The new multimillion dollar Police and court building will not be completed until early 2011 a delay of several months on Government's original projection.

Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess said yesterday that the Hamilton complex would not open to the public until "the first quarter of 2011".

Three months ago, the Minister said it would be finished by late October 2010. The original completion date was August 2010.

Government consultant Eddie Henri said yesterday that some of the work would be completed by August 10 but the interior of the building would take up to another 18 months to complete.

Mr. Burgess gave an update on the project during a media site tour yesterday. He said: "If all the materials arrive on time, it should be the first quarter of 2011."

He admitted there had been some construction problems "in the initial stages". "It's just as you can get with any building. You get problems and problems get sorted out. Once we made some changes, staffing changes, we made some good progress.

"We had Eddie Henri on site and his experience and knowledge and manner has been unquestionable."

The project has reportedly already overrun its costs by $3 million, taking the tally beyond the $78 million budget.

Mr. Burgess said in a statement on June 5 that the project was costing "$70 plus million".

Asked yesterday whether the building was over-budget, the Minister replied: "It is as it was when we gave it out in 2007. It hasn't changed and it will be on time.

"We're not there yet but I've never seen a Government project come on budget. We are working to come in on budget as close as possible.

"But when you're doing something of this magnitude you have change and that has some financial ramifications."

Mr. Burgess attributed delays in construction to "unforeseen ground conditions" caused by hard rock.

Mr. Henri said there were currently 80 staff on site but that "it is growing every week" as building work progresses. He said recent heavy rainfall had delayed some steelwork.

"The rain has been a factor in the last two weeks, as you can't walk on wet steel or weld it, but everything else is fine," he said.

Planning permission for the new Magistrates' Court and Police facility was approved in principle in February 2001. Construction began in December 2007.

Located on the corners of Church, Court and Victoria Streets, it will feature four courtrooms on the second floor and a family court on the third.

Bermudian company Landmark Construction won the contract for the project after teaming with Lisgar, a Canadian firm, to become Landmark Lisgar Construction Bermuda Ltd. (LLC).

The Canadian partners left the project and a new company, LLC Bermuda Ltd., was set up.

Documents show a substantial proportion of the shares 3,900 out of the 10,000 total are held in a trust, meaning the public do not know who is behind the new venture.

Asked who the trustees were behind the project, Mr. Burgess said yesterday: "It's a Government building, there's no trustees, it's just a regular building."

The Minister said the current Hamilton Police Station and Magistrates' Court would probably become offices once the new complex was ready.

"Most likely we will renovate them and use them for other Government offices," he said.