Apr 17 , 2020
By SEBLE WONDEMAGEGN ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )


The Oromia Police Commission has started constructing a new headquarters at its previous premises located on Sierra Leone Street for an estimated 700 million Br.

Planned to rest on a 3,900Sqm plot of land, the 13-storey building is expected to have a dormitory, temporary detention room, offices, toilets, a meeting hall and forensics laboratory among other facilities. The Oromia Construction Works Enterprise has been hired for the job after winning the bid for the project. The Enterprise, which operates with 400 employees, is expected to complete the project in the coming three years.

The new headquarters is necessary, because the old building could not accommodate the guests coming to the office, according to Belete Hundessa, a staff member of the Commission, which has 150 personnel. Until the building is completed, the Commission has moved to a rental office located in Lancha area.




"Since many people come from towns of the Regional State," he said, "the current facility could not accommodate guests."

The construction of the building was delayed by one year due to design revisions, according to Urgi Tsehay, project manager at the Oromia Construction Works Enterprise, which is currently working on excavating the basement. So far, 11pc of the construction has been completed, and the project is expected to provide jobs for about 200 people.




MH Engineering Plc, a local engineering firm founded in 1997, initially designed the building in 2018. However, ETG Design & Consultants S.C. revised it following a request from the Commission, which decided to increase the building area and change its location from its original position along the edge of the road.


Previously, the building was planned to rest on a 2,500Sqm plot of land and was estimated to cost 376 million Br. The revised design increased both the size of the area and the investment value, which will be fully covered by the Regional State. The new building is designed to accommodate a helicopter on its roof.

ETG Designers, a 23-year-old firm that has previously consulted on the construction of the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and Wegagen Bank, as well as buildings like St. Paul Medical College and the Ministry of Industry, was hired in October to supervise the construction of the project.

The building will fulfill the international police office building standards, according to Ermias Akalu, resident engineer of the project from ETG Designers.


Abebe Dinku, a civil engineer and a lecturer at Addis Abeba University, says that if the building meets the international standards, including safety standards, it is encouraging.

“However, when considering landing a helicopter, the location of the area and the city must be taken into account,” said Abebe.



PUBLISHED ON Apr 17,2020 [ VOL 21 , NO 1042]


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