A team from the Ministry of Works, headed by Minister Lennox Weston and Permanent Secretary Clarence E. Pilgrim, conducted a tour of four sites yesterday to assess the scope of work being undertaken by the ministry.
The tour began at the new location for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Newgate Street followed by an assessment of the Barrymore Hotel on Fort Road. It then continued to the Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital and concluded at Transport Board in Herberts where the All Saints Magistrates Court is to be temporarily relocated.
The government recently agreed to repair all the magistrates’ courts, clinics and community centers through the Public Works Department and are staying true to their promises.
The new CID building will be officially in use from next week while repairs to the Barrymore Hotel should be concluded in about six months. Despite beginning three months ago, Weston said renovations to the hotel will take some time since the repairs are contingent upon the time in which the Barbudans who are currently occupying the facility leave.
Noting the horrible condition of the Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital and the extensive work that needs to be done, the Minister sympathized with the nurses and assured them that the ministry will seek to address the conditions of the facility right away.
“Within the next two months or so, it’ll be perfect,” he said.
Additionally, the All Saints Magistrate’s Court will be relocated for three weeks to facilitate repairs to the All Saints building. Weston said upon completion of a holding cell, the temporary court facility should be ready for use in about a week.
Meantime, the St. John’s Magistrates Court will also be placed in a temporary facility at “Knuckle Block” in Gray’s Farm within a few weeks.
Contractors were present on the tour to take note of all of the work that still needed to be done.