– Minister Ali
THE developing of Parliament Square in Stabroek, which is costing some $37M, is just about 80 percent complete, Housing and Water Minister, Mr. Irfaan Ali reported recently. Speaking at a media briefing, in his ministry, Ali said the development forms part of the wider ‘Brickdam Streetscape Project’, which will see the revitalisation and modernisation of Brickdam.
At the onset of the plan in 2010, Minister Ali announced that Parliament Square, aimed at enhancing the surroundings of downtown Georgetown, would be completed by the middle of 2011 and, when finished, the city would reflect a “better image of urbanity.”
However, in late December last year, he explained that the completion would be pushed back, due to delays in the arrival of construction material but assured that works would resume.
Works at the site, which formerly housed the Bureau of Statistics has resumed and efforts are underway to finish the project.
The objective is towards the redevelopment of the location as an elevated mini urban park, consistent with planning and design principles defined by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Ali said.
This accomplishment will have a catalytic effect on the overall thrust to enhance valued urban spaces and restore Georgetown to the ‘Garden City’.
“This facility is unique and it is intended to rejuvenate and stimulate a change in the culture of the people and enhance the garden nature of our city, while preserving the historical traditions,” Ali explained.
Alluding to the details of the planned enhancement of the area, he said natural elements, such as building blocks, shrubbery and trees, will be used to create a greener, cleaner environment, factoring in sustainability considerations as well to create a highly accessible and centrally located public recreational facility.
Despite the redevelopment, the historic significance of the demolished structure would be preserved as a miniature model, along with meticulous landscaping to accentuate the site’s historical value and compensate for the loss of the previous edifice.
Other key features of the proposals include a model of a miniature Public Buildings, to be used for educational purposes by persons visiting, as well as a fountain centrally sited on a mound, surrounded by a circle of shrubs.
“This is to highlight our natural environment,” Ali said, adding: “The concept of the Low Carbon Development Strategy is important to us, even in the urban centres. So we need to push this.”
Management of the implementation will be guided by inter-agency collaboration among stakeholder agencies, as the CH&PA recognises that the nature of the project requires diligent collaborative supervision, if consistency, in terms of standards, is to be maintained throughout the design and implementing phases, he said.
In addition, the design prospective and guidelines for the Brickdam Streetscape Project were completed, as well as the development brief of the Stabroek Square, Ali announced.
He said the Brickdam aspect will see the revitalisation and modernisation of that street, which will become a modern state of the art street-way, matching any of its sister streets in other cities of the world.
To achieve this, Ai said the Ministry has continued to convene intensive community and stakeholder participation sessions to garner support for and input into this project and 2012 will see the implementation of the Brickdam Streetscape.