Construction
Construction
F
ollowing the passage of Hurricane
Ivan, Which scored a direct hit on the
Island of Grenada in Sept. 2004 a number of construction weaknesses and shortcomings were revealed with reference to how
houses and other buildings are constructed.
This was further compounded by the passage
of hurricane Emily the following year which
clearly demonstrated that the cost of repairs
will always be higher than the cost of doing
it right in the first place. Houses that were
repaired or reconstructed post Ivan in adherence to the Building Code remained in tact,
while those that were quickly repaired using
pre-Ivan methods suffered more extensive
damages. Considering that following Ivan, it
was estimated that 90% of the housing stock
was damaged. The housing market had an
urgent need to rebuild itself. Since then the
Government of Grenada has made considerable efforts, in association with the Agency
for Reconstruction and Development and the
Housing Authority of Grenada, for all stakeholders to adhere to the regulations of The
Grenada Building Code.
There has also been a formation of the
Construction Association of Grenada
which serves to enhance awareness among
contrac tors and others in the private sector
about the importance of adhering to the
Building Code, and avoiding shortcuts that can
only result in more expenses for homeowners
in the future.
The formation of the Construction Association
of Grenada has also served to enhance
awareness among contractors and others in
the private sector about the importance of
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adhering to the Building Code, and avoiding
shortcuts that can only result in more expenses
for homeowners in the future. Government
has also launched the Construction Quality
Assurance Project, which will provide Training
for all stakeholders as well construction.
preparations, work on upgrading the road and
bridge network accelerated during the year.
Public investment also focused on upgrading
key infrastructure within the main urban
centre, St George’s, including a new cruiseship
pier and commercial centre.
• Improved procedures for construction
permit review and approval incorporated
into the Physical Planning Unit and
other agencies involved in the development
approval process.
• Improved policies and procedures for home
construction loans/disbursement
approvals and site inspective implemented
by mortgage financing institutions.
• Legislation for certification of building
professions, and regulations for the
implementation of building standards;
and lastly but very importantly. The
implementation of a public information
strategy to sensitize homeowners and all
concerned of the benefits of the
Construction Quality Assurance
mechanism.
PROCEDURES, TIME, AND COSTS TO BUILD A
WAREHOUSE IN GRENADA
1 Obtain location plan from Land & Survey
Office: According to the Grenada Building
Code, a location plan showing ‘the name
and position of the existing roads, fixed and
easily identifiable points such as streams,
road junctions, bridges and nearby houses’
must be obtained from the Lands and Survey
Office before submitting the application for a
development permit. The process takes 1 day
and there is no charge.
Construction activity remained strong
throughout 2006 and 2007 but does contrast
with the exceptional high growth of 91% in
2005, when the bulk of the country’s restorative
work was undertaken.The Government’s
housing recovery programme continued (with
funding from the Governments of Trinidad and
Tobago, and Venezuela, and from the domestic
National Reconstruction Levy), resulting in an
additional 500 homes built and 300 repaired.
In addition, the rebuilding of the sports stadium
progressed in preparation for the hosting of
the CWC 2007 cricket games. Related to these
www.businessgrenada.com
2 Obtain Development Permit from Land
Development Control Authority (LDCA).
The LDCA sends copies of the documents
to Ministry of Health, Ministry of Works,
a structural engineer, and an architect at
Physical Planning Unit (PPU). All these bodies
review the plans and send recommendations
to PPU, which then prepares a report to the
Development Control Authority (DCA).
The DCA (aka the Board) meets to decide
whether the plan passed or failed. If it
failed, comments are sent to the client for
resubmission. If it passed, the permit is
issued and construction can begin. If nothing
is built on the site for 1 year, the client needs
to resubmit the application. This process
usually takes 90 days and costs EC$3,000.
3 Request and receive final inspection from