THE St. Stephen’s Street playground is currently being restored to its former glory days when the community was able to use it for various sporting events.

Approximately two decades ago, community members, including children, were able to enjoy cricket, soccer, kite flying and many other activities. In time, though, the ground was overtaken by mother-nature and cows, as Constituency 10 Councillor, David Allicock, puts it.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, he recalled how he enjoyed playing on the ground as a boy, but how the deplorable conditions prevailed throughout the 1990s. “We are trying to restore the ground to its former glory and pristine condition. That will take time and probably millions, but we have started,” Allicock noted.

So far, the ground has been graded and a concrete fence was erected to the eastern side of the ground. It is challenging to fence the other sides of the ground because it is bordered by a canal, but Allicock said sooner or later, this will have to be done.

A back gate will also have to be established to facilitate commercial activities, along with a front gate for pedestrians. There also is still much work to be done on the ground. When the gate is completed, the facility will be able to be locked.

Already, the St. Stephen’s school children have started using the ground for sports practice.
Allicock is grateful to the Ministry of Education, and specifically Christopher Jones, who used his office to supply funds for the project through the Ground Enhancement Initiative.
Phase two of the project is to start next year with funds that Allicock will receive for his constituency through City Hall’s government subvention.

Depending on what funds are available, the councillor is hoping to be able to install a goal post, a security hut and even some lighting at the ground.
Allicock said it warms his heart to see the progress at the ground. “It’s a great feeling to see youths being able to enjoy what I did as a teenager,” he said.

“It is the largest play area within constituency 10. We would like to have it reconstituted to the point where the residents can make full use of it. It has not just play and exercise value, but aesthetic value,” Allicock expressed.
Meanwhile, other major plans for the constituency, which takes in the Albouystown and Charlestown communities, include the revetment of the Sussex Street Canal, and the installation of 50 LED lights.

From north to south, the boundaries of the constituency are from Princes Street to Independence Boulevard; in the east, St. Stephen’s Street and Callender Street, and in the west, the Demerara River.

There are 54 bridges across the Sussex Street Canal, of which 18 are council’s responsibility. The 18 bridges are across the 18 streets that run north to south from Callender to Saffon Streets.

The deplorable state of Sussex Street forces motorists and pedestrians to compete for the same space.