City Center Will Double as Emergency Management Shelter

The most expensive public building in the country is located on Central American Boulevard, across from Belize Water Services.� On a tour on Wednesday, the media was shown the impressive state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate as many as four thousand five hundred persons seated, but can hold up to five thousand. The Belize City Center may not be ready for use as a refuge before the end of the hurricane season in November, but once completed the structure will serve as a shelter for emergency management personnel.� The idea is that the building would be transformed into a nerve center for disaster relief operations.� With all the necessary features added into the design and construction of the edifice, the newly built complex should only be made available to a maximum of two thousand occupants during a major natural disaster.

Voice of: Daniel Arguelles, International Environments

"The building is designed to act as or double as a hurricane shelter, meaning that although we can fit up to five thousand people seated or standing in the building, we have created a manual to turn over to the potential owner of the building or management team of the building that no more than two thousand occupants should occupy the building during the event of a hurricane. �And that is simply for the fact that although we have ninety thousand gallons of water, twenty thousand gallons backup plan in the roof, the use of the building should be there to assist in the ultimate last resort in the event that say Belize City should be evacuated.� The people that would be holding down the fort in Belize City, it's reserved for them to man the fort, so to speak, while at the last minute they can still function and operate emergency services from this shelter.� It is large enough to sustain two thousand people for at least a week.� We have a backup generator system that can sustain that time, we have a potable water system that can sustain that time as well.� So, done right again, partnered with a private company, partnered with CEMO or NEMO or the relief systems it can serve a very, very good purpose."

The building, according to International Environments, will be completed and turned over to government by the end of September 2017.

Channel 5

The Civic Shelter is For Those Who "Man The Fort"

Last week, we took you inside the Civic Center - to see the very decked out interior of the most expensive public or private structure ever built in Belize. And while ti will serve as a sports facility and concert venue, it's also a hurricane shelter. But, as the designer explained off camera - its not necessarily meant to serve as a shelter for regular folks running from the storm. Here's how he put it:...

Voice of: Daniel Arguelles, ARCHITECT - I.E.
"No more than two thousand occupants should occupy the building during the event of a hurricane - and that is simple for the fact that although we have 90,000 gallons of water, 20,000 gallons back up plan water in the roof. The use of the building should be there to assist in the ultimate last resort in the event that they say Belize City should be evacuated. The people that will be holding down the fort in the city, it's reserved for them to man the fort, so to speak, while at the last minute they can still function and operate emergency services from this shelter. It is large enough to sustain two thousand people for at least a week, we have a backup generator system that can sustain that time, and we have potable water 47:30 system that can sustain that time as well."

Water levels would have to rise by 15 feet to compromise the 90 thousand gallon cistern.

Channel 7