Sports Secretary Jomo Pitt says the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet will be completed and ready for use by the end of 2018.

Pitt, appearing at the issue, post Executive Council media briefing on Wednesday at the Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, said repairs on the stadium, as part of a first phase, was stopped, but were expected to resume next week with installation of electrical components.

“Hopefully by the end of the year if all goes well, fingers crossed, the Dwight Yorke Stadium should be available for use. It started, and it has stopped. The intent is to have it resumed next week from what I was told by UDECOTT (Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago), the project managers. “Electrical works will begin next week and should be completed in a duration of eight weeks.

“Included in that first phase would be the roofing. As many would have noticed, the sheets of the stadium roof have been removed. We now intend to have that replaced and that should start at the beginning of August, first week,” he said.

Asked why work on the repairs was stopped, Pitt said:

“From the information I got from UDECOTT, the tendering process delayed the work.”

He also said Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe has assured that funding has been sourced for second phase of the project.

“In conversation with Minister Cudjoe, she gave me the assurance that the second package which would take care of all the other works which would be the plumbing, the wastewater treatment, the lighting of the carparks and all extra electrical works which would include the field lights… that funding has been approved and work would begin immediately after the first phase. I daresay that would stage within the next fiscal year, just to be on the safe side,” Pitt said.

He also reiterated plans for the upgrade of lights at hard courts and community grounds as well as plans to provide access to the Shaw Park gym.

Criticising the practice of leaving lights on at nights at the island’s recreation facilities, and which he described as “very disheartening,” Pitt said that this would be addressed soon. He said current lighting systems would be changed to LED lighting, a cheaper format which also allows for a timing system.

“We have a challenge with a number of the courts and the community fields with the lights being left on. Once we change over to the LED lighting, it gives us the possibility of option to put timers on them so once the individual or the group is finished using the field, it cuts off after a particular time. That will also be a cost saving mechanism,” he said.

On the Shaw Park gym, he said refurbishment was expected to be completed at the end of September, and that a policy would be implemented to treat with access.

“ At no time is the gym expected to be a public gym or a free public gym, there has to be a criterion with regards to who has access to it and when they have access to it, so that would be worked out,” he said.

 

Source: newsday.co.tt

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