And if you were missed the winning story, or wanted to see why it had the right stuff, we've got you covered.
Here now, is a re-watch of Jules Vasquez's Disaster At David L. Mckoy a look at a Social Security investment gone very wrong, one that cost millions of dollars of contributions to bolster a very deficient structure. This is part 4:
After a month spent talking to more than a dozen persons involved with the project, I'm no expert, but based on those many conversations, I concluded that a number of factors influenced a very flawed project with huge cost overruns:
First off, the East west orientation and the concept for - what is basically a glass building. Social Security owns 12 acres of land on this green - but instead of positioning it north south - they positioned it east west. The contractor said that's the design he got, the architect said they gave him the concept.
And they did that by installing glass panels that could not keep out the heat. That's the fundamental failure, the building is too hot to be used as an office. And it is left to be seen whether these drywall curtains - overlaid on the windows to keep out the heat - will make a difference.
Former chairman and the driving force behind the project, Doug Singh says "The people who made the decision to spend the extra money - that's not the decision I would have made - the glass would have gotten changed." The new engineers say that would have cost well over a million dollars.
They also didn't consider changing the air conditioning units. It's a different kind of system - what's called cartridges are on every floor - and they are individually controlled - it's not central air.
So that they didn't change, but perhaps the biggest change was the structural issues to make the building category 3 hurricane and earthquake resistant. Is it justified?
The contractor Daniel Fabro said, "I think it's structurally sound at 4 floors."
The architect, Luis Ruiz, said "They don't need to do anything to the structure."
But, when the building was contracted - Social Security never asked for those features. The fact is - the old Social Security Board of Directors wanted a building on the cheap, in the words of Chair Doug Singh, "the investment had to make sense."
The CEO says even with the significant overruns it still does:
Deborah Ruiz, CEO - Social Security Board
"Even though we have invested so much money, If we had the money at the bank or if we had it in treasury notes or whatever those percentages are still low, marginal 2.75, 3%, 4%, so you're looking at the end of the day, based on the numbers we are getting a return of 5.6% return on our investment in this building, so that is higher than if we had the money sitting in a cd at the bank or whatever."
One of the significant issues was the constant bickering between the contractor, the project supervisor and the Building Committee.
Many we spoke to feel that the designers Luis Ruiz and his engineer should have been advising on the construction - and that would have cleared up many uncertainties about the structure and other specifications:
Jules Vasquez
"Did the board, or whoever was overseeing, make a fatal error when they did not make sure that the designer was intimately involved with the buildout of the project?"
Deborah Ruiz, CEO - Social Security Board
"I think that is one consideration in terms of continuity but as I said we have to look at all the different missteps along the way."
Ruiz is in a delicate position here because her husband Luis Ruiz was the architect. Doug Singh's board awarded him the contract to design the building - at a time when Colin Young was the CEO.
Still, the name association persists:
Jules Vasquez
"CEO, inevitably you will come under scrutiny because your husband is the architect, he has been the architect for a number of Social Security buildings, I know this as well. But I can say off the cuff wrongly aspersions will be cast, well, ofcourse da her husband da di architect. So I am dutybound to ask you how do you negotiate that situation that a structure that is a problem both at the design and build level your husband was an instrumental part of it as the architect? What's your response?"
Deborah Ruiz, CEO - Social Security Board
"My husband is the architect on record, he was not involved in the construction of the project and yes he was involved there and whatever decision the board makes, that is acceptable. I had no stay on the onset pf the project as you know I was only recently appointed as the CEO. This building was designed over 8 years ago. So those factors, Jules, they are what they are."
And as they are the bottom line is - the old board paid the price for a cheap building - and the new board wanted one that met all the highest safety standards - two conflicting visions, one Frankenstein structure:
Jules Vasquez
"Would something like ever happen in any private sector enterprise you were involved in?"
Lawrence Ellis, Director - SSB Board
"No it wouldn't. No, it wouldn't."
Jules Vasquez
"Reason being?"
Lawrence Ellis, Director - SSB Board
"Reason being that I am aware of what should be and what shouldn't be and we use profession; people form the beginning to get things done the right way."
Jules Vasquez
"If it were their money, they would have been there every waking day to make sure they got value for money and a functional structure."
Deborah Ruiz, CEO - Social Security Board
"Jules, I think we have a functional structure in play. In terms of the oversight that was done, we have in place a building committee, we have in place our project supervisor, whatever flaws that is found, we will make a determination at the end of the day."
Jules Vasquez
"We are spending 3 million dollars more of people's money to do a retrofitting which is almost unprecedented in Belize. The scale of the structural retrofitting that has to be done. Is the Social Security Board seized of the seriousness of that?"
Deborah Ruiz, CEO - Social Security Board
"The Board is aware of the seriousness of it. as i said that is the reason why as soon as the project is complete, the board will be undertaking a full review and audit of the process."
And while we've shown you all the changes - the real bottom line is: no one knows if it will work - that means, will the drywall curtain inside the windows actually keep the heat out of the offices? No one really knows. But what we do know is that because of the heat radiating in, electricity bills in the building have been excessively high since the compressors are working all day to cool it. Again, hopefully that changes with the drywall curtains, but, again, no one knows for sure since the building is currently under construction, or, as the case may be, re-construction.
And, a small correction. Colin Young was not the CEO of the SSB when the contract was awarded to architect Luis Ruiz to design it 8 years ago. He was the CEO when the contract went out to bids and was approved by the SSB board of directors.
That was a 4 part series.
