THE United States of America plans constructing a new N$200 million embassy in Windhoek next year.
Embassy spokesperson Walter Parrs told yesterday that the US will construct the new embassy in Klein Windhoek.
The new embassy will be built on plots erf 127 (756 square metres) and erf 353 (5 acres) situated at the corner of Metje Street and Nelson Mandela Drive.
Parrs said construction will commence mid next year and completion is scheduled for the end of 2023.
He said the new embassy will be designed to meet the highest standards of sustainability and energy consumption that fit American and Namibian elements, reflecting the environment in Windhoek.
“The building will create energy on site through solar photovoltaics and will reduce water consumption, returning as much water to the local system for re-use in Windhoek,” Parrs explained. He said the plan will be done by a US based architectural firm, but construction will mostly be done by local contractors.
“On 23 July 2019 almost 100 Namibian contractors attended a business session held by the embassy to brief them on opportunities to participate in construction,” he said.
Parrs said the construction will contribute millions of dollars to the local economy and will create employment for hundreds of Namibians.
The expanded consular office will be a hub for diplomatic, programmatic, and public engagement in Namibia, offering services to both Americans and Namibians.
This includes facilitating travel to the United States, and a new Information Resource Centre will welcome Namibians who want to learn about and engage with America.
For the first time all US agencies and departments in Namibia will be under one building, including the Department of State, the Centrebfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Parr said the new project demonstrates America’s commitment to forging strong bilateral relationships with Namibia and deepen ‘people-to-people’ connections.
US ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson was quoted saying the new embassy will serve as the US platform to partner, prosper and grow together with Namibia over the long run.
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