Earlier on, you heard the Prime Minister say that his government will build a new basketball facility - but before they even go there, they have to get something finished at Marion Jones. And, towards that, ground was broken and the contract was signed this afternoon at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex - but it wasn’t for an indoor sporting facility as was previously planned and promised. Government has scrapped that plan and will instead construct a $13 million football field and race track. This afternoon the first of four contracts was signed with L&V Construction Company Limited for the first phase of the project.
It is for one point four million dollars and the scope of work will be dismantling the bleachers and erecting a 8 foot high fence around the perimeter of the entire stadium. Minister of Works Anthony Boots Martinez is the project manager.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Project Manager
“This Marion Jones Stadium as it was called in the initial stages was only for a building. Now it is for an outdoor facility; a building that would have only host basketball and volleyball. Now it is an outdoor facility.
The first phase will be the perimeter fencing. Simultaneously running with that in the next week or two we will have the site filling and drainage for preparing for the other areas where the track and the football field will go and then we go on from there but I think it is very important that we make a start and we are starting rapid and I hope that at the end of the day, as opposed to the first initial concept, more Belizeans will be benefiting from this as opposed to what was proposed broke.
At each phase there will be a different contract tender going out. So you might have a separate person doing the football field and the race track. The Ministry of Works proper will be coordinating the land filling and drainage of the field. We will going out and dealing with that with the local folks. Like for example, hiring 50 or 60 truckers to do the loading under the Ministry’s supervision so we are catering for the economic benefit for the ordinary folks too.”
Phase one should be completed within seven and a half months. Tenders for phase three and four of the project will be awarded shortly. The entire project should be completed within a year and a half. The project is funded with money from Taiwan and Venezuela.
At this afternoon’s ceremony, Minister of Sports Elvin Penner also announced that government will be awarding sports scholarships to ten high school students annually. 2 students in the disciplines of volleyball, softball, basketball, football, and track and field will be chosen.
