…launches ambitious restoration Trust Fund

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Wednesday launched a trust fund for the restoration of City Hall and has already received pledges amounting to $5.2Million.

The largest was from Impressions Branding which promised a contribution of $5Million following Wednesday’s launch. The cost to repair the iconic building is estimated at some $1Billion.

Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship Pandit Ubraj Narine noted that a Special Committee was set up to manage the fund. He explained that there would be three statutory signatories to the checking account; the municipality’s Treasurer, and representatives from the private sector and the National Trust. “It bleeds my heart when I see that one of our historic buildings is falling apart and I believe that we all as Guyanese must work to build City Hall,” Mayor Narine stated.
He called on the private sector, civil society, the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce, stakeholders and Guyanese abroad to play an integral role in saving the famous landmark.

According to the Mayor, the intention is to establish accounts in various banks countrywide where persons could make contributions toward the project. Currently, deposits can be made into account number 4023313 at Demerara Bank.

Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union (EU), His Excellency Ponz Canto remarked that City Hall was an example of the nation’s architectural patrimony and potential richness. The EU had contributed some $60M (300,000 euros) for the feasibility study which was completed in 2018 and Ambassador Canto pledged their continued support. The EU and the National Trust had partnered on a Comprehensive Restoration and Sustainable Conservation Management Plan which was presented to Minister of Social Cohesion, Hon. Dr. George Norton, in July 2018.

Key findings indicated that City Hall could be restored in single or multiple phases, and that income could be generated from commercial usages such as a gallery or museum.

While several attempts were made in the past to have the City Hall building restored to its pristine state, Narine is of the view that the latest effort being piloted by him will have results. “The EU report was submitted to me when I took office and I decided to work on it,” Narine told the Guyana Chronicle in an interview last week. The mayor has said that he is unaware of all of the previous restoration projects that were launched, and will today launch a new one at City Hall. “I believe in the Chinese proverb that only a spark is needed to cause a fire, and I decided to form a restoration committee that includes the private sector, national trust, chambers of commerce, NICIL, Tourism, civil society and the general public,” the mayor said.

He informed that the terms of reference have already been crafted, and that a new bank account number was set up. In addition, drop boxes will be placed all across the country for donations towards the project.

Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle had in the past told the Guyana Chronicle that following inspections on City Hall building in 2015, certain recommendations were made. He had said that urgent steps are needed to rectify the problems there.

The building has gotten worse from 2015 to now, to the point where even from a layman’s view, there are clear signs of structural deficiencies. Gentle had said the current state of the building can pose a danger not only to M&CC staff, but to citizens going to pay their bills as well.

Some sections of the building have rotten boards which tend to come loose and fall off from time to time. The possibility of someone falling through the floor doesn’t exist in Council Chamber, where statutory meetings are held twice per month, City Engineer Colvern Venture had clarified some time ago. The likelihood of that happening, he said, is in the Concert Hall, located just above the Council Chamber on the third floor of the building, where persons are no longer allowed to go.