Khan: Former President lived in decaying house

FORMER President Arthur NR Robinson, spent his six years in office, living in a presidential mansion that was in a serious state of disrepair. This was revealed yesterday by Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan who also confirmed that Robinson’s successor, Max Richards, will not be able to occupy President’s House for at least two years.

Speaking with reporters at the St George East Stockpile, Beetham, Khan said: “The President’s House itself is classified as a historic building. The house is in extreme disrepair both architecturally, aesthetically and structurally. Probably more so structurally.” The Minister then revealed: “A large part of it is unhabitable. In fact the former President had not been using significant parts of the house.” He confirmed that the adjacent cottage is being renovated to accommodate President Richards and his family.

Khan added that those renovations will be finished by May and “from May it is estimated that the repairs, a lot of which will be structural repairs of the presidential mansion will take about two years”. The Minister said a consultant was being brought in to do a damage assessment on President’s House, after which there will be a final costing. “A significant part of the costing is not so much the structural work, but in restoring it to its original pristine condition because the architecture has to remain intact,” Khan said. The former President has moved to an undisclosed location until work on his Ellerslie Park, St Clair home is completed.