The 200-year-old Victor Archer Building at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College is being rehabilitated to withstand long term climate impacts under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP).

The Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project aims to reduce disaster susceptibility and increase long-term climate resilience in Saint Lucia by addressing the multi-faceted risks associated with hydro-meteorological events. The DVRP also finances reconstruction activities to rectify damages caused by Hurricane Tomas and the 2013 Christmas Eve trough.

The Victor Archer Building, built in the 1800s and serving the Division of Arts, Science and General Studies, was structurally damaged following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on Nov. 29, 2007, and subsequently, Hurricane Tomas in Oct. 2010. In 2018 the building was decommissioned, thus displacing and inconveniencing hundreds of students and faculty.

The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College made an official request for funding in May 2013, supported by central government. Designs and estimates were invited by local independent contractors. By mid-2016 the bidding process commenced with the final design completed in March 2018.  On June 1, 2020 contracts were signed to rehabilitate the 200-year-old, two-storey structure at a cost of EC$2.9 million. Through a competitive bidding process, the contract was awarded to Mega Construction Inc.

When complete, the Victor Archer Building will consist of six large classrooms on the top floor inclusive of a language lab and an administrative office. The ground floor will comprise three spacious classrooms, a small kitchen and a departmental archive.

This project is expected to be complete by June 2021.