The Consell de Ibiza has said enough and, after accumulating almost a year and a half of delay, has decided to terminate the contract for the works of the provisional sa Joviera homeless center with the construction company, the UTE Washington Internacinal-Transmetal Transformados Metálicos. The president of the Consell, Vicent Marí, explains that the termination of the contract has been initiated because the awarded UTE “has not complied” with the deadlines.
Marí points out, in any case, that the building with capacity to house up to 56 homeless people is “done”. “There are only some details to be finished ,” he adds. When asked about, if the building is already practically finished, why doesn’t the contractor finish just finish the homeless center, the president answers that the contractor “has defaulted”. “We have followed all the administrative procedures and we have reached a point where we could not continue. We have acted. We have granted the extensions that corresponded because we knew of the difficulties that there have been in transportation and in obtaining materials. There has also been a pandemic. This has been a very complicated issue,” he says.
Thus, the president indicates that the institution “has helped” the construction company, but at the same time has been “extremely forceful”, in reference to the penalties it has imposed for the delay in the execution of the works. Specifically, 165,000 euros, with the possibility of not returning the deposit of 50,000 euros.
Work still pending on the homeless center
For the completion of the pending work it will not be necessary to convene a new public tender, according to the president, who also stresses that the processing of the termination of the contract will be done in “record time”. A few days ago, the insular councilor of Presidency, Vicent Roig, explained to this newspaper that it is pending the implementation of the machinery (air conditioning, alarm and emergency devices, among others) and various works on the exterior of the building, such as sidewalks, landscaping and pet holding area, where the storage space and the laundry room are pending.
The president also stresses that the furniture and the processing of the provision of services has already been organised, so that, once the contract with the UTE is resolved and the Consell regain possession of the building, “it can be opened in a short time”. “I hope that shortly we can announce it,” he says.
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