GEBE to demolish former main building, build new structure | THE DAILY HERALD

PHILIPSBURG–The Hurricane Irma-ravaged former main building of utilities company GEBE on Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill) will be torn down soon and a new multiple-storey structure will eventually be constructed at the location, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenrick Chittick told The Daily Herald on Tuesday.  

  The intention is for the building to be demolished during the first quarter of this year. Chittick said the company is trying to secure a demolition permit from the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI. A tender and bidding process will also be held to select a suitable contractor to demolish the building, which was extensively damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

  Chittick said the company wants to have the demolition conducted in a proper manner that is also environmentally responsible. “The building needs to come down for safety reasons,” he stressed.

  “What could have been salvaged from the building after the hurricane has already been salvaged. Furniture, for example, that was not damaged was removed,” he said, explaining that some files that were still in cabinets are being moved to the new main building (former distribution building).

  He said the intention is for a multiple-storey new building to be constructed at the location. GEBE already had plans before Hurricane Irma to construct a new building at the location in 2020, but the hurricane had shifted priorities and delayed the plans for a new building. Chittick said a timeline for the construction is not yet known as this depends on several factors such as how quickly the company bounces back and how it fares financially.

  “I cannot give a timeframe now [on when a new building will be built – Ed.], but this is the plan,” he said, noting that for now GEBE work on preparatory matters such as the drawings so that these can be ready and, once it is financially feasible, the plans can be accelerated. “We have money, yes, but we have to have this in case of another disaster.”

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84327-gebe-to-demolish-former-main-building-build-new-structure

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