The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has asked Sleepin hotel proprietor Clifton Bacchus to submit a new plan for the construction of a planned parking lot, along Merriman Mall between Light and Albert streets, to align with the city’s ‘green’ vision for the area.
Bacchus is to submit the new plan to the City Engineer’s Department.
When contacted, Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore explained that the design of the plan done by Bacchus is to be altered to suit the city’s overall plan for the location.
He noted that Bacchus was asked to make the necessary changes and re-submit his plan to the Engineer’s Department, which will then approve or make modifications where necessary.
Bacchus, when contacted, told Stabroek News that he has agreed to change his design plan for the allotted parking area and would incorporate more greenery as requested by the city.
While the work has been temporarily ceased, Bacchus said he is working towards re-submitting a plan urgently to move ahead with his work. He stated that he was leased the section between Albert and Light streets at a cost of $1.3 million per year and paid for the first year last month. He said he believes in giving back and therefore has no intentions of charging persons who use the parking area. He reiterated that the payment for the leasing of the area will be his sole responsibility.
Critics have said that the city has fixed a paltry sum of $1.3m for the area and that Bacchus should either pay more or the council should be able to collect parking fees from those using the area.
Bacchus further reiterated that his initial intention to request use of the area was to minimise the amount of traffic congestion and that has not changed.
At a statutory meeting held on Monday, it was announced that the ongoing work to develop the parking area must cease until everything is finalised at the level of the council. However, Mentore has said that the pause in the development 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.
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 Ubraj Narine had said that the correct process was followed.
The public was not made aware of the decision until April 1 this year when former Mayor Hamilton Green wrote a letter to this newspaper pillorying it.
In his letter to this newspaper, Green 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”.
