NH International (Caribbean) Ltd has obtained a $167 million contract to construct the main campus of the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts (Costatt), which will be moving from Melville Street, Port-of-Spain, to Pierre Road, Chaguanas. Science and Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim said yesterday Cabinet had confirmed the construction of Costatt’s main campus on 30 acres in Chaguanas. It will take 15 months to complete. He said tenders were invited in connection with a design-build package. Nine firms submitted tenders. He said NH International (Caribbean) Ltd was the preferred tenderer.
The first phase involves a three-storey building, fixtures and equipment and associated works over 65,000 square feet. He expected construction would start shortly. Costatt starts civil works next Wednesday. Karim said its main campus had been at Melville Street for ten years, using 65,815 square feet at a monthly rent of $986,241. It also leases 632 square feet at Bretton Hall, Port-of-Spain, at a lease cost of $70,518 monthly which is used for faculty offices. The campus also has 22 classrooms, at a cost of $66,000 monthly at Bishop Anstey High School, for evening classes.
Karim added: “In total, the college pays approximately $13.4 million annually for access to approximately 86,000 square feet of office and classroom spaces. “To date Costatt has paid over $144 million to lease this 86,000 square feet which caters for 4,816 students at the city campus.” With the current arrangement, he said, Costatt could not provide adequate space for additional and new courses or hire required staff due to lack of space. Karim noted the protective services, for instance, had asked Costatt to include more forensic sciences to aid the criminal justice system but all of that would be rectified in more expansive surroundings. He said while the Melville Street campus would be closed due to its financial implications, Costatt’s St Clair (journalism school) campus would be retained, as well as facilities at El Dorado, Trinity Bishop’s and Sangre Grande.