Pile-driving commences on 1st of 4, 12-storey towers at $15.8B Govt Office Complex

– $2.6B paid in mobilisation advance to date, $1B allocated for project

Works are progressing on the $15.8 billion Government office complex near the new Eccles/Haags Bosch roundabout on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), with pile driving advancing on the first of four 12-storey towers to be built.
This was revealed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Friday as he was grilled by members of the Parliamentary Opposition during the consideration of the 2025 Budget Estimates for his Ministry.
The 12-storey complex is expected to accommodate 6,000 staff, and consolidate a house of Government services. It will also house a major parking facility, and is to be outfitted with its own utility complex.

It was reported earlier this month that the piles for the utility complex were being installed, and is scheduled to be completed by the following weekend.
On Friday, when he was quizzed by Opposition MP Annette Ferguson, Minister Edghill explained the importance of having the foundation works done to the required specifications.
“If you’re putting up four towers 12 storeys high, the foundation is very, very important, and you got to get it right… They did all the test of the various areas and got the readings to ensure we had the correct measurement of the piles and the quality of the piles needed to be done, and they were actively driving piles in the utility section to move to the actual Tower One… [and now] they are actively driving piles for Tower One,” he informed the Committee of Supply in the National Assembly.
The $15.8 billion complex is being built by Caribbean Green Building Inc. with Vicab Engineering as the project consultant.
Initially, the complex was located along the Heroes Highway but was subsequently relocated to a bigger space – 20 acres, of which 13 acres will house the four tower buildings.
The Ministry’s Special Projects Unit, along with all their machinery and equipment, will take up the remaining seven acres.
As a result of the location change, Government issued the commencement order for the contractor to start works in February 2024, taking the deadline for completion to August 2026.

According to the Public Works Minister, “From time of the commencement order, 10 per cent of project is physically completed, while 34 per cent of time for construction has elapsed… That’s where we are as the current status of the project.”
Meanwhile, some $1 billion has been allocated this year in Budget 2025 for the continuation of works on the office complex – both supervision and construction.
“This $1 billion that is being sought, is to facilitate payment for both the supervisory consultant and other cost that will come with the construction… And while I know you’re very impatient because you’d like to see the completed towers so you can admire the work of the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/Civic), you will get an opportunity to do that very shortly. The efforts that are being made to get this done is moving ahead and that is where we are,” Edghill told his Opposition colleague.
This $1 billion allocation this year will add to $7.6 billion that has already been injected into the project.
Ferguson, who had served as Junior Public Infrastructure (now Public Works) Minister under the APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change) administration, went on to quiz Edghill on the spending for this project.
During his response, the Public Works Minister disclosed that in addition to the $1.032 billion consultancy contract, another $2.654 billion in mobilisation advance has been paid to date to the contractor. Since the contract is a Design-Build, payments are made for works done.
Additionally, some $4.022 billion in payments have been made for the procurement of building materials.
These include generator sets from Panama; GTRI for supply of 198 piles 18×18 and 16×16 at 105 feet long; structural steel from Classic Heavy Industry Group Co. from China; prestressed hollow core slabs from Turkey; and rebars from Colombia.
The Cabinet has approved the travel of the Ministry’s engineer, Carissa Gooding, who is the Project Manager, to visit the facilities that will be manufacturing these materials for the project.
According to Edghill, the contractor provides for the Government engineer along with contractor and the consultant to visit these facilities to verify the quality of the components that will be used for the project.
He revealed that they will be visiting the manufacturing facilities in all four countries, commencing with Colombia, next week.
There are approximately 32 persons currently working at the project site but according to the Minister, more persons have been employed off-site.