THOUGH unable to estimate a figure for restoring the City Hall to its former glory, Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green has expressed optimism that the task will be completed sometime next year.City Hall is a building of unique architectural design and is often described as “the most picturesque structure”, “the most handsome building in Georgetown”, and “one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Caribbean”.

According to Mayor Green, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle on the sidelines of the fortnightly statutory meeting last Monday, the European Union and the Ministry of Finance have already signaled their readiness to assist with the restoration project.

By yearend, all the technical information on what needs to be done on the building would have already been gathered, the mayor informed.
“It is a very complex building. There is a lot of iron work to be done and the roof as well. It’s a lot of work and so it will cost a lot but I wouldn’t want to guess a figure,” he said.
He is also not sure if the skills to get the job done are available locally, but he said he envisions a completed project before the end of next year.
Meanwhile, in 1995 the Government of Guyana proposed Georgetown City Hall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scholes in 1887 and was completed in June 1889.
At 2.00pm on December 23, 1887, Governor Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for City Hall at the north-east corner of the main building, along with a glass jar containing original documents relating to the building.
City Hall was officially opened at 3.00pm July 1st, 1889 by Governor-Viscount Gormanston. The Archbishop of British Guiana, William Piercy Austin, then blessed the structure.
However, the building started to rapidly deteriorate in recent years and now requires urgent repair work.

By Telesha Ramnarine