Norita: Economic Resiliency Center once priced at $30M before redesign

Finance Secretary Tracy Norita said the Department of Finance’s Economic Resiliency Center was originally designed as a $30-million project before being scaled down, as officials broke ground Tuesday on the federally funded facility.

“A couple years ago, we were given our design for this building at 80% complete,” Norita said. “I had to break the bad news…even though how beautiful that design was, we couldn’t afford it. It was $30 million. We had to go back to the drawing board.”

The project, located beside the Capitol Hill baseball field, will bring together finance operations that have long been spread across multiple sites, a situation that has affected both employees and the public.

Norita pointed to long-standing working conditions faced by staff.

“…having an electrical fire or running two buildings down just to use the restroom,” she said, adding that employees have also had to deal with leaking roofs and outdated facilities.

She said consolidating services “under one roof” will allow the department “to provide better and faster services to our people.”

Gov. David M. Apatang, in remarks that mixed humor with urgency, emphasized that the project is funded entirely through federal grants, similar to other infrastructure such as the roundabout near American Memorial Park.

“I guess when it’s the Department of Finance, you’re bringing brand new trucks, brand new backhoe, brand new shovels,” Apatang said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Apatang stressed the importance of moving projects forward without further delay, invoking the legacy of the late governor Arnold I. Palacios.

“I don’t know…that is what late governor Palacios would want—for the digging and hammering to start without any more delays,” he said.

He added that the public should understand the source of funding.

“For those of you who were here this morning, please inform the general public that this is not general fund. This is federal funds,” Apatang said. “Everything that we are doing nowadays is federal fund money that we are trying to complete.”

The Economic Resiliency Center is funded through the U.S. Economic Development Administration and has been in development for more than four years, with delays tied to design, permitting, and funding adjustments.

“Finally, we are here today for the groundbreaking,” Norita said. “Today is more than just a ceremony. It is a declaration of where we are headed as a department and as a community.”