Local Contractorsteam up to build Phase II of Turtle Farm Redevelopment
Perusingplans of the construction, Left to right, Danny Cat, Site Supervisor,United Construction, Billy McLaren, United Construction, AnthonyEbanks, Dixon Electric, Kenric Webster, CITA Transportation Director,The Hon. McKeeva Bush, Leader of Government Business and Ministerof Tourism, Charles Clifford, Permanent Secretary, Ministry ofTourism, Jeffery Dixon, Dixon Electric, Joe Parsons, ResearchManager, Cayman Turtle Farm, MLA Cline Glidden, II, Ken Hydes,Manager, Cayman Turtle Farm, MLA Capt. Eugene Ebanks, Kerney Gomez,Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Communications, Worksand Information Technology and Garfield Ebanks, United Construction.
Cayman Turtle Farm, which is owned by theGovernment and a team of local contractors who have united underthe name, United Contractors Ltd., have signed a contract forPhase II of the farm's redevelopment plan as the result of irretrievabledamage caused by Hurricane Michelle in November 2001.
In order to restore the farm's completeprogram to that which it was prior to the Hurricane, it was decidedthat the breeding pond was first priority, as it was needed tohouse the remaining breeders in a sound environment.
Priced at CI$1,954,618.50, the second partof the project will include the construction of a new breedingpond; the civil works associated with the salt water supply anddischarge system to the new breeding pond and associated tanks;and, the construction of a new seawall on the southward portionof the farm's coastal property.
Phase I involved the excavation of the newbreeding pond under the supervision of the farm's OperationalDepartment and consultation of a local engineering consultantafter the Cayman Government and the farm's Board of Directorsagreed to relocate the farm's operations to the landside of thefarm's grounds.
Unlike Phase I, the Cayman Government openedthe bidding for Phase II to smaller local contractors by. As aresult, a number of established smaller contractors were identifiedas potential candidates for inclusion as with whom a negotiatedcontract could be established. Subsequently, a number of thesesmaller local construction companies combined their resourcesand formed the locally registered company, United ContractorsLtd.
Negotiations were carried out under strictguidelines set by the Cayman Turtle Farm's Board of Directorsto ensure bidding and pricing took place in as fair and competitivea manner as possible.
According to the guidelines set by the board,a contract price would be established after preferred contractor(s),chosen by the board, have priced the Bill of Quantities, whichwere to be compared to estimates of two independent cost consultantsusing the same Bill of Quantities. The board committed to awardingthe construction contract based on the utilization of this methodologyand the advice of private consultants and professionals.
Such advice was provided by BCQS Ltd., whowas retained by the Turtle Farm's Managing Director to preparea Bill of Quantities for Phase II. Said Bill of Quantities wouldbe the basis of the pricing exercise that would be undertakenby both the preferred contractor and the farm. Once BCQS Ltd.prepared the Bill of Quantities, contractors commissioned Deloitte& Touche Property Management to price the Bill of Quantities.
BCQS Ltd. and Trinjam Ltd. were also chosenby the Turtle Farm to price the Bill of Quantities on behalf ofthe farm to ensure that a competitive price was obtained fromthe contractors.
Once all three proposals were submittedto the farm's management team, the Board of Directors reviewedthe bids and unanimously agreed that United Contractors Ltd. wouldbe awarded the job.
Currently there are 29 workers on site withmore to be added as the project progresses.