Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess has pledged the controversial Police/court building will be built by late October 2010 just two months beyond the original schedule of August 19.

However he gave no guarantee the building would not exceed the $78 million budget, nor would he address a list of allegations about mismanagement at the site throughout 2008.

Mr. Burgess again said delay had occurred because of unforeseen ground conditions caused by hard rock.

Asked how much lost time he attributed to alleged blunders including siting an elevator on sand and an old water tank rather than hard rock and siting the crane in the wrong place Mr. Burgess deferred answers to Government building consultant Eddy Henri, who did not directly address the question.

However Mr. Henri denied the elevator core was a storey high before it had to be ripped out and refounded a change which building insiders have claimed caused significant delay.

Mr. Burgess said Government was concentrating on getting it right going forward and was confident of hitting the new date.

Asked if it would stay within the $78 million budget he said: "When you contract to build a house you get a price, that can change, you won't know until you finish."

Harold Conyers, of Conyers and Associates, who took over as architects of the project, said: "There is absolutely no ability for the general contractor or any other entity that is a party to the contract to increase costs, decrease costs, [or] change time without the owner or the architect approving those items."

He said at the end of March, $21 million had been claimed by contractors.

Government chose contractors Landmark Lisgar against the advice of its technical officers for the project which began in late 2007. Lisgar, the Canadian half of the firm, left the project in late 2008, leaving Landmark in place.

Recently, Auditor General Larry Dennis revealed there had been concern that Lisgar had not built anything similar to the Police/court building before being hired.

Probed on what credentials Landmark Lisgar had for the job and whether Government was happy with its decision to overrule its technical officers, Mr. Burgess said: "A recommendation was made to Cabinet, the final decision rests with the Cabinet.

"I am happy, I was part of the Cabinet, I have no regrets on it. They have done a first class job. We thought they were the best one. The price was less than the other one."

Mr. Burgess again attacked The Royal Gazette for what he called a string of negative stories about the project including the March 27 edition which he said had 72 statements that warranted comment, explanation or rebuttal.

He said: "I am not prepared to spend valuable and increasingly limited time arranging and providing responses to every single nitpicking question coming from virtually any angle on the building project when we are simply trying to get on with the job."

Corrective measures have been taken and an excellent management team has been established to oversee the construction, said Mr. Burgess.

At the outset Government said the contract had been designed to let Landmark Lisgar oversee the project and then share out work to a number of smaller contractors.

However The Royal Gazette revealed recently that Bermuda Steel Company Ltd. was getting work. Yet its owners included Landmark owners Lee Matvey and Bryan MacLeod as well as Vincent Hollinsid, the Premier's half-brother and Winters Burgess who is now vice president of LLC Bermuda the reconfigured firm running the Police/Court job.

Bermuda Steel Company Ltd. are still doing the reinforcement rod and mesh. Mr. Burgess added: "There are many other contractors. There are over 20 different firms in this building. The work is being shared."

Government has promised to supply a complete list of contractors.

During a media tour of the site yesterday Mr. Henri said the roof on the Church Street side, which will have offices, should be up by the end of this month and he said builders were still sticking to the original specifications.

The higher northern section will have its roof put on by the end of October.

And Mr. Burgess said: "Expenditure is being managed prudently, responsibly and in accordance with Financial Instructions". He added that the project was making "pleasing progress".

The construction of the structural steel framing is well underway, said Mr. Burgess, with approximately 70,000 square feet or 55 per cent of the 125,000 square foot of floor and structure completed.

He added: "Late summer 2009 will be a significant milestone, for from that date forward finishing of the building interiors will really accelerate.

"The building's exterior enclosure is well underway in the area enclosed by the safety netting near Church Street and the concrete block proceeding from the south end of the building is designed to keep pace with the construction on the northern end towards Victoria Street.

"Roofing of the south block is expected to start within a few weeks as the building moves to being generally enclosed by the end of this year."