MPLT Board Chairman Alvaro A. Santos said they have been “assigned a building in the south side of Capital Hill.”
He added, “We are presently clearing the area and renovation of the building will follow.”
Asked about the time frame for the relocation, Santos replied, “Hopefully, MPLT can move into its new office in the next few months.”
Earlier, MPLT was looking at leasing a portion of the second floor of the Retirement Fund building and was planning to move in on Dec. 1.
MPLT agreed to the $1 per square foot deal, but the Retirement Fund wanted more.
Santos said the Fund’s proposal was not “reasonable” and “cost prohibitive.”
MPLT currently occupies the former office of the Commonwealth Election Commission on Anatahan Drive on Capital Hill. However, it was informed recently that it would have to find a new place because the CNMI Homeland Security Office would be taking over the office as it planned to merge with the Emergency Management Office.
MPLT has been using the office rent-free.
Santos said they were not expecting to vacate the office so soon and they were hoping for a five-year tenancy.
Asked in a previous interview if the agency would rather use the property they acquired, a 4,000-square-meter Capital Hill property, Santos said the MPLT board decided to err on the side of caution and put on hold the development of the property.
When the MPLT bought the property in 2007, Santos said the agency was already anticipating a financial crisis and the board shelved the project.
MPLT estimated that it would spend about $700,000 to construct a new building.
Santos said the MPLT found it more cost effective to lease for about $15,000 a year for the meantime rather than spending about $700,000 on construction costs.
