Government House Project Soon To Get Underway
An official from the Estates Strategy Group in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Peter Griffin, held meetings this week with Chief Minister the Honourable Ralph T. O'Neal and other government officials on the way forward with the Government House project. The local officials involved in the discussions included the Chief Minister's Permanent Secretary Bennet Smith, Acting Director of the Public Works Department Richard deCastro, architects Onions Bouchard & McCulloch, quantity surveyors BCQS and Project Manager Captain Hugh Whistler. The Governor's Office coordinated the visit of Mr. Griffin, which ended Wednesday June 21st.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the United Kingdom Government and the BVI Government in 1996, which called for the construction of a new residence for the Governor on the same compound off the Waterfront Road in Road Town. The project cost was then set at $2,097,308. The U.K government will provide financing of $1.1M and the BVI government - approximately $1M. "No doubt figures will have to be revised, since four years have lapsed since the signing of that Memorandum," the Chief Minister predicted. He said the BVI government has decided to maintain the old Government House, however discussions are still ongoing about the purposes for which it will be used.
"Government has received many suggestions and ideas about the preservation and development of the old Government House, however, nothing has been finalized as yet. I will keep you informed as developments take place," Hon. O'Neal stated.