Over G$1B needed to restore City Hall

With over one billion dollars needed to restore the dilapidated City Hall, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Wednesday officially launched its Comprehensive Restoration and Sustainable Conservation Management Plan, which, so far, was kickstarted with its first donation of some five million dollars.
The restoration and management plan launched by the M&CC was conceptualised after the findings of a study conducted by the European Union several years ago. The assessment plan was done to the tune of G$64 million and specifically focused on the physical and structural state of City Hall and the City Engineer’s Building.
The restoration fund is one whereby members of the public are encouraged to donate monies towards the rehabilitation for the 19th-century building, City Hall. At the time of the study, the building was pegged G$400 million but to date, that amount has increased to over G$1 billion.
As such, EU Ambassador to Guyana, Ponz Canto urged those in charge to waste no more time in restoring the once picturesque structure.
“I want to say today very clearly that it is very urgent that the conclusions of the study are implemented…What I hear today is that the cost has gone up and now if my calculation is correct its around five million American dollars it is an important increase, please let no more time pass,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Mayor Ubraj Narine told those in attendance that transparency and accountability of the funds will be maintained by three designated signatories, namely the Private Sector.
“I am here to call upon every Guyanese, non-governmental organization, to let us put our shoulders to the wheel and restore this building of ours… I call upon the government as well to assist us in whatever way they can,” the Mayor stated.
Impressions Guyana has donated some G$5 million already, while Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore and Reverend Dil Mohammed made contributions of G$50,000 and G$150,000 respectively.