Demolition of St Rose’s timber building to begin July 9th

Dear Editor, The Board of Governors of St Rose’s High School wishes to advise that the demolition of the School’s timber building facing Church Street is slated to begin on the 9th July, 2018. This process is likely to be limited primarily to the aged wooden section and any other relevant adjoining areas that are connected to and are in a state of disrepair, which are also slated for reconstruction thereafter. After some delay we expect that the demolition process which is to be conducted by P D Contracting Inc. will last for approximately four weeks from the above date. A change in the work schedule was conducted to facilitate the completion of demolition works after the current school year ends, which in turn would further reduce the likelihood of there being any mishaps since the students will be on vacation.

The reconstruction project is expected to be executed by Courtney Benn Contracting Ltd, a locally based and renowned contracting company. It is intended to take place immediately following the demolition exercise and the reconstruction project is expected to last for approximately 24 months, with both demolition and reconstruction companies selected in accordance with the National Procurement guidelines and procedures. The intended new replacement structure will incorporate many aspects of the original school building design and will integrate in it the design of the Marian and other wings on the property including retention of the green space courtyard area, a unique feature of the school.

The new building was designed by a Trinidadian firm with strong Guyanese roots in architectural design and consulting services. Guyanese born Mr. Orin Hinds is a member of that Team representing Bynoe, Rowe & Wiltshire, the partnership entrusted with designing, providing the relevant documents, managing and overseeing the project’s demolition and reconstruction exercise and delivery of the final agreed replacement building. Further, the Board of Governors is also utilizing independent engineers to ensure the delivery of the agreed final design which would take into full account the aesthetics in keeping with the expectations of the stakeholders, the history of the existing structure and adherence to current local and international environmental and building codes and standards.

Further, the design process was conducted with the input of the Board of Governors, who consulted all relevant stakeholders, including the Nuns of the Convent who gave their no objections to the entire process along with contributing during the feedback phase of the design process. The P.T.A, Alumni Associations, Students, Teachers, Principal, Deputy Principal, the National Trust, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Cohesion, the Ministry of Finance and all others with direct or indirect impact on the design process also contributed immensely with their own separate stakeholder contributions during this process. Collectively it was agreed that we must look towards the future and incorporate the very best of modern design and “green” architectural approaches into our new school building that will stand as an example for future educational building designs here in Guyana.

The teaching staff and students will not be present on the School’s premises for any formal classes during the demolition exercise, as their safety and that of the Staff will be of paramount importance once the demolition exercise has commenced.

The Board of Governors wishes to thank all those who have contributed to this exercise and will continue to provide updates as they become available as we strive to ensure transparency throughout this process. Yours faithfully, Kenrick Thomas Chair Board of Governors St. Rose’s High School