NCB Portmore to continue out of temporary home for some time
IT WILL take at least a year before reconstruction work is completed on the building that houses a branch of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) at the Portmore Town Centre in St Catherine.
The branch was relocated late last year after it was revealed that the foundation of the building which housed it was sinking.
This pushed tiles out of place, caused extensive cracks on the building and forced the closure of its drive-through facility because of cracked pavements.
“The renovation exercise will be completed within approximately one year, and we are unable to disclose the (cost) of the renovation at this time,” said Belinda Williams, manager of corporate communications for the NCB Group, in response to questions from The Sunday Gleaner.
“The settlement of the floor resulted in the lifting of some tiles. This was being closely monitored and assessed by our civil engineering consultant.
“It was confirmed that the settlement has ceased and there are no future effects anticipated, and we are currently revitalising the current structure,” added Williams.
She said no one is being blamed for the structural problems with the building, which is owned by NCB.
FEARS OF A COLLAPSE
Last August, NCB customers brought the issue to the attention of our news team as they expressed fear that the building could collapse. They complained about the cracks on the floors, in the drive-through, and also about a door to the main entrance which was extensively cracked.
The Maxie Department Store on West Trade Way, opposite the bank, was also experiencing similar problems.
At that time, Maxie branch manager, Paulette Miller-Folkes, told The Sunday Gleaner that the cracks and the floor’s uneven surface made shopping dizzying in some sections.
Miller-Folkes was not in office when our news team checked recently but a staff member noted that the situation had still not been fixed.
“Nothing has been done to our situation as yet. It is just us doing what we can ... to fix the cracks. But right now, it is still the same thing as last year,” the female worker said.