By EDDIE OSIFELO
WORK on the Mamara City Development in North West Guadalcanal is progressing very slowly due to slow arrival of materials from overseas.
Metropolis Mamara Development Ltd Manager William Ling said the progress of the Mamara City Development is ongoing, just moving slowly because of the shortage of building materials.
He said the shortage of building materials was caused by the unprecedented factors which included the shortage of the shipping containers and space on cargo ships, unequal distribution of resources as well as other global constraints.
“However, we are still trying our very best to bring in the needed building materials,” he said.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare launched the Mamara New Capital City development on April 30, 2020.
The (MTMD) project is being managed by a Foreign Investor Metropolis Mamara Development Limited a subsidiary of Metropolis Pacific PTE Limited.
The City development project is crafted with mutual understanding framed under the ‘Mamara- Tasivarongo- Mavo Agreement Act’ that was passed in parliament in 1995 to govern and develop the Mamara- Tasivarongo- Mavo demarcated geographical site into a new capital city.
Pacific Tenders reported that since February 2020, the Company brought in the building materials and machineries with the total worth of USD11, 534,244 (SBD 92million) which consists of the following:
- Mamara New Capital City Site Office, Staffs Quarter, Warehouses.
- 3 units of sample houses (Type A, Type B, & Type C).
- First 50 units of Villas (Type A- 10 units, Type B- 15 units, Type C- 25 units).
- 1 unit of 2,400 sq. meter of factory building (Light Steel Structure Manufacturing).
- Partial material for 70 rooms hotel.
- Material for utilities facilities and infrastructure construction.
The City development is already making headway with the construction in progress for the Spring Villas project.
The Spring Vilas Project has the land coverage of approximately 100 hectares and comprise of 1184 units of residential houses, shop houses, 41 units of logistic warehouses, school, utilities facilities and tourism facilities.
The Residential houses are built of a light steel structure, recyclable, reduced waste of materials, quick to assemble & construct. Houses are designed to be soundproof and well-insulated to protect from severe heat too.
The residential units are prefabricated based on 3 different designs:
- 368 units of Type A, each unit covers an approximate land area of 255 square meter
- 310 units of Type B, each unit covers an approximate land area of 202.5 square meter
- 506 units of Type C, each unit covers an approximate land area of 150 square meter
The Residential houses are built of a light steel structure, recyclable, reduced waste of materials, quick to assemble & construct.
Houses are designed to be soundproof and well-insulated to protect from severe heat too.
The Second phase is the Steel Factory which ground work is already in place to commence building by June 2021.
This will be done by Metropolis Anmeijie Steel Structures.
The Environmental assessment for the Shopping Mall and Hotel is being prepared. Target construction time should be September 2021.
The Hotel is anticipated to be completed by September 2022.
This will be managed by Metropolis AnMeiJie Mamara Hotel Limited.
A town outside of Honiara will ease the social pressures associated with more population congregating in Honiara city.
The project is expected to provide around 500 more job opportunities for local Solomon Islanders.
