Over 2,000 direct jobs are to be created during the first phase of the Giftland Mall at Plantation Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, which is expected to be opened by March next year.
Giftland OfficeMax President Roy Beepat made the announcement during a site visit by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds yesterday.
The mall is currently being built at a cost of several billion dollars without any assistance from government except for the land, Beepat stated, when asked by reporters about the funding for the project.
The mall, which will be done in three phases, will see its first phase completed with the opening in March 2013. The first phase will see a variety of businesses in operation along with ATMs and food courts and parking space for 600 cars.
hase two will see the construction of a casino and hardware depot, followed by the third phase which will see the construction of multi-level shopping and offices along with an automatic conveyor sky walk.
Upon completion of the mall, about 6,000 persons, skilled, unskilled, professional, and part-time and University of Guyana students, are expected to benefit from the facility.
The site visit, which lasted for over two hours, saw Beepat showing those in attendance the entire layout of the mall, including the names of some of the stores that will be at the site.
Features of the mall will include aquariums, eight cinemas, a 12-lane bowling alley, a pool hall, video arcade and six escalators. Fast food restaurants such as TGIF and California Pizza Kitchen will be operating at the mall, which will also cater for outdoor activities such as bungee jumping and rock climbing.
Facilities will also be in place to cater for those who are disabled. A sewage treatment plant for recycling and waste disposal will also be constructed while electricity will be provided by a 5.4 megawatt power plant.
