Students of the Girls High School will experience an extended period of anticipation, as the construction of Grimble Hall is expected to span 12 months, with work slated to commence in June 2025 and conclude by May 2026.
Minister of Finance Camilo Gonsalves expressed that the initial agreement for the restoration of the girls’ high school encompassed the expansion of Grimble Hall and the renovation of the Norma Keizer building.
Gonsalves indicated that upon the initiation of construction, it became evident that the proposed extension of Grimble Hall was impractical, as the century-old structure’s masonry block lacked the structural integrity necessary to endure the renovation efforts, and a significant portion of the wooden components constituting the interior were extensively compromised or decaying.
“Consequently, a decision was taken to initiate the redesign of a more functional building to better serve the needs of students and teachers in the interim. The contractor completed the renovation of the Norma Keizer building as per the initial contractual agreement. Additional works were also executed on the COTTS building, which included the construction of a new roof, the installation of new windows, and other major renovations that were not included in the original scope of work but were necessary due to the extent of damage and decay on the school compound. particularly related to termites as well”.
Gonsalves said the decision was made with Grimble Hall, as it currently existed, could not be extended because the bricks were essentially powder and could not accommodate the expansion that was anticipated.
“We had to do consultations with stakeholders. And there were some stakeholders with an interest in historical buildings who were unwilling to concede that Grimble Hall needed to be demolished and rebuilt. And there was some back and forth with various stakeholders. The impasse was only broken when the teachers themselves wrote to the government and said that they were very keen to have Grimble Hall demolished, not only because they considered the current state of the building unsafe but also because the building was no longer functional in terms of the proper flow and the necessary requisites of a modern educational facility.”
“The designers, I must say, with no slight to any of the designers, got a little bit carried away and designed a building that was so elaborate.” Beautiful as it was, it was not something that the government could afford to build. And so then we had to remind them of their original brief because they had exceeded their original brief in their creative zeal. And so that took a little bit of time as well.”
The start of construction activities for the newly conceptualised Grimble Hall is set to begin in June. The architectural and engineering designs have reached their final form, and the tendering process for the selection of a contractor has been successfully concluded.
The project is presently pending approval from the Caribbean Development Bank to grant the works contract as a component of the procurement process. Upon acquisition, the endorsement of the Central Procurement Board will be pursued, and the activities are slated to initiate immediately following the execution of a contractual agreement.
