Inside the $5.8M Makeover of Belize’s National Assembly

Tonight, we’re taking you inside the halls of power and into a building that’s just undergone its biggest transformation in five decades. The National Assembly Building in Belmopan has received its most extensive renovation since it was first opened, blending modern upgrades with the distinctive architecture Belizeans recognize. Backed by funding from Taiwan and additional government investment, the project was designed to improve comfort, accessibility, and efficiency, not just for lawmakers, but for staff and the public as well. We look at what was changed, what it cost, and how the facelift is expected to improve the day‑to‑day workings of Parliament. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The National Assembly Building has been standing at the heart of Belmopan for fifty years, built when the capital itself rose from the aftermath of Hurricane Hattie. And now, half a century later, it’s getting a long‑overdue facelift. One of the biggest changes is on the first floor, where a new elevator has been installed to make the building more accessible to everyone. That same level now brings key operations together, from the offices of the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate to upgraded filing rooms and a more modern, functional workspace for staff. It’s a blend of history and practicality, designed to make parliament more inclusive and more efficient for the people who work there every day.

 

Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House

“We are in 2026 and what we were working with, and Madam President can concur the same for her experience in her chamber was a lot of archaic equipment. The workflow was not optimal. The space was not optimal. I use the restroom facilities as an example, not because I am a woman, but just as an example. As a human being, it simply was not optimal. So modernization, accessibility, inclusivity, preservation of the heritage of the building.”

 

And this upgrade didn’t come cheap. The total bill to renovate the National Assembly Building came in at five‑point‑eight million dollars. A major boost came from Taiwan, which contributed one‑and‑a‑half million dollars through a grant. The remaining four‑point‑two million dollars was covered by the Government of Belize, an investment aimed at bringing Parliament into the modern era while preserving its historic character.

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Infrastructure Dev. & Housing

“With respect to the cost of the project we must bear in mind that from the onset we knew the project would not have cost one point five million dollars. That was just a grant from Taiwan, an initial grant that was presented to the Government of Belize from Taiwan. The original estimates were already higher than that. And so based on the works we were able to undertake, in the end that figure came out to five point eight million.”

 

Upstairs, the National Assembly’s main chamber has been completely transformed. The space where the House and Senate meet now features a refreshed layout, better lighting, and a cleaner, more modern look. The old wooden chairs are gone, replaced with comfortable new seating designed for long sessions. Just behind the chamber, members’ rooms have also been fully upgraded. Separate spaces for the Government, Opposition, and Independent Senators now include new furniture, couches, tables, and chairs, accented by artwork drawn from Belize’s national art collection.

 

Carolyn Trench Sandiford, President of Senate

“In terms of the seating arrangement and the shift from the older, the first iteration of the chairs to what we have now, as the speaker mentioned, the Senate from our perspective do sit very long hours. I can cite as was mentioned earlier, one particular bill that took five hours, forty minutes. So, you cannot expect a member of parliament to sit in a building, a chair, sometimes for eight, nine, ten hours. The Senate starts at nine in the morning. One of our recent meetings went as far as nine-thirty in the evening. So, you cannot expect parliamentarians to robustly debate a bill in an uncomfortable space.”

 

On the third and final floor, the focus is on the public and the press. The gallery now features improved seating and layouts, with better access for people using wheelchairs. For the media, it’s a welcome change, no more cramped corners or hours spent sitting on cold tiled floors. The upgraded media section offers a more functional and comfortable workspace. The renovations were put to the test for the first time during Monday’s joint sitting. While many praise the improvements, critics continue to question whether the $5.8 million price tag was money well spent.

 

Evondale Moody

“With respect to those critics, I would like to invite them personally for a visit to the National Assembly to explain to them the scope of works that were undertaken. Anyone that has that opinion, definitely I see the need that they could contact myself as chief engineer at MIDH and I can give them a thorough explanation of exactly what was done. Based on the structure of the building, yes the structure remain the same, the foundation remains the same, but the idea was to see how best we could preserve the identity of the structure but make it more modern.”

 

As the restored National Assembly Building begins its new chapter, officials say the upgrades reflect commitment to accessibility, efficiency, and the preservation of a national landmark. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.