THE JEAN PIERRE Complex remains closed to all sporting activity.
The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) is currently doing structural assessments at the multi-sport facility to determine the next course of action.
The complex has been closed since the pandemic struck in March 2020, and remained so even after domestic sport was allowed to resume in February. Sports such as netball, volleyball and basketball, among others, have been using other venues for training practice and competitive events.
SporTT CEO Jason Williams said the process of assessing the damage and calculating the cost of refurbishment has begun.
“The Jean Pierre has some work to be done. We have to get some detailed assessments in terms of the amount of work...and the type of work. This would involve different types of assessments, structural assessments and things like that.”
The popular sports venue, which also hosts some racquet events like badminton and table tennis, has an indoor court with spectator seating, two outdoor courts with extensive seating on both sides and a car park.
But the facility is in a visible state of all-round disrepair. A leaky roof, broken seats, windows and electrical outlets, rusty frames, two corroded outdoor courts, walls with flaking paint and mould and moss are among the internal and external structural issues. A decision on its future depends on the findings of the assessments.
Williams explained, “Until we have all of those different types of works and reports and assessments coming in, we really and truly cannot use the facility until we identify that it’s really sound and safe enough to either go through a significant upgrade or whatever the recommendations might be.”
[caption id="attachment_971342" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The derelict outdoor court at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo. [/caption]
Williams said the appraisals are at different stages and boiled down to "structural and civil type assessments to ensure the structure is good and safe.”
The cost of repairs in not yet known.
He said, “Only (when) those determinations are confirmed we will be able to decide on what is the level of upgrade, refurbishment or whatever it might be. You can’t really put a price on it yet until these assessments are done before.
“A time frame for a return to competition is tough right now because only when we get the assessments, we can make a decision to move forward.”
Netball homeless
The complex is the home of TT netball and was opened in 1979 to host the Netball World Championship.
Pierre was an outstanding member of the 1979 TT team that shared the World Championship with Australia and New Zealand.
She later became Minister of Sport from 1991-95. In recognition of her contribution to netball in TT, the complex was named after her.
But now netball is homeless. Unable to use the complex, teams have had to play and practise elsewhere. Finding an alternative venue is an arduous task, said TT Netball Association president Sherry Ann Blackburn.
She also said
