More than a year after the police barracks on Virgin Gorda were heavily damaged during Hurricane Irma, the Recovery and Development Agency has handed out a roughly $766,000 contract to Ridgeview Construction (BVI) Ltd. to refurbish the building.
Storm damage to the barracks, located next to the VG Police Station, was extensive: A majority of the roof blew off and windows were broken.
The repairs — which were scheduled to begin Monday — will include the demolition and reconstruction of a new roof, including a ring beam and an airtight roof decking; replacement of broken or missing gutters and downpipes; the repair of concrete spalling; and the installation of accordion-style shutters and awnings that meet building code standards, according to a government press release.
The refurbishing work will also include the replacement of the balcony and handrails and both interior and exterior doors, which will be in line with building codes and capable of sustaining hurricane-force winds, government stated.
Additionally, sliding doors at the rear of the building are to be reduced to a standard-sized exterior door.
Window spaces will also be reduced in size and new windows, also capable of sustaining hurricane-force winds, will be installed. Inside the building, the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathrooms will be repaired and repainted where needed with “material suitable for the weather and temperature conditions” in the territory, according to government.
“Where appropriate, anti-fungal paint will be applied both externally and internally to reduce fungal growth over time as well as complement what already exists,” the release states.
Tender process
The RDA also released information about the selection process for the project.
Ridgeview Construction originally submitted a bid at $732,165.94, while Rufred Forbes and Associates submitted at $756,154 according to the RDA.
Based on various criteria, the bid prices were “corrected” to $766,028.71 and $782,827.56, respectively. Ridgeview won out with a final score of 88 percent, with Rufred Forbes earning a score of 82.23 percent.
“Contracts were awarded based on the combined technical and price placings for each works package within the resource limitations of each contractor,” the RDA document stated, adding that any contractor can obtain a debriefing about why their bid was not selected by sending a formal request to procurement@bvirecovery.vg.