Udecott chairman: 3,000 people worked on Red House

UDECOTT chairman Noel Garcia said the Red House came in under budget and can stand alongside parliament buildings around the globe.

He was speaking with the media Friday after the re-opening of the Red House and the return of the Parliament to the Red House.

"I think it's money well spent. I feel a sense of pride. I feel a sense of awe. I travel throughout the world and when I look at this Parliament (building) it can compare to any of the parliaments in the world be it Scotland, be it in Ghana, be it in India. And to try and throw cold water and say this money could have been spent elsewhere my answer is anyone who walks through these halls and see what has been done would agree that it was money well spent."

He said it was one of the most complex projects he has worked on and he complimented the 3,000 workers, the 22 contractors, the local architects and the local artisans.

"This is an awesome project."

The restoration reportedly cost about $441 million. Garcia said that when he checked the cost it was "slightly below budget" but he believes the Prime Minister will address that issue in due course.

"We are below budget, we did it on time and 3,000 people were employed on this and we have restored one of our most iconic buildings in TT."

Asked if all the work was completed Garcia said it was 99 per cent.

"We still have some minor things to do that will be done over the next few weeks."

He reported the building is functional, all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing services were up and running, and 99 per cent of the masonry and tiling work has been done.

"So yes the project is complete."

Education Minister Anthony Garcia said the Red House combines both history and culture.

"It has a long history that is important and that is able to show to our young people what resilience means, what commitment means, what hard work means. And it terms of culture it tells us a lot about our people and how they have developed. This Red House today is an indication of the strength and the resilience of our people. It is an indication that whatever we aspire towards we can achieve."

He said the event will bring back memories of the past of all the things the society has been engaged in and augurs well for the future.

"Most importantly it stands as an example to our children. Because when you see what has been achieved, when they learn of the commitment that people have been able to endure, and the edifice of the building tells them that there is value in hard work. And I think that is one of the lessons that this can teach our children today in TT."