The Tribune

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government will invest $1.2m in installing infrastructure to the homes of ten Bahamian Olympic gold medallists.

Alfred Sears, minister of works and utilities, explained that the Golden Athletes subdivision will be focused on a select group of Olympic medalists that includes Debbie Ferguson, Tonique Williams, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Chandra Sturrup, Eldeece Clarke-Lewis, Savatheda Fynes, Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Ramon Miller and Michael Matthieu.

The infrastructure works come almost 22 years after the women’s 4x 100 metre Olympic relay won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The five members, Debbie Ferguson, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Chandra Sturrup, Eldeece Clarke-Lewis and Savatheda Fynes, were rewarded with plots of land in the Tropical Gardens subdivision that was developed by the Government.

However, the Government never put in place any roads or utilities, such as electricity and water, to enable the athletes to develop their own homes. This was the dilemma confronted by Ramon Miller who, after building his home, had to dig a well for water and provide his own generator for power.

Mr Sears, moving to correct the situation, thanked the athletes for drawing attention to their plight. “I think it’s only appropriate that, on behalf of the Government, we extend an apology for conveying the land and failing - for up to now 20 years - to install the infrastructure,” he added.

The selected contractor began work at the 5.23 acre site in Tropical Gardens last week, and is scheduled to be completed by November this year.

Mr Sears said: “The scope of works will include site investigation and surveying, design of utility infrastructure and civil works. Setting out the works site clearance, earthworks and installation of utilities. That is Water and Sewerage, electricity and also telecommunications, asphalt paving and striping, proper drainage, sidewalk and landscaping.

“The price of the contract is $1.228m and there is a completion date of 270 days. We will also liaise very closely with the utility companies, that is BPL (Bahamas Power and Light) and the Water & Sewerage Corporation, as well as the telecommunications company, to ensure there is no further slip between the cup and the lip.”

Charles Stubbs, owner/operator of Stubbs Heavy Equipment, and lead contractor for the works, said his company began last week. “We started the base work for this subdivision, and we are in contact with Bahamas Power & Light and the Water and Sewerage Corporation on the timeframe of when we could put in the necessary infrastructure,” he said.

The project is a “design build” contract, and the responsibility will be with the contractor to design the project as he goes along, said Francis Clarke, senior engineer at the Ministry of Works.