction awarded $4M JVD Primary School contract

Officials break ground for the construction of a new Jost Van Dyke Primary School.

After being awarded the contract for the construction of the Technical Block at the Elmore Stoutt High School, Roy Garroway of Quality Construction was recently awarded another contract in excess of $4 million for the construction of the Jost Van Dyke Primary School.

Quality Constructions was awarded the contract valued at $4,333,743.86 in what Chief Executive Officer of the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) Anthony McMaster described as a competitive bid process. The government received six bids – one from St Lucia and five from the Virgin Islands. McMaster said it was one of the most highly contested bidding processes.

“If I am not mistaken, the difference between first and second place was two points and the difference in cost was probably under thirty thousand dollars,” McMaster said.

Minister for Education Sharie de Castro expressed gratitude towards the people who continue to put interim measures in place to allow schools in the territory to function while the government works on the relevant steps to have permanent and safe school infrastructure.

“I want to say as we continue to pay keen and careful attention to the development of our schools in this territory. We understand our students are our most precious resource and as we seek to improve and strengthen our economy, the foundation of that is our education and our commitment is not only to the infrastructural development of schools but also to how we fix the curriculum,” de Castro said.

Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull said he was happy contracts were being signed for the construction of the school which he lobbied for since his entrance into representational politics back in 2015.

He also noted that Jost Van Dyke, along with Virgin Gorda and Anegada have long been neglected in terms of development and simply viewed as sister islands when they are an integral part of the Virgin Islands.

Turnbull highlighted that on a previous occasion, the government had a contract signing for the development of a community centre but that did not come to fruition, this milestone is different and he vows to ensure its completion.

“This time around is about action, and it is about building a school that will be efficient and effective to serve the community of Jost Van Dyke. Not from a school setting but a community outreach programme like a resource centre capability it is going to be just that. I am glad this moment has come to a reality,” the Second District Representative said.

Meanwhile, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the contract was possibly the biggest contract per student in the world for any form of development as the current Jost Van Dyke Primary School host approximately 22 students. He added the contract is a sign of significant development.

“We are building up for the children of Jost Van Dyke. We will be building for the future of Jost Van Dyke, for the good of the education system in the Virgin Islands. Join us as we continue this journey of building. Join us as we continue our recovery and join us as we march forward in unity,” Premier Wheatley said.

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28 Comments

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  1. Weed says:

    I thought jasmsy won this

  2. wow says:

    4 million for 22 students and no plan for road town primary 500 plus students

    Like 43
    Dislike 3
  3. VI Gyal says:

    RDA and other housing programmes had workshops and so on for small businesses to be trained in ways to be able to bid for projects like these but yet we continue to give to these big ones and they do not even subcontract no smaller companies for certain parts of the project. it is a dog eat dog world.

    BVI not a real place.

    Like 14
  4. hello says:

    one of the ndp candidate in the last election said in a Public setting in East end that the government of the bvi need to bring Ralph Gonsalves here to help with these high cost projects. he further said that Gonsalves will cut all the government projects to less than half of what the contractors are looking. many houses are built here much bigger than that school in jvd and cost less than half of what that school is costing to build.we the people need to call for the removal of the RDA. tell us the cost to run the RDA??.any private individual can build that same building and cost way less.these cost are ridiculous. dominica is building and international Airport and would cost billions in the bvi.chect to see the estimated cost in dominica. st Vincent build an international Airport and it cost under 800 million dollars EC .THATS About 300 million usc.to extend the runway at beef island cost over a 150 million usc.please somebody call the ambulance and the funeral home because this is murder to.

    Like 24
    Dislike 3
  5. Paper says:

    Four million dollars for a school to hold 22 children. How does that make sense?

    Like 42
    Dislike 1
  6. Wow says:

    4million?????LOL

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  7. Elsa says:

    ALL I COULD SAY IS WOW WOW! Everything in the BVI is overpriced.

    Like 11
  8. do the maths says:

    build a multi purpose building instead

  9. IslandSon says:

    Progress forward is important. There are needs everywhere but investing in the kids should be priority one. BTW does the goat have a say in the matter 🙂

  10. Accra says:

    Can someone say “KICKBACK!!”

