SOME 29 buildings in and around Georgetown have been earmarked by the City Council for demolition; and according to City Mayor Hamilton Green, the process is under way.
Green made this disclosure in a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, following the fire on Broad and Lombard Streets that left dozens homeless on Wednesday. “That was one of the buildings that we had targeted for destruction,” the Mayor explained.

This structure, on Norton Street, has been identified by City Hall for demolition	Another dilapidated building on the verge of collapse on Princes Street.
This building located on La Penitence Public Road is also on City Hall’s list of buildings to be torn down.	This building on Robb Street, which formerly housed the Bedford Methodist School, is also targeted for destruction. According to Mayor Green, vendors on the road outside the building have to be removed before the process can begin.

He pointed that the law requires the Council’s approval before these dangerous structures are torn down.
“There are a lot of buildings that have been identified for demolition and this should have started last weekend; everything is being done to expedite this process,” he said
There are 29 buildings that have been identified for demolition in Georgetown and its environs, and up to yesterday morning, City Engineer Lloyd Alleyne and a team from City Hall were in the process of assessing those cases, he added.
Mayor Green acknowledged that these structures pose a definite security risk as many harbour criminals and pose health risks as well.
Over the past couple of months, there have been several reported cases of derelict buildings going up in flames or collapsing.
In April, a huge blaze left several families homeless in Kingston; although the cause of the fire is unknown, the Fire Chief and those who lived in the building labelled it a fire hazard.
More than 90 people were left homeless because of this fire and many wept as everything they owned went up in flames.
Just last Wednesday, Otto Lewis, 27, of 6 Durban Street, Wortmanville, opposite First Assembly of God Church, died when the old house he was living in collapsed with him inside. The building had been leaning for some time.