By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
TWO of the nine capital improvement projects funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and supported by a $15 million loan from the Marianas Public Land Trust have been completed so far, according to a quarterly status report submitted by Finance Secretary Tracy B. Norita to the Legislature.
The Garapan Revitalization Project, for which the CNMI received an $11.1 million grant award from EDA, and the CNMI Recovery and Feasibility Capacity Study, which was awarded $999,755, have been completed, according to the MPLT line-of-credit status report covering the period from Oct. 16, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026.
Under the line-of-credit agreement between MPLT and the CNMI government, the Finance secretary is required to submit a quarterly report to the Legislature detailing advances made on EDA-funded capital improvement projects and their status. The $15 million MPLT line of credit was authorized by Public Law 23-12 to help expedite nearly $100 million worth of capital improvement projects.
The EDA grants were awarded to the CNMI on a reimbursement basis, while the MPLT funding allowed the government to advance the projects. These include the construction of the Oleai Sports Complex and Oleai Cultural Events Center, the Department of Finance Economic Resilience Center, the 500 Sails–NMI Maritime Training Center, the Northern Marianas Technical Institute Workforce Career Training Facility, Northern Marianas College’s Center for Research, Extension and Development Project, the NMC Workforce Development and Training Center, and the Marianas Visitors Authority State Tourism Grant project.
According to Norita’s report, construction contract awards are still pending for the Finance Economic Resilience Center, which was awarded $19.6 million; the Maritime Training Center, funded at $1.6 million; the NMC Center for Research, Extension and Development, funded at $13.1 million; and the NMC Workforce Development and Training Center, funded at $10.6 million. Construction of the NMTech Workforce Career Training Facility, funded at $10.3 million, is ongoing, with 40% of the work completed.
The invitation to bid for the construction of the Oleai Sports Complex and Cultural Events Center, which was funded at $21.1 million, has been advertised, while a request for proposals for the Marianas Visitors Authority project, funded at $1.4 million, is set to be advertised.
The Finance secretary’s report also indicates that the CNMI government has drawn down a total of $7.7 million from the MPLT line of credit, accruing $21,327 in interest.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
