Close to $6m facelift for old St Michael’s School

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The former St Michael’s School for Boys, which is now under the purview of the Ministry of Youth Development and National Services is expected to be refurbished at a cost of approximately $5.9 million.

Three million will be contributed by Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU).

A press release by the ministry said Minister of Youth Development and National Service, Fitzgerald Hinds, accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Farook Hosein and Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Marcia London-McKellar and Claire Davidson-Williams, recently toured the facility.

The ministry said representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Works and Transport, the Defence Force (TTDF), Diego Martin Regional Corporation, T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC), the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the Anglican Board, were also present as Hinds inspected the trade instruction block, administrative buildings, classrooms, kitchen and dining facilities, dormitories and laundry facilities.

“The collaborative efforts of all stakeholders identified, for the success of this project are critical and urgent. We have a serious work programme ahead of us at the ministry, whose ethos is not to see the youth as a hindrance, but to realise their true potential as co-contributors of sustainable national development,” Hinds said.

The ministry added that rehabilitative works are anticipated to begin shortly, and will include electrical, plumbing, painting, roof works, landscaping, power washing and other miscellaneous works necessary to enable the ministry to deliver a residential restorative development programme for boys between 12 to 18 years in need of care and supervision.

The ministry said it intends to work with all stakeholders to restore the structural integrity and modernise the facility to “positively influence this unique subset of the youth population that are awaiting the completion of this project.”

The rehabilitation of the facility will be overseen by the Defence Force.

The former St Michael’s School for Boys in Diego Martin was closed in 2018 after 129 years in existence.

Back in 2019 Minister Ayanna Webster-Roya said St Michael’s is being “re-branded and re-purposed into a model home for boys” and the new facility will have a different name and house at least 70 boys.

The property is still owned by the Anglican Church.