By Robert Andre Emmanuel
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The Ministry of Works is preparing estimates for major renovation to three government facilities, namely the All Saints Clinic, the St John’s Fire Station, and the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters.
Director of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant, announced the upcoming projects during Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, noting that the work represents a shift from the ministry’s recent focus on extensive road building across the country.
“The Ministry of Works as you know has been doing a phenomenal job in Antigua and Barbuda in repairing government buildings, in construction of roads, and most recently the opening of the Cobbs Cross clinic that has been closed for some 20 years,” Merchant said.
St John’s Fire Station has completed its transition from Factory Road to temporary facilities at the former Port Authority Building at Dredge Bay to make way for a rebuilding project that will result in a new, climate-resilient facility funded by the Green Climate Fund.
From musty odours, disorganised storage, a lack of water, and unsanitary conditions in the bathroom—including when the bathroom overflows, allegedly causing water containing excrement to flow onto staff —rotting steel and deteriorating concrete, the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters has been described as a “disaster waiting to happen” for a number of years.
It took multiple protests for the government to enter into an agreement to allow workers to work from home while their current temporary workspace on Nugent Avenue was being prepared.
The Ministry of Works will assess whether renovation or complete reconstruction of the headquarters is the most viable solution.
The All Saints Clinic would be the third major project on the ministry’s agenda, with many residents having to use the Glanvilles Polyclinic for services since 2023.
In August, Minister of Health Sir Molwyn Joseph said that the plan was to transform the facility into a full polyclinic offering expanded medical services including ophthalmology, nephrology, gynaecology, and urology on a monthly basis, plus daily laboratory, radiology and EKG services.
Contractors were spotted mobilizing on site to remove debris and prepare the site for work following extensive lobbying by politicians and residents in the area.
Estimates for all three projects are currently being prepared, with implementation timelines expected to be announced once funding and planning details are finalized.
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