Arch & Godfrey secures first airport contract
Airports Authority CEO Albert Anderson and Arch & Godfrey Chairman Heber Arch sign the contract for Phase 1 of the airport redevelopment
(CNS Business): The contract to develop the first phase of the renovation of the George Town airport has been won by local construction firm Arch & Godfrey. The $3.6 million contract for this first part of the more than $40 million long-awaited project to redevelop Owen Roberts International, which is to build a new baggage hall, was awarded to the local firm following bids from seven contractors, officials said at a signing event on Monday. The airport CEO, Albert Anderson, said that the groundbreaking was set for Thursday but he expected the “desperately needed” project to get underway in less than two weeks.
The process began last year but drawings were not completed by architects until June of this year, when the first phase was tendered and the “enabling package”, as described by Anderson, was won by Arch & Godfrey last week. He explained that this first job would focus on the development of a new baggage handling facility, which will be built to the west of the current airport footprint.
Once a new baggage handling area is built, the existing baggage carousel can be taken out, freeing up the space needed to begin work on the second phase, which is the main project, starting with the expansion of the departure lounge. Anderson said that one carousel would be recycled and a new one installed in the first of the additional buildings.
Tourism and Transport Minister Moses Kirkconnell said he was excited about the start of the work, which would see the renovation completed within two and a half years. Although the work would be done in two phases, he said, once it began it would be ongoing until it was finished.
He explained that the core footprint and building would be utilized because what was needed was a functional airport to accommodate the 2.5 million people each year. Stakeholders who are investing in tourism would also be more confident, he said, now that everyone could see the work was going to start.
Airport officials said that the second phase would go out for contract shortly as the preparation for that was 80% complete.
Anderson said that as the project gets underway, great consideration was being given to managing the movement of passengers during construction. Kirkconnell added that, rather like the redevelopment of the Miami airport, there will be a rotation of areas that are closed off for work and opened as worked moved to another part of the facility. The minister confirmed that no part of the airport would be pulled down and all of the buildings would be utilized in the project and new buildings added on.
Category: Construction, Local Business
What government needs to do for deals like this is: hire a project manager to manage a group of construction companies who will do the work. That way costs can be managed efficiently and a bunch of people benefit rather than just 1 company.
My uncle Dart is the perfect example of what i’m talking about. I bet that he can build the exact project that these people want to build for half of the price.
Outstanding. See what happens when proper process is followed.
no surprises here…same contractor, same designer, same architects…same old Cayman..
So true. I wish I could get on that govt money gravy train!
Building a new airport they better get radar equipment for those air traffic controllers
There is absolutely no way that the airport re development project can be completed for the amount disclosed and within the time frame proposed.