Cabinet has approved the sale of a Duke Street building which the National Trust said had been identified to be declared a national monument.
Head of the Privatization Unit Michael Brassington confirmed to Stabroek News last week that bids closed on May 27 and Cabinet gave approval for the sale to Anthony Reid, who was the highest bidder. The building is being sold for $63 million.
When an advertisement appeared in one of the dailies for the sale of the property which is located at Lot 52/53 Duke Street, Kingston, the National Trust was reported by Capitol News as expressing concerns about the physical characteristics of the building being changed as a result of its sale. The Trust said the building was a significant part of the architectural landscape of Georgetown.
When Stabroek News visited the site last week it was observed that several of the building’s windows were broken and the building appeared to be in a generally rundown state. Its architectural merit, however, was still very much in evidence.
Brassington during his brief interview with Stabroek News said that in the light of the Trust’s concerns and a letter to him from the body in this regard, he had consulted with the Office of the President and had been subsequently informed that the building had not been cleared by Cabinet as a heritage site.
He said there was a legal process for any building to be declared a heritage site and that it had to be gazetted, bringing in its train certain legal requirements.
“Based on feedback I received from OP it was not gazetted as a heritage property,” he said.
However, he said, when Cabinet relayed its position, it also added the caveat that the buyer should seek to maintain the architecture of the building.
“So we will speak to the buyer in terms of maintaining the architecture of the building,” he said.
He said the building had not been sold as yet because the purchase agreement had not been completed. The proposed buyer had to indicate to the unit his continued interest in the purchase but this had not yet been done.
A Capitol News report some weeks ago said that the National Trust had not been consulted about the sale, and was concerned over the intention to sell the property since its mandate was to protect and preserve the integrity of the national heritage.
The Trust wants the elements of the structure which have historic and heritage value to be retained if any sale is permitted.
