Oleai complex rehab documents in the works

Water enters the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium due to its leaking roof. The facility will undergo repair this year once a grant from FEMA is released. (Jon Perez)

The paperwork needed to start the rehabilitation and other improvement projects at the Oleai Sports Complex is now being processed, according press secretary Ivan Blanco.

Blanco said the Governor’s Office had already received the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is now awaiting release to begin the renovation project.

“The scopes of work were written by a FEMA project specialist, however, the government needs to compile the necessary documentation to begin an invitation to bid or request for proposal,” Blanco told Saipan Tribune.

FEMA has approved a grant amount of $488,556 for the Oleai Sports Complex project and this was obligated on Dec. 10 last year. “The funds have been allotted and ready for obligations,” added Blanco.

FEMA helped prepare the documents and one of their inspectors checked the extent of the damages brought by Typhoon Soudelor to the facilities—Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, Miguel “Tan Ge” Pangelinan softball field, Francisco M. “Tan Ko” Palacios baseball field and the Oleai track and field— inside the Oleai Sports Complex.

Blanco said a project worksheet was written to address the damages sustained by the following facilities. Soudelor battered Saipan with tornado-like winds and heavy rains on Aug. 2 last year.

Meanwhile, Northern Marianas Sports Association executive director Tony Rogolifoi said I that updates on the rehabilitation is welcome news to the sports community, especially to the Saipan Little League and Saipan Baseball, which are already behind in the opening of their respective seasons.

“I also talked to [Capital Improvement Projects program coordinator] Vicky Villagomez and discussed about the money. She told me that the money is already there and the documents are in the works,” said Rogolifoi.

He added he also asked Villagomez if it is possible for NMSA to first finance the renovations just to get things going.

“We are just hoping to expedite the process since some baseball leagues are hoping to kick off in February. I asked Vicky if NMSA could begin funding the project then get reimbursed for the money used. She said no, since there’s money allocated for it.”

Villagomez assured Rogolifoi that the project would start soon once the RFP gets published in the newspapers and contractors submit their bids.