Dear Editor,
WHEN works began by the contractor at the Merriman’s Mall, visitors were so happy that they joined in to help with this restoration initiative and the creation of a play park. However, like everything else the City Hall does, they dropped the ball; the opportunity was squandered, along with hundreds of millions of dollars the City now owes the contractor.
It is clear that City Hall does not have a viable, realistic and integrated plan for this area. Rather, this initiative is just a hodge-podge of uncoordinated activities, resulting in the area becoming a jumbled mess, or a heterogeneous mixture of activities and structures that now makes the area look like a squatter settlement of improvised structures and interests.

We start off with The Indian Immigration Monument bordered by Church & Alexander Streets, North Road & Camp Street. It is a remarkable reminder of our nation’s history, with a magnificent replica of the ‘SS Whitby’, the first ship which arrived on Guyana’s shores with the first batch of immigrants. It is sculpted of bronze, and is surrounded by low walls which are layered with calligraphic and other symbolic scenes. Its outer surface has murals and carvings which give insight into the lifestyle and culture of sugar cane labourers. Of course this was an initiative of the private sector.

However, moving a little east, we run into rows and rows of ugly, square little concrete buildings from which every conceivable item is sold from a most unattractive shopping area. But moving further east it gets even worse, as we encounter rows and rows of what appear to be dog kennels, probably initially designed for the proposed petting zoo, but now being rented to wholesale vendors at astronomical fees.

But if you think you had seen it all, moving along in the same direction, one encounters a most unhealthy situation, not to mention how dreadful a picture it presents of dozens of flimsy tents occupied by barbers, hairdressers, cosmetologists and tattooists. There could be no greater public health violation than this, with hair and nails flying all over the place whilst there is no running water or other hygienic resources. One wonders how these persons became licensed.

And finally, we run into the Presidential Park, a white elephant that seems to have been abandoned

Is this city planning?

DEODARIE PUTULALL