Latest update January 21st, 2025 2:16 AM
Govt’s. disregard for D’Urban Park development plan spiteful
– Mayor Green
In the heart of Georgetown lies a ‘pristine jungle’ that is commonly referred to as an ‘eye sore’. Having a bushy wild ‘green zone’ in the centre of the capital is apparently the Administration’s plan for a modern organized city.
After all, Government pulled the plug on a $45M project to develop the 16.20 acres of land into a recreational facility, after investing millions of dollars.
According to Hamilton Green, Mayor of Georgetown, that area should have been a showpiece of the City, if the Government had done the decent thing. It is interesting to note that the area where the 1763 monument is located is the responsibility of the Office of the President.
He emphasized that Government’s action to ignore the development of the area into a recreational facility is spiteful. Green added that it was the vision of the previous regime, the People’s National Congress (PNC), to create public facility for Government officials and recreational purposes for the general public.
It was noted that in anticipation of that, what is now the Mandela Avenue was created, housing schemes were built to the east, and the Homestretch Avenue was erected.
He posited that other developments around the City including the National Cultural Centre and the Umana Yana were erected in conjunction with the developmental agenda of the then Government.
Green posited that a modernization plan for Georgetown 2001 to 2010 was prepared by Professor Akbar Khan and it catered for the usage of the D’Urban park area. He emphasized that it was a phased development with many changes among building regulations, and traffic laws were proposed.
He stressed that the proposed development of the D’Urban Park area took into account the large number of Government offices scattered in and around Georgetown- the idea was to put all Government offices in one massive building. Green explained that if Government’s activities are centralized in one physical location such investment would prove cost effective.
He further noted that the remaining land behind the 1763 Monument would have been used as a recreational facility.
Toilets are being erected where the D’Urban Park project was to be executed
The Mayor indicated that instead of investing in a small fun park behind the monument which symbolizes the struggles for freedom, Government is erecting toilets. He questioned who will be utilizing the toilets and suggested that it maybe the vagrants who linger in the ‘pristine jungle’.
He noted that the City had stopped the construction of the toilets because permission was neither sought nor granted. However, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport continued the project.
‘I have pleaded that the details contained in the Greater Georgetown Development Plan be implemented in stages. It is clear that the Government has no interest in securing the integrity of Georgetown because in every society the major towns have a centre of activities,” Green stated.
In 2008, Dr. Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, stated that, “The view is to retain D’Urban Park as a ‘green area,’ and no matter what we do, to minimally maintain that zone… we would be cutting the grass and whatever is introduced in the area.”
He also stated that Guyanese should not expect to see any ‘high rise building or anything else’ in that area, as it has been declared a ‘green zone’.
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