FOLLOWING its pursuit of the “Green City” initiative, the Mayor & City Council (M&CC) yesterday demolished a derelict building in Kingston, Georgetown. The building which had been abandoned for over seven years had become a haven for criminal elements and trespassers. City Hall Public Relations Officer (ag.) Debra Lewis explained that this

eyesore was recently identified following a continuous assessment of derelict buildings in Georgetown.
This assessment follows the launch of the “Green City” initiative, the M&CC’s move to remove derelict vehicles and equipment from parapets, and a number of other efforts that are intended to restore Georgetown to its former glory.
In the coming weeks, four other derelict structures situated in Albouystown, Cummingsburg and Kitty are to be demolished as the Council moves to restore Georgetown as the Garden City.
“The M&CC will have to take the necessary action to safeguard neighbours and other surrounding buildings and even passersby from the dangers of these eyesores resting in the city,” Lewis stated.
The demolished structure in Kingston had been on the verge of collapse over the past year and even forced neighbours to relocate elsewhere.
“It is dangerous for us, because it is falling and can harm my family. I am glad that the council has taken this step,” said one neighbour, Zondra Gomes who has been living alongside the ramshackle building for eight years.

Another neighbour, who identified himself as “Andy,” said the state of the building had forced him and his family to relocate elsewhere.
“We have been out of our home for two weeks now because the building has been collapsing for a while and now it’s worse,” pointed out Andy.
The demolition of derelict buildings forms part of the M&CC’s plans to transform the city to an eco-friendly one. The M&CC has already demolished the ramshackle Bedford school building once nestled in the heart of the Bourda Market area where it became a haven for criminal elements and a threat to the lives of vendors.