Deal on track resurfacing OK’d

Bubbles have formed all over the Oleai Sports Complex track oval, which has been waiting for renovation since 2014. (Jon Perez)

Northern Marianas Sports Association and Marianas Visitors Authority signed last week the grant agreement for the resurfacing project at the Oleai Sports Complex’s track and field facility.

Under the deal signed by NMSA president Mike White and MVA Board chair Marian Aldan-Pierce, MVA will make available $250,000 to NMSA for the renovation of facility, which has been waiting to be repaired for more than two years now as bubbles have already formed all over the eight-lane oval and other areas have also suffered major damage.

“These funds will become available upon NMSA’s certification that federal funding for the project has been approved. NMSA shall be responsible for certifying contractor’s progress. NMSA shall not make progress payments to the contractor without MVA’s approval,” stated in the grant agreement.

The funds that will come from MVA will supplement the more than $900,000 Northern Marianas Housing Corporation earlier made available for the renovation of the track and field facility.

NMHC corporate director Jesse Palacios, in a letter to White dated last Thursday, issued the certification of Community Development Block Grant Funds, paving the way for the MVA-NMSA deal.

“This letter will serve as our official certification of available funds for the Oleai track and field facility renovation. NMHC allocated NMSA Program Year 2014 CDBG Funds in the amount of $772, 368 and Program Year 2015 CDBG Funds in the amount of $132,744. We hope that this certification letter, as requested by MVA, is sufficient to move forward with the project,” Palacios said.

Meanwhile, NMSA executive director Tony Rogolifoi, who is tasked to coordinate with MVA and NMHC for the renovation work, said he will visit the two agencies today to determine the immediate steps they have to take since the grant deal validity is only until February 1, 2017.

“I have to check with MVA’s Tatiana Babauta to find out when the funds will be released. I will also go to NMHC today to ask for more information on how we can proceed with the renovation project now that the grant agreement has been signed,” Rogolifoi said.

The NMSA official added that if he is not mistaken, NMHC will be the one to put out a bid request for the project and the bidding process, including approval, will take months to complete.

Early this year, an Australian firm and nine local contractors showed interest in the project during the mandatory pre-bid conference at the NMHC office in Garapan. The renovation work must be done by an experienced company as the facility needs to regain its Level II certification from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The IAAF certification is required for the CNMI to hold regional and international tournaments, such as the Pacific Mini Games, which Saipan will be hosting in 2021.

White, during the NMSA meeting last week, said their priority projects include the completion of the resurfacing work at the track and the extension of the grandstand at the complex as the Pacific Games Council is expected to hold a series of site visits in the next few years. The rest rooms at the complex are also among NMSA’s concerns.