(Trinidad Guardian) NH International (Caribbean) Ltd has signed a US$19.4 million contract with Rodney Bay City Centre Ltd (RBCC), to construct the first phase of the Rodney Bay City Centre in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.
Chief executive officer at NH, Ciaran Conlon, praised this partnership as, he says, NH has been entrusted to make yet another meaningful contribution to Saint Lucia which started 30 years ago.
The CEO was joined by a director of Rodney Bay City Centre Ltd, as well as the project manager for the development, Tarek Hosein of Engineering Analytica Ltd, to sign the contract on August 30, at NH’s head office in St James, Trinidad.
NH has already commenced mobilisation and is set to begin actual site construction from October 14, 2024 on the first phase of the project. It will include the head office and the Rodney Bay branch of Republic Bank (EC) Ltd, a 122-vehicle car park as well as multiple restaurants, shops and a boardwalk.
The RBCC project represents the second major project partnership between NH and this affiliate group of companies within the last three years; the other most notably being the Orange Grove Plaza, which has emerged to become a Saint Lucian landmark.
Executive chairman Emile Elias says “Our continued work as a trusted construction partner of Blue Investment and RBCC is adding to the development of St Lucia, of this, we can be proud.”
The project will create employment opportunities for many St Lucians, NH said in a news release.
The entire Rodney Bay City Centre will comprise five multi-story buildings and incorporates commercial, retail, residential and recreational spaces, designed by prominent Caribbean architect, Stephen Mendes.
The first phase is expected to be completed by NH in mid-November 2025 with further phases expected to commence in the near future.
In April, NH International signed a contract with the Government of St Lucia to construct a Halls of Justice complex, by way of a Build Own Lease Transfer (BOLT) arrangement.
The complex is located in Castries, the capital of St Lucia, and would comprise three judicial divisions: criminal, civil and family.
The facility will consist of 14 courtrooms, six magistrate’s chambers, nine judge’s chambers, 11 witness rooms, 10 administrative offices, a law library, one 26-seater conference room, one police post, holding cells and a high-security defendants dock in the criminal court. The total floor space of the court facilities is estimated to be 126,345 square feet.
The total investment cost is an estimated US$61 million (EC$164.7 million), includes full design services (at 10 per cent of construction cost), buildings that are fully outfitted as well as the construction of the buildings.
Elias provided a breakdown of the elements of design, construction and outfitting:
• Design—architectural; structural; interior design; mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) and civil
• Construction—two buildings and connector bridge totalling 126,345 sq ft
• Outfitting—All furniture-workstations/conference tables and chairs/desks/lounge furniture; access control systems; CCTV; fire protection systems; air conditioning systems; file storage systems; data/communication systems (phones/wifi etc); audio-visual systems for courts; judge podiums; court benches; kitchen appliances; holding cells; basement parking and a stand-by generator systems.
