THE avenue along Thomas Street in Georgetown is expected to undergo an eye-catching transformation, which should be evident over the next six months. This is according to Sunil Persaud and Danielle Chase of the Thomas Avenue Enhancement Committee, which has teamed up with ECHO to make the venture possible and a rewarding one.
According to Chase, who also serves as treasurer for the committee, the committee has engaged several businesses and other organisations whose operations are based along Thomas Street between Church and Lamaha Streets. She explained that the committee was officially formed on Saturday, and is in the process of ensuring that it is able to have 100  percent support from the other businesses along the avenue.
The committee’s treasurer also informed the media that very soon, with the permission of the police, the committee would be seeking to host several fund-raising activities right on the avenue, to raise funds to assist the process.
She added that plans are on the cards to host a Bar-B-Q and/or some other revenue-earning activity.
Meanwhile, businessman Sunil Persaud, in explaining beautification works to be done, said the aim is to ensure that the avenue is pleasant in its looks and smell. He added that the committee has teamed up with ECHO because the group focuses on community involvement in its drive to foster a healthier atmosphere.
Persaud said that among works to be done are widening of the avenue’s walkway, maintaining the drainage system along the stretch, installation of benches, erection of educational billboards, and planting of trees. The latter has already begun.
The billboards, he said, would serve as an educational tool featuring historic pieces of information about Georgetown, and by extension, Guyana. These boards will be erected at strategic locations along the East Street Avenue;Thomas and Church Streets;Thomas and Middle Streets; and Thomas and Lamaha Streets have been identified as locations for the billboards. Those billboards are expected to be erected with assistance from the business community and proceeds from fund-raisers to be hosted by the group.
The stretch of walkway on the avenue will be raised to the level of the road, Persaud said, because the place is usually flooded whenever it rains, and pedestrians are thus forced to use the road in an attempt to avoid the water.
The duo explained that the committee chose to focus on Thomas Street because it is daily traversed by hundreds of Guyanese to transact business at the hospitals and other entities in the area.