Govt’s $3.3 billion plaza

The figure is at least $700 million more than the most recent figures given by the Government for the Udecott project.

According to a dossier on the project, which was obtained by Newsday, the total estimated cost as at that date was $3,282,105,575. The figure is roughly $958 million higher than another estimate for the project made by Udecott as at March 2007, which then put the project at about $2.3 billion. On January 30, Minister of Works and Transport, Colm Imbert, told the inquiry commissioners that the cost of the as yet uncompleted, 1.7 million square foot project was $1,546 per square foot “thus far” or roughly $2.6 billion. The project had an initial budget of $1.2 billion.

The Government Campus Plaza, located on a block bounded by Richmond Street, Wrightson Road, London Street and Ajax Street, Port-of-Spain, comprises several office blocks, including: the Board of Inland Revenue Tower, the Customs and Excise Building, the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower and the Ministry of Social Development Building. The project is also adjoined by a multi-storey car park.

According to the Udecott dossier, the $3.3 billion breaks down into total construction costs of $1.4 billion as at September 2008.

This includes an estimated $357 million for the BIR Tower, $391 million for the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower, $113.2 million for the Customs and Excise Building, $161.1 million for the car-park and $186 million for the Social Development Building.