NMHC eyes fire station, sports and park facility repairs

The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. aims to offer to repair or rehabilitate public facilities on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota using their federal program funding for fiscal year 2015.

Funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

According to their Program Year 2015 Annual Action Plan made public last month, the housing corporation scored five community projects in order of priority.

The projects, in order of priority, are: Kagman Community Park, renovation of fire stations on Saipan, purchase of a “wildland” truck for the Tinian fire station, rehabilitation of the Sinapalo baseball field, and resurfacing and upgrading of the oval track at the Susupe Sports Complex on Saipan.

NMHC said a seven-member committee made up of staff and board members scored the projects in April.

NMHC says the renovation of the fire station on Saipan and Rota will be addressed through Community Development Block program funds. These fire stations have been deteriorating due to environmental factors and aging. For this project, NMHC sets a target date of August 2016, with funding of $200,000.

NMHC says the purchase of a wildland fire truck for Tinian will benefit the entire island. The island’s fire station does not currently have a wildland truck to maximize their firefighting capabilities during the dry season, NMHC said. Funds for this project amount to $144,400 and a target date is set for September 2016.

On the Kagman Community Park, NMHC said recreational facilities will benefit most people, especially the youth and children of the community. The park, a proposal for which was submitted by the Rotary Club of Saipan, will provide residents of Kagman a safe facility where they can congregate and play sports. This will deter youth crimes, NMHC said.

Funding for the park project is listed at $150,000 and a target date is set for July 2016.

On the rehabilitation of the Sinapalo baseball field on Rota, NMHC said the project would benefit the entire population of Rota where 84.9 percent are in the low- to moderate-income range. Rota’s population is 2,444, according to NMHC.

The rehabilitation project will enhance the island’s current and only baseball field into a multi-façade baseball facility, NMHC says. The infrastructure will offer residents the ability to enjoy team-sporting events for day and night, regulation baseball, softball, and Little League games.

NMHC set a target date of July 2016 for this project, with $150,000 in funding. The Office of the Mayor of Rota submitted the project proposal.

On the resurfacing of the Susupe Sports Complex track facility, NMHC aims to complete a scope of work left short after funding limitations precluded project completion.

NMHC says funding for the project was approved in the 2014 Annual Action Plan.

Using the residual balance of $132,744, the NMHC evaluation committee has allocated the program year 2015’s balance to complete this project.

The Susupe Sports Complex is the only major sports complex with a baseball field, softball field, and track and field, soccer field, and gymnasium in the Commonwealth.