While City Hall says the lease of a section of the Merriman Mall to Sleepin Hotel and Casino proprietor Clifton Bacchus for the development of a parking lot is being finalised, the businessman yesterday said that he has already made payment for a one-year period and has started preparatory works.
When contacted, Bacchus told Stabroek News that he sought use of the area, located between Albert and Light streets, near the Church Street hotel and casino, in order to minimise the congestion of the area, where the roadways have become overcrowded at night and finding parking has become an issue during the day.
He added that the parking area is needed since the situation becomes particularly chaotic when the churches and mosque nearby are all operating at the same time.
Against this background, about two months ago Bacchus wrote to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) requesting a section of the mall to be used as parking and later received a positive response.
He said he was leased the section between Albert and Light streets at a cost of $1.3 million per year. He paid for the first year last month and he said he is presently working to upgrade the area to make it suitable for parking. He added that his aim is to equip the area with solar lights and to beautify it in other ways. He believe that the area leased to him will fit at least 300 vehicles.
Bacchus noted that while the parking area will be his responsibility financially, the lot will be open for use by other businesses, such as Bakewell. The deal has already found a vocal critic in former Mayor Hamilton Green, who, in a letter in yesterday’s Stabroek News, shared his “shock, surprise and disgust” at learning that a private developer has been given permission to use a portion of Merriman Mall for commercial vehicular parking.He further voiced his disbelief “that all Councillors supported this abomination,” while adding that “many of us who appreciate the importance of securing the integrity of our City, maintaining a certain ambience and beauty could not believe this descent to sheer folly and self-destruction.”
Green noted that except for the blocks north of Bourda Market, the rest of Merriman Mall was intended to be open spaces and cultural activities, and preserving the greenery.
However, Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore on Wednesday said that the decision to lease the section of the mall was influenced by congestion, including the impact on the churches and mosque nearby.
He assured this newspaper that the decision made was discussed and approved by the council, with councillors from both APNU and the PPP/C in agreement.
He added that Bacchus’ request dovetails with the need to bring order to the area in general.
Green, in his letter, had also highlighted that both the Central Housing and Planning Authority and the Municipality in the past agreed that developers in the city who are establishing businesses that will require staff and customer parking should provide on-site parking, including as happened elsewhere, a floor dedicated for the parking of their vehicles. He added that while there has always been a resistance by some uncaring, selfish developers, it is the duty of the administrators to insist that this reasonable and necessary requirement be complied with.
Critics have long argued that businesses of the scale of Sleepin should not be permitted where there is no room for parking. Furthermore, they argue that zoning rules should not permit businesses like casinos in what has always been a residential area.
