Moving downtown
Published:Tuesday | May 10, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Foreign Affairs Ministry poised to begin construction next door the new Digicel headquarters
CONSTRUCTION WORK should start before year end on the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade building in downtown Kingston.
The Government has allocated $34.7 million in this year's budget to complete the preparatory work and to start construction of the building, which will allow the Dr Ken Baugh led ministry to relocate from expensive rented premises in New Kingston.
Work was scheduled to begin on the new building last year but was delayed as the ministry was forced to shift from the initial site which had been identified.
"It was put to us that it would be an ideal thing to have an hotel there (at the initial site)," Baugh told Parliament recently.
"As you know, the area initially identified was the old site of the Myrtle Bank hotel and, because of that history and tradition, it was felt that it would be a good idea to put a hotel at that location and, naturally, it is going to add further to the development of downtown," Baugh said.
He told Parliamentarians that while his ministry was reluctant to give up on the spot it first identified, it is satisfied that the new proposed location would be adequate.
According to Baugh: "The new site is right beside where the new Digicel building is being constructed ... near Victoria Pier and the craft market where the police station (Area Four Headquarters) is."
"The police station will have to be moved," added Baugh
The multi-storey building is to be constructed with help from the Government of China, and Baugh said the latest developments have paved the way for the Chinese to get seriously involved.
Chinese delegation
"We have met with the Chinese and we have invited them to send their delegation because they must now come to enter into arrangements with us about the design and other arrangements."
It is estimated that the construction of the new building will cost some $447 million with the Government of China footing almost $300 million of the bill.
The relocation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is part of plans announced more than two years ago, by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to reduce the almost $1 billion which the Government now pays for rent annually.
According to Golding, other ministries and Government departments will be following the Foreign Affairs ministry, while diplomatic missions will be encouraged to set up offices in the area as part of the rebirth of downtown Kingston.