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MSC rehabilitation project waning
–club expresses disappointment in LEAP
The dilapidated stands at the MSC basketball court and cracked surface shown here are areas of urgent concern for the management of the club.
By Edison Jefford
Apart from the inert process of its venue plan at the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) is also lamenting the lethargic manner in which corporate support for its rehabilitation project is forthcoming.
The management of the MSC especially expressed disappointment over the lack of support from the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) toward their venue modernisation venture at a press conference on Thursday.
“We approached LEAP and received a response that the fiscal year has finished and they cannot access money until the New Year. We find it strange that after that LEAP is still pledging monies to other ventures,” MSC President, Avery Trim said.
While he did not specifically single out those other areas to which LEAP committed finances, the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation was the most recent recipient of over $3M for the staging of its annual football tournament.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding between MSC and Kashif and Shanghai, the latter organisation was to work in tandem with the management of MSC to plan, manage and execute the rehabilitation and modernisation project.
“Basically, Kashif and Shanghai was the organisation that was given the assignment of soliciting sponsorship because, as we know it, those guys have a knock for sponsorship and we deal with winners,” MSC Secretary, Rawle Blair observed.
The grassless parts of the MSC ground and substandard stand on the western end of the facility bear testament to its deterioration.
At a press conference on November 22, it was disclosed that LEAP paid $1M for the architecture plan that is now stalled at Central Housing and would have committed a further $15M toward the $150M rehabilitation budget of the MSC.
Trim informed that the management of the venue took over in 2003 with zero dollars in its coffer and before then, it was heavily subsidised by the bauxite company but that did not change the level of deterioration it has undergone.
The budgeted sum of $150M is for the rehabilitation of a lounge, creation of a conference room, a games room, enlarging of the VIP area, refurbishing of the entire building, resurfacing of the field and erection of stands with changing rooms.
The management of the MSC, Kashif and Shanghai Organisation and an Oversight Committee had agreed to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to determine the details and cost (which amounted to $150M) of the various works.
But because of the many hurdles currently facing the project, MSC disclosed that it is prepared to work with a revised budget of $5–10M for repairs that it labelled “urgent” in light of the dissatisfactory rate of corporate responses.
Those urgent works was identified as an extension of the VIP area, resurfacing of the ground to the tune of $5M and a new seating arrangement at the MSC basketball court to accommodate approximately 250 more spectators.
“From the reports we got, some parties were approached and we had some commitment but were waiting on the approval of the proposed plan,” Blair told the media, adding that the MSC has exhausted its options of moving the plan forward.
According to Blair, observers make a mistake when they assess the treasury of the club relative to the Kashif and Shanghai tournament. While he did not reveal previous levy fees, he said that the amount alone was insufficient to offset expenses.
“Salaries alone amounted to $1.7M from January to November for staff this year and ground rental brought in $1,192,000; our bills adds up and at the end of the day, we are basically running the venue at a loss,” Blair informed.
The management of the facility pleaded with Government for financial assistance and help with the relevant processing of the plan. They asked for such partnership in returning the premier facility in Linden to its former glory.
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