The new Purcell Community Centre. Photo: VINO

“Madam Speaker I looked at the figures. There are three layers of construction management,” he said during his contribution of the Appropriation Act No. 1 of 2011. “The cost will be about $1.9M not $1.6M. How we can run a country like that. Let’s get real with what we are doing.”

Meanwhile, 6th district representative Hon. Alvera Maduro-Caines told the House that the Centre, which opened its doors on September 12, 2011, is still incomplete. She pointed out that the additional $85,000 being asked to complete it “may not be enough”.

“We still have a few problems to deal with in that Centre. $1.6M should have completed that Centre, furnishing and everything and that amount that is not going to put furnishing in the Centre. This is going to drive the cost,” the 6th District representative said.

The previous Government, the Virgin Islands Party (VIP), had signed a $1.4M contract with Greg Hodge of G-Unit Construction Limited for the construction of the centre. At the signing ceremony in 2009, the then Premier and Finance Minister Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal had said the centre would serve as an avenue for residents in the community to come together and discuss their needs and formulate plans for future development.

Furthermore, the then Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Omar Hodge, had mentioned in his remarks that the project had been a 10-year struggle and that his heart was filled with joy for the people of Purcell Estate.

The Purcell Estate Community Centre was designed by Edwin Adams Architects with supervisory works conducted by W & W Project Management Services.

It is now the 11th community centre in the Territory. The others are located in Sea Cow’s Bay, West End, Carrot Bay, Brewer’s Bay, East End/Long Look, Long Trench/Fahie Hill, Belle Vue, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Cane Garden Bay.