The cost to house workers to construct the Cayman Brac high school will be borne by government, according to the contractual agreement for the near $50 million project.
The Ministry of District Administration and Lands confirmed this as it responded to Cayman Compass queries on Monday.
It said that the accommodation block being built on the Bluff, which will be initially used to house the workers, will cost $8,518,677.15.
The contract for the 38-suite block and its cost was agreed to by the ministry and McAlpine Ltd/Arch & Godfrey (Cayman) Ltd (Joint Venture).
The ministry said it is providing the accommodation at “no direct cost” to the contractor.
It said the contractor has not included the cost of worker accommodation in their preliminary price within the school contract.
However, the ministry statement explained that the government has included that cost “because there is no ‘workers village’ available on site for the accommodation block project. So there is an indirect return on investment.”
The Ministry of District Administration and Lands, in a press release issued Friday, announced the start of construction of the Cayman Brac accommodation block, which is set to be completed by November.
The block, which comprises two buildings, “is designed to facilitate long-term overnight stays for developers and construction teams involved in the new high school and gym projects, as well as other future government initiatives”, according to the release.
The ministry told the Compass on Monday that, in addition to the wider benefits of low-cost accommodation for visiting groups for other on-island large construction projects, “the accommodation block makes this, and subsequent projects, more viable – because [of] the lack of sufficient low cost accommodation (and sufficient on-island trades) on the Brac.”
The absence of such accommodations, the ministry said, “significantly contributes to making the risk and cost of working on the Brac unattractive to larger contractors”.
The ministry added that, as established through the outline business case, the accommodation block will also be used for future school, youth, sports and cultural groups, as well as governmental visits and events, “which supports a further return on the initial investment”.
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I doubt that the contractors included the cost of food and drink for their employees in their bid, will this be included in Government’s funding along with flights from the mainland?. It seems we have now spawned a Saudi Arabian approach to development on the Brac.
Where’s the governor? Where is the opposition? Where are the environmentalist? Some please makes sense of this wasting of money? Not that I support a $60 million dollar school but I want to ask the question, where does the contractors/workers stay during the workers housing? I am certain there are cheaper alternatives.
We are going to be bankrupt on this path!
What utter foolishness is this? Best kept secret is that the Brac’s education system is the best. Why ON EARTH do we need to spend $50 million on a new school. Sort out CRIME. Sort out all the other social issues that need addressing. Do not do this foolishness. Anyone would think there was an election coming up! Oh but wait!!!