Torrington Park Housing Scheme gets upgrade

The living conditions of residents at the Torrington Park Housing Scheme in St Andrew Southern have been significantly enhanced, following the completion of rehabilitation works on two apartment buildings by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development at a cost of $58 million.

The works included: the reconstruction of a collapsed staircase; retrofitting of other staircases with new structural members; full rehabilitation of leaking and deteriorated roof sections; preparation and repainting of external walls, stairwells, and common areas; and the replacement of defective water closets along with corrective plumbing to eliminate leaks. The project, executed by Doks Well Construction, was completed over the past year, following extensive assessments conducted by engineers from the ministry.

Speaking during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Minister without Portfolio with Responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, Robert Montague, encouraged residents to play their part by ensuring the proper maintenance of the rehabilitated spaces.

"Cutting the ribbon is not the end of the process... [but] the beginning of a process. It is a process that is leading to dignity, to safety and to cooperation," Montague stated. He acknowledged residents' concerns regarding security of tenure and pledged that the matter will be addressed as part of the Government's ongoing efforts.

"I am determined to solve that problem. The social services unit in the ministry is going to come back to have a meeting with the residents to sort out some legal and occupancy matters. But not only for these buildings, but also for the units surrounding," Montague assured.

Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament for St Andrew Southern, Mark Golding, expressed gratitude to the ministry, technical staff, and construction workers for their role in completing the project.

"It is always a good day when a project is completed within budget. We heard the figure $58 million, and I think we got value for money."