NASSAU, Bahamas — Of the $31 million needed to complete the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium, $17.9 million is needed to complete the main building alone, according to a senior government official, The Nassau Guardian reported on February 1 in an article written by Rachel Scott.
Another $1.8 million is for artificial turf; $1.7 million for an IT system; $1.1 million for ancillary buildings; $906,000 for outstanding change orders; $490,000 for lighting; $375,000 for hardscape and landscape; $177,000 for irrigation; $123,000 for outfield safety wall pads and $98,000 for a batting cage.
Combined, those outstanding works add up to $24.7 million. However, a 15 percent contingency, and 10 percent VAT bring the total to $31 million.
The original budget for the construction of the stadium was $27.48 million.
More than $27.44 million has already been spent on the project, which stalled in 2017, when it was supposed to have been completed.
The official who provided the information asked not to be identified.
While Minister of Works Alfred Sears pledged that the stadium will be finished by the end of this year, the 2021/2022 budget does not allocate the funding for its completion.
Many have criticized the government’s decision to prioritize the project, given The Bahamas’ dire financial circumstances.
But Sears maintained yesterday that it makes more sense to complete the project than to let the money already spent go to waste.
“First of all, it’s approximately $27 million that was already spent,” he said.
“Are you saying that should just be abandoned?
“…Is that what the question is, whether we should just leave $27 million as an unfinished project and just write off the $27 million?” See complete article in The Nassau Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/abandoning-stadium-project-would-not-be-wise-sears-says/?fbclid=IwAR2CwZtpqtxAhIB9G5VXW0v2JvMEoothdK86tw9Nb_kvjKD5zRIq0lnHfy4
