By Readawne Henery
With officials saying that terms are still to be finalised, the City Council is moving to temporarily stop ongoing work being done by Sleepin Hotel proprietor Clifton Bacchus to develop a parking lot on a section of the Merriman Mall.
In an invited comment, City Engineer Colvern Venture told Stabroek News that correspondence received from Mayor Ubraj Narine stated that the arrangement had not yet been finalised.
As a result, he said his department would be seeking to ascertain what exactly is being done since it did not receive an application for the development.
Meanwhile, at a statutory meeting held yesterday at City Hall, concerns were raised about the ongoing development.
Mayor Narine said no official document was issued and explained that the council is yet to negotiate the terms and conditions of the private-public partnership agreement, for which a special committee will be put in place.
As a result, it was announced that the ongoing work on the Merriman Mall between Light and Albert streets, where a parking lot area is being developed, must cease until everything is finalised at the level of the council.
However, Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore yesterday told this newspaper that the pause in the development operation is temporary until the council works out the terms and conditions of the public-private partnership with Bacchus.
Mentore added that while there will be a lease arrangement in terms of a yearly agreement, the council is yet to work out the logistics in terms of parking, as it relates to how many persons will be parking, and if it will be a paid or free system of parking, among other things.
He noted that the council’s concerns will be discussed and used to form a part of the contract.
He said that there is no actual problem with working with Bacchus, since everyone will benefit, bringing a more appealing look to the city rather than the state it is in now.
Stabroek News had previously reported that the decision to lease a section of the Merriman Mall to Bacchus for the development of a parking lot was first discussed at committee level on December 9th, 2020.
Following the committee-level discussions, the matter was brought to the council at a statutory meeting held on January 25th, 2021, where the matter was voted on and passed by a majority of 17 votes, with one councillor abstaining and one against.
Mayor Narine had said that the correct process was followed.
City Hall had said that the matter was being finalised while the businessman had said that he has already made payment for a one-year period and has started preparatory works.
Bacchus recently told Stabroek News that he sought use of the area 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 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
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.
Mentore had 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.
The decision to lease the area has been condemned by former Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green as abominable. In a letter to this newspaper, he said that “…except for the blocks north of Bourda Market, the rest of Merriman Mall was intended to be open spaces and cultural activities, preserving the greenery”.
