Caribe Tecno CRL chosen to design, build new $80M hospital in Vieques
The Infrastructure Financing Authority (AFI, in Spanish) announced it has awarded the project to design and build new $80 million medical facilities in the island municipality of Vieques to firm Caribe Tecno CRL.
The company was chosen after a process in which 23 bidders participated, of which four submitted proposals and were evaluated by the AFI Bid Board, according to the criteria of the request for proposals published at the end of August 2022, said AFI Executive Director Eduardo Rivera-Cruz.
The proposed work, which will be carried out through an approximate investment of more than $80 million, follows current design and construction regulations, according to construction codes, and will have the “Green Building” classification, he said.
The process took into consideration costs, experience, financial capacity, personnel, and the inclusion of minorities in the firm, among other evaluative aspects.
AFI worked alongside the Vieques municipal government, the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We have a project that meets all the regulatory parameters for medical facilities, transparent public auction processes, and responds to the needs of residents and visitors to Isla Nena,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, referring to how the island municipality is known.
The new medical facilities on the island municipality of Vieques are located on the property where the structure of the former Diagnostic and Treatment Center (CDT, in Spanish) was demolished, which suffered substantial damage after the onslaught of hurricanes Irma and María.
The scope of the project includes a building for dialysis services, an emergency room for adults and a pediatric ward, a minor surgery room, an imaging center, areas for external clinics, a waiting room, and a heliport, among other services.
“This final stage of the construction of these medical facilities is the culmination of long hours of work and collaboration between federal and state entities, before which we presented the proposals and arguments to get the necessary resources,” said the AFI director.
“After notifying the proponents, we move on to process the contract that we hope to have signed before the end of 2022, so we will begin 2023 with the design work, getting permits and construction of this long-awaited medical facility,” said Rivera-Cruz.
“We continue to comply with the established calendar and the federal and state stipulations for this project of such magnitude,” he said.
