Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com

Local cricket icon Brian Charles Lara has formed an architectural firm that submitted a $44 million design for a signature pavilion for the recreational grounds in Cantaro, Santa Cruz, bearing his name.

’Lara is not being paid directly. Lara has a design firm which he put together, a design team called Brian Lara Designs and that team actually consists of architects, civil engineers, project engineers that are working as his team to put that particular facility in place,’ Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) executive chairman Kenneth Charles told a parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) yesterday.

But the design submitted by Lara’s firm has been identified as a major contributor to the two-year delay in completion of the entire facility by SPORTT director Daren Millien, even though revised plans costing $10 million less have been submitted.

’What we were anticipating was not just a $33 million price tag, but probably a substantial overrun by way of variations to complete the facility. So before we get to a situation where it is irreversible, we decided to sit with the stakeholders and the principals involved to understand what is being done and what is being conceptualised,’ Millien said.

Both Charles and Millien made their disclosures about Lara’s firm during a meeting of the JSC responsible for examining State-owned enterprises such as the Sports Company, chaired by Deputy Speaker Penelope Beckles.

When asked exactly how much Brian Lara Designs had been paid so far for its work, Charles said, ’I don’t have that information.’

Millien said when the Sport Company’s new board was installed in February 2008, the Brian Lara Recreational Grounds was already being executed.

’As it relates specifically to phase two, this sport board met the designs for a signature pavilion in circulation with a price tag of $44 million. Sportt then met with the principals of Brian Lara Designs, including Mr Brian Lara, to understand the intricacies of this signature pavilion, as there were concerns raised about the overall cost and the maintenance cost associated with this mega structure,’ Millien said.

He said once consultations on the revised design are completed, SPORTT intends to seek Cabinet approval to proceed with the signature pavilion.

Millien said the grassing of the grounds, part of phase one being carried out by a new contractor, will be completed in January and can then be used by residents while phase two is in progress. This, however, did not meet with the approval of JSC member and St Ann’s East MP, Anthony Roberts, in whose constituency the facility is being built.

’To hear that the community will not be affected, because they could use the grounds in the meantime, is certainly not good enough, Madam chairman, we want the grounds to be completed, the Sports Company to do what they are supposed to do and get out of there,’ Roberts said.

On February 23, 2007, Roberts, who was then the Social Development Minister, turned the sod with Lara for what was then announced to be a $15 million upgrade of the Brian Lara Recreational Grounds. Constituents protested the delay in the completion of the project earlier this year. (Trinidad Express)