Int’l architects advising on Guyana’s City Hall restoration project

A team of architects from North America and the Caribbean are expected to arrive in Guyana soon to lend their expertise to aid in the restoration of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, City Mayor Hamilton Green said.
According to Green, the architects are expected to arrive in the country within the next two weeks. He told Guyanese media that the private sector is facilitating this aspect of the project, explaining that a private firm is paying the architects’ travel and accommodation fees. However, Green was reluctant to disclose the name of the firm and the amount of money being spent to facilitate the architects.

According to the mayor, hundreds of millions of dollars is required to restore City Hall which is currently in a dilapidated state. City Hall has been hosting consultations with national and international organisations since the commencement of the year to secure their support in the restoration process.
Spearheading the restoration project is a committee comprising members of the commercial sector and not the council. The committee is managing the financial affairs of the project to guarantee transparency.
In the initial stages of consultation, Mayor Green made it clear that he will have no part in the project’s financial affairs.
“I want to have nothing to do with it; I want to have nothing to do with it. We will request a group of business people to come and form a committee, open an account and every cent coming in will be accounted for and must be spent in a transparent manner.”
The U.S. embassy had urged the Georgetown Mayor and City Council to compete in a worldwide competition for funds from the “Ambassador Funds for Cultural Preservation”. During the initial stage, the U.S. ambassador is required to nominate a ministry or non-governmental organisation to support; however, the onus is on the selected entity to effectively sell its project.
A U.S. representative said the process of accessing the grant is a rigorous and lengthy one, but is worthy since an entity can receive a maximum of US$100, 000 and a minimum of US$10, 000. Applications are due in December and must comprise evidence highlighting the importance of the project and its significance to the country and people as a whole.
Guyana won the competition in the past. The Town Hall in New Amsterdam and Castellani House were renovated through funding from the Ambassador Funds for Preservation of Culture.
Given the history behind the city and its strong links with Italy, City Hall was even advised to solicit assistance from the Italian government.
The Georgetown Mayor and City Council was designed by Italian Ignatius Scoles.
In June 2011, then President Bharrat Jagdeo allotted Gy$20 million to aid in the restoration process. However, due to administrative issues on the part of the council, only Gy$5 million from the subvention was utilised. The funds were reportedly used to purchase and install windows; however the major works were not executed.