City Hall invites bids for leasing of Constab. Training Complex
Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore
Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore

HAVING received a number of Expressions of Interest from private entities for the use of the defunct Water Street City Constabulary Training Complex, the Mayor and City Council (MCC) of Georgetown has officially advertised the invitation of bids for the leasing of the property, which has been out of operation since 2014.
The submission of bids opened on June 16, and interested bidders have until 09:00hrs on June 30 to submit their bids, at which point the bids would be opened in the presence of bidders and their representatives, or anyone else who chooses to attend, at City Hall.
Notwithstanding its defunct state, the Training Complex, which is situated at Lot 13 – 14 Water Street, sits on prime waterfront real estate, and the Council has been in discussions since 2020 about the leasing the property, following an offer of $1.5 million from an unknown entity.
However, during a statutory meeting in January, 2020, when the issue was discussed among the Councillors, several contended that the sum was too small, while others called for a valuation of the property to properly understand its true worth.

The City Constabulary Training Complex

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, in the past, has noted that the Council has since been approached by several entities which have expressed their interest in the property, including international companies and public and private businesses. The Mayor has affirmed that the City does not plan to dispose of the property but see it as an apt revenue-generating asset for the cash strapped municipality.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore, confirmed that the municipality decided that it is time to capitalise on the rising prices for waterfront property.
“The property is one that has been there for some time, and we haven’t been generating any income from it but we have to provide continuous security, and with the advent of oil and gas, the property is now at a sought-after location,” Mentore related.
He further explained that: “So we have been looking at it from that point of view where not that the Council invests in it, but we engage other investors who are willing to have a public-private partnership with us for the property to realise its full potential.”

He noted that the Council has already shortlisted a number of investors based on proposals received, and decided to advertise to maximise the offers.
“We don’t want to limit ourselves from the opportunities that might be out there, so we decided to get a wider audience to be able to get maximum benefits for the Council. So, this led to the introduction of the advertisement to garner a wider forum to get more offers before a final decision could be made,” Mentore said.
Mentore said the municipality will also be seeking its own independent valuation of the property to ensure that the Council gets value for money.
“While we seek Expressions of Interest, we will also be seeking someone to give us a comparative value as relates to if we are getting the best value for money, and we will have a report on that,” Mentore explained.
The City’s invitation of bids for the Training Complex follows the leasing of a section of the Merriman’s Mall to SleepIn Hotel and Casino for $1.3 million annually.
Mentore alluded that more such public-private partnerships with the Council may very well be on the horizon as the entity continues to look at ways to generate new income streams.
“The Council has been looking at innovative ways to maximise on its assets. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of idle assets and idle properties, and there’s high demand for such things at this time. So, outside of collecting taxes, we’re looking at different ways to generate income to supplement our ability to do work, pay staff and invest in other areas of the Council,” Mentore stated.

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