Greenland's Largest School Construction Resumes After Delays
Construction resumes on Greenland's largest school after fire safety disputes halted work. The project in Nuuk will serve 1,200 students across seven connected buildings. Icelandic company Ístak is handling one of Iceland's biggest overseas construction contracts.
Construction company Ístak and Nuuk municipal authorities announced they resolved a dispute blocking Greenland's largest school. The project represents one of Iceland's biggest overseas construction contracts. Work stalled over fire safety disagreements.
The school sits in central Nuuk, Greenland's capital. It spans eighteen thousand square meters across seven connected buildings. Officials planned it as the crown jewel of Greenland's education system.
Karl Andreassen, Ístak's CEO, said watching the empty building stand unused hurt the community. He noted the school should serve twelve hundred children.
Ístak signed construction contracts in December 2019. The company won the public tender at 615 million Danish kroner, nearly twelve billion Icelandic kroner. The project was scheduled for completion in 2023.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This extended the timeline by one year. The fire safety dispute caused further delays.
Greenland faces infrastructure challenges as it develops self-governance. Major projects often require international expertise. This school represents a substantial investment in Greenland's future.
The prolonged delays show how complex international construction projects can become. Multiple stakeholders and regulations create potential bottlenecks. Now children in Nuuk may finally get their long-awaited school.