THE construction of a modern edifice at Speightland, Mackenzie, Linden that will house the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) offices, has commenced. Work is now being done on the foundation and to the nearby drains and road.

This first phase is being done to the tune of $13M, but the overall cost has been estimated at $285M. The two-storey building will have a dimension of 260×60. The Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon said the building is expected to be completed by December 2020.

This capital project was part of the 2019 budgetary projects for the region. Gordon also related that all projects for 2019 have been tendered out.

While there was an earlier disagreement amongst regional officials about where the building should be located, it was finally decided that Speightland is the ideal location because it is central to Linden’s economic hub and easily accessible to the employees and the thousands of residents who would have to traverse the building to transact business on a daily basis. The site is in close proximity to the old aluminum plant. In addition, there are several schools, the new passport office, the National Library, the Linden Mayor and Town Council and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission close by.

The community of Speightland, which is a predominantly farming community, is also expected to develop because of the presence of the RDC building in the area.

The building that is housing the RDC is more than 50 years old and the number of staff members employed there has outgrown its capacity. The current building also has a number of safety and electrical hazards that continue to be of concern to councillors.