‘LCCG was found to be the most suitable site’- says Dr Anthony

– Construction of synthetic track going according to plans

By Melinda Bishundyal

Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, reported that the Leonora Community Centre ground (LCCG) was the most suitable ground to house the Class II synthetic track and field facility which is currently under construction. This revelation comes after recent debate and speculation in the media regarding feasibility of the location for the facility.
Anthony said that his ministry wanted the synthetic track to be in the vicinity of Georgetown or Region Four so as to make it easily accessible to persons, however, the grounds in those areas did not provide enough space. “The original plan was for a possible merger of the GFC and the GCC grounds in Bourda. GFC agreed but GCC disagreed saying that cricket is their primary focus, so we shifted our attention to other grounds,” asserted the minister.
After which, Design and Construction Services Limited, was hired to do a feasibility study on some identified grounds. The grounds identified were the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground on the West Coast Demerara (WCD), Lenora Community Ground WCD, Ogle/ Industry Community Centre East Coast Demerara (ECD), Best Community Ground WCD, Enmore Community Ground ECD, and Durban Park recreational facility in Georgetown.
The criteria the company used to assess the grounds were environmental conditions, transport network and access, water supply and waste disposal, availability of public utilities, low security risks, reserved space to cater for parking, and accommodation for future development.
And according to the company’s assessment, the site most suitable was the Lenora Community Centre ground. The sport minister pointed out that the site is 50.457 acres with 22.65 acres currently being developed.
A portion of the site was occupied by the Lenora Community Center ground, but the major portion of the site was mainly a pasture for animals. Nevertheless, the challenge this ground poses is that it is mainly swamp and since it is approximately 0.6m (2ft), below the existing level, it is prone to flooding, and the synthetic turf is held to the track by adhesives and therefore cannot be exposed to flooding.
However, the design of the facility considered that challenge and the track will be finished approximately 0.5m (1.6ft) above the road level which is above normal flood levels in the area according to the ministry.
The facility’s preliminary designs were developed based on consultations between the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports (MCYS) and representatives from the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG). Then the design was reviewed by the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) certified contractor, BSW Berleburger Schaumstoffwerk GmbH (REGUPOL).