–President Ali commissions new Railway Courtyard, outlines plan for elevated tourist, cultural experience

BLENDING history, wellness and cultural renewal, the Railway Courtyard located at Lamaha and High Streets is poised to become one of Georgetown’s most evocative public spaces.
This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who, on Wednesday, officially commissioned the courtyard and further revealed expansive plans to create an elevated tourist and cultural experience.
“In the coming days, we will see this courtyard transformed into a historic pre-independence walk. So, when you walk through the courtyard all the way to Sheriff Street, you will be walking through pre-independence history in story and in picture,” the President said while engaging stakeholders and sections of the media.
The project, he explained, is grounded in extensive studies, with almost three years of research and almost 80,000 words examined.
The opposite side of the walkway will move visitors through modern nationhood, displaying the country’s post-independence strides.
Designed with families at its heart, the new courtyard developed in partnership with the King’s Foundation, the Office of the First Lady and several other government ministries is intended to be inclusive, secure and urban-shaped for everyday life.
“It is designed specifically for families, children, women especially to have a safe environment,” President Ali said, placing emphasis on the role of public infrastructure in strengthening community well-being.
The courtyard will form part of a wider tourism pedestrian circuit envisioned for Georgetown which promises to be an uninterrupted cultural corridor winding from the Sea Wall to the city’s historic core.
“This will also be one of the main walking areas in the city, along with the Sea Wall for our tourists and then Water Street coming all the way around to the National Library going down Avenue of the Republic into South Road, all the way to the Botanical Garden. So, we are creating that entire walkway, working with the King’s Foundation,” the President said.
He disclosed further that the old transport and harbour area, adjacent to the courtyard, will also see major upgrades, creating spaces for craft shops by the first quarter of the new year.
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, disclosed that the project was executed by small contractors which the ministry engaged and provided technical support.
“There was no big consortium that did this work; these were all small contractors, some of them doing work for the first time[with] technical support and expertise coming from the ministry to guide them along,” he said, while pointing out that the area, which was once a scrap yard, has now been transformed into a modern community-friendly space.
According to Edghill, this is among several facilities that will be built to bring to life an orange economy underpinned by a new wave of investments in culture, creativity and recreational spaces.
“Of recent the president has been emphasising the orange economy and this is one of those Georgetown-based facilities that will help to enhance what we envision for the orange economy, as promised in our 2025 manifesto,” the Minister said.
Back in September, President Ali had outlined a clearly defined strategy to restore Georgetown to the Garden City.
He had explained then that the wider vision for Georgetown set out in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDs) will see 15 flagship demonstration projects being advanced.
These will include the highlighting of the City’s architectural history, constructing a walking trail along the city, which will lead to the historic transport building and train station, transforming it into a museum and training centre, as well as immediate works on the Stabroek waterfront and improvements to markets and shopping areas.
Over the past five years, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across the city, including upgrades to drainage systems, roads and public spaces, effectively stepping in where a cash-strapped Georgetown Mayor and City Council (GM&CC) failed.