Civil Aviation Authority turns sod for $1.2B HQ in Providence

After spending millions of dollars to rent buildings around the city, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) is constructing a new headquarters at a cost of $1.2 billion.

The sod was turned Friday to complete the building at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The GCAA is currently renting two buildings at High Street, Georgetown for $42 million per year.

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson said it is time that the entity ends its renting culture.

“So out of desperation I went to Cabinet with the support of Minister Ferguson and I said we need to rent a building [but] we are violently opposed to renting buildings. It’s not a sustainable model for an institution such as GCAA or any Government institution, there is no permanency in it and you can’t plan and develop as you like,” Minister Patterson said.

The construction is set to begin before the end of 2019; the building is estimated to be completed within a year or eighteen months after construction begins.

Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry Jaipaul Sharma outlined the expenses incurred by the Civil Aviation Authority from renting.

“As they (GCAA) moved along the way they expended large sums of money, even when they were moved to Colgrain House they would have spent a large amount of money. I believe it was $25M to refurbish that building.

“Then they moved and went into the present location [High Street, Kingston] that they are in today at the cost of $42M per year but that came with a caveat and that was that they could only occupy that building for three years.”

Chairman of the Authority Lt. Col (ret’d) Lawrence London said the building will serve to end the challenges experienced by staff over the years.