    Like 17
    Dislike 3
  11. Yellowbelly says:

    Guess every child AND teacher will have their own personal bathroom. And I’m guessing this school will have a basketball court, baseball and soccer field and a swimming pool and lets not forget the gold plated desk, chairs and faucets. JVD y’all doing big things…..

    Like 15
    Dislike 4
  12. Blindman says:

    Governor look into this RDA Mr Master looking out for his friends no fair bidding process . Something is wrong only iron ,yellow , crab can get jobs from Mc master what happen to Newton and the others that submit and cant get a chance this man did a great job up Myers school on time, he bid on the high school and nothing but mc master fooling people that school will be completed by september a joker,where is the transprancy were is the fairness , Mr mc master needs to speak his mind because he feels that todman, newton and them had there time. But they men have proven themselves . Crab ,iron and yellow just a bunch of unfair and hungry people exploiting plummers and eletrician for estimates to win contract and turn around and give to other telling them this is what they paying knowing the job cost more but the hungry plummers and eletrician take it and end up making nothing because the contractor took his profit .Governor looking into the RDA something smell and look fishy.

    Like 5
    Dislike 2
  13. Reader says:

    @ Paper. Well, have you taken into consideration that the school will not always have 22 students; maybe if we had a look at the plan and were able to see the details as to what it encompasses, then we would be able to make better comments about the cost. Judging from comments made by the Minister for the District, it may actually have resource center capability.

    Like 2
    Dislike 5
  14. Something is wrong with this system says:

    1 dozen contractors getting all the work….It is not truckling down….I just hope its them alone can vote because the rest of we contractors surely ain’t voting for none of those in power

    Like 10
  15. Truh be told says:

    Although I do agree with many others for the size classes this is to much being spent for 22 students

    But with that said the cost of material and Labor to build has drastically increase in this place. So the price may very well be the materials plus, the company have to carry all tools

  16. @Accra says:

    You mean KICK FORWARD for that sum of money. Most of it going to transporting the resources to build the school but in the end the school probably cost half a million if so much.

    Like 1
    Dislike 2
  17. Dumbing Down says:

    These people clearly don’t care about The COI and its findings.

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  18. hello says:

    that’s exactly the point. The BVI always over pricing the projects.

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
  19. Stop says:

    You people need to stop being like that and think before you talk..the way price is right now and having to ship to jvd from tortola on boat which add up ..plus taken over concrete truck ,work man it really adds up..this is not the main land we are talking about

    Like 6
    Dislike 9
  20. Logics says:

    You all should be proud of Yellow for being able to compete with the big boys and Come out on top.At first he use to strike me as just someone picking up space but I can honestly say he made a believer out of me. If you don’t know this dude you will never know he even have such a company cause he is so down to earth and he is not boasty. On another note I think his price was the lowest

    Like 3
    Dislike 2
  21. hay craffe says:

    A steel building would’ve been way cheaper or buy out a house over there

  22. Typical says:

    Typical BVI BS everyone complaining without seeing the plan. Is it a building to house more than just a school? Until we see what is being built its hard to say 4mil is too much. We were just complaining about students being housed at Foxys now we are more upset that they are getting a building.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
  23. Elsa says:

    I hope it can also accommodate high school age students.

  24. Lilly says:

    I figured it cannot just be a school. It must have living quarters as well.

  25. @Typical says:

    I agree with your Comment. Some people just like to run their mouths and wouldn’t take the time to read and comprehend. Every thing being said or down just gets a rush for negativity. People need to stop letting personal feelings and indifferences consume your thoughts. Yes, you have the Rights to speak(type) freely, but sometimes it’s best to just STFU!

  26. Deh Watcha says:

    For $4M we should not be encouraged to take a wait and see approach brother. That’s one of the reasons we in what we are in.

    A few cannot decide for the many and then tell us wait and see. Projects need to be clear and transparent before moving forward. $4M is no joke.

    Look at the new DDM building +$9M contract and you hardly get an update. 2yrs since a contract signed and they still in the ground. But lets all wait and see right?

  27. Me says:

    This man getting allll this money but when you see him he’s the saddest looking puppy around always looking stressed

  28. Imagination says:

    What if we could build this tiny school on a Peter Haycraft budget? EAPS was build with 1M USD. Imagine what Althea is going to cost to demo and rebuild. BVI PLEASE stand up to the squandering and a culture that never renders value for money. Stand up now!

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