– hotel developers still not named
Developers of the new Kingston hotel are reticent about naming the investors of the project and said full disclosures on this and other issues will be made at a press conference to be held at a later date.
Speaking at the end of a press conference on the completion of the sewer line diversion project, CEO of Adam Development/Urbahn Associates (ADUA) Mike Ahmad said he would not be dealing with any questions regarding the hotel.
At the press conference, Ahmad announced that the sewer line relocation at Kingston had been successfully completed, was fully operational and should boost the capacity of the city’s waste discharge.
After making a brief presentation on slides, Ahmad and other company officials took Prime Minister Sam Hinds, CEO of Guyana Water Inc Karan Singh and the Chairman of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) on a tour of the completed project.
The press conference allowed no time for the posing of questions, nor was there any formal introduction of the speaker who happened to be Ahmad; a departure from usual press conference protocol.
Asked about his company’s track record at successfully undertaking large projects, Ahmad said the completion of the sewer line diversion was one of many examples of the work that ADUA did. He said the company had many other examples but he did not name them.
The new sewerage system replaced the previous system, which had existed for a long period at the Kingston seawall.
Ahmad, in a PowerPoint presentation, explained different phases of the project in the lead up to its completion.
He explained that prior to the commencement of the relocation process an extensive survey of the area was undertaken which required cooperation of all agencies in the area. The survey also included a profile of the riverbed.
With this new system in place, the discharge volume is expected to be much greater since it will be facilitated by 42-inch sewer pipes. These pipes are approximately one third greater in size than those formerly used.
Engineers had raised concerns about the manner in which the pipes were being laid and the Prime Minister had told this newspaper that these concerns were noted.
Along with improving the city’s drainage capacity, the new system is expected to also serve the new hotel, which will be built in that area.
Meanwhile, at the press conference General Manager of Le Meridien Pegasus Guyana Bert Plas issued a list of concerns after the pipe-laying works caused a utility pole to fall in the area, knocking out power and water. In the statement, Plas called for GWI to install support for connecting pipes to Le Meridien to avoid any breakages and for the utility to complete permanent installation of pipe that connects to hotel system in the hotel’s compound alongside the western fence. Plas urged GWI to install the main water line along Battery Road to connect the hotel to the new well and remove all cross connections along main drainage system in then vicinity of Luckhoo Pool.
Le Meridien also asked GPL to reconnect the hotel to the electricity grid and test to confirm output level. Plas asked that the access road between National Centre for Education Research and Development (NCERD) be repaved to facilitate emergency exit/entrance and deliveries to the hotel.
