By The Star Staff
The municipality of Vieques received an advance through the Working Capital Advance (WCA) pilot program amounting to $10.8 million for the development of the Susana Centeno hospital, Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3) Executive Director Manuel A. Laboy Rivera announced Sunday.
“This project is a priority for the administration of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. Therefore, in the search to provide the necessary resources to continue expediting the construction of this health center, this initial advance of 25 percent was processed for the development of the design and construction,” Laboy Rivera said. “The municipality has 90 days to submit a progress report and/or refund request, to request the other half of the WCA and reach 50 percent of the advance.”
Since the WCA became available in mid-June, the municipality of Vieques has been one of the 44 municipalities that have requested advances to start their reconstruction projects. To date, the municipal council has processed 11 WCA applications amounting to $13.7 million, including the advance for the development of the medical institution.
“The municipality of Vieques appreciates the prompt action by COR3 and its executive director, Manuel Laboy, to manage the advance of 25% of the Working Capital Advance, for the construction of the long-awaited Health Center for our island, this being a priority project for the governor, necessary and expected for all the residents of the Isla Nena,” Vieques Mayor José “Junito” Corcino Acevedo said.
The project has an allocation approaching $43.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program, with the purpose of building a resilient and advanced infrastructure where medical services are provided that meet the needs of patients in Vieques and neighboring islands.
Infrastructure Finance Authority Executive Director Eduardo Rivera Cruz said meanwhile that “the mission is clear, we continue the development of this infrastructure and social justice work at a steady pace for the people of Vieques, with the same urgency that we have given it since the project was assigned to us by the municipality of Vieques, to provide first-rate medical facilities on Isla Nena.”