Westland Construction, the company that’s building the Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Ottoville, has been awarded the construction contract for the new Seaport Building that will house offices for the Department of Port Administration, a warehouse and offices for agencies that are involved in clearing vessels and cargo at the main dock.
A ground breaking ceremony for the new building was held last Friday.
Ten companies submitted bids and three made the shortlist: Westland, Paramount Construction, and MOS Construction. Director of Port Administration Barney Sene said the selection was based on bid price, design capabilities and experience, project team, history of project deliveries over the last two to three years, and the quality of previous work. Westlake’s winning bid was $28.57 million. The project is 100% funded by ARPA. The project design was by Pioa Consulting with James Cubitt Architects of Australia. Both firms will also serve as the construction management team.
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Sene said the port of Pago Pago moves roughly 11 containers an hour out of port, which he said is unacceptable in 2025. In comparison, the Port of Apia moves 25 containers an hour. Hoe noted that the new seaport facilities are a step towards making Pago Pago’s port more competitive and efficient.
The new facilities are scheduled to be completed within 18 months after the notice to proceed. Sene acknowledged his predecessor, former Port Director Falenaoti Loi-On Fruean, who was present for moving the project forward. In addition, he also credited the hard work of the Port Administration’s Engineering and Technology Team—Mike Aga, Natalia Palamo, and Sala McGuire. He also acknowledged Insurance Commissioner Peter Fuimaono and thanked the Office of Procurement, Public Works, ASPA, and all port users.
Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula thanked everyone involved in planning and bringing the project to fruition.
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Mr. Jeremy Kemp of Westland Construction, expressed his team’s commitment to quality, safety, and timely completion, saying, “We are honored to be part of a project that will leave a lasting impact on American Samoa.”
