With just the City Treasurer’s Department to be relocated, the long-awaited rehabilitation of City Hall is expected to commence soon.
Stabroek News understands that the department which currently occupies the ground floor of the City Hall building will be relocated by the end of this week.
Three days ago, Government signed a contract with Trinidadian firm Fides Limited for the restoration of City Hall which had been crumbling for decades.
The building has been declared a hazard to public safety and deemed by the Guyana Fire Service and the City Engineer as unsafe for public use.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development issued an invitation for bids for the restoration of City Hall. The invitation was seen as a major first step towards saving the historic building which has languished for years.
According to reports, the restoration of the historic building is said to be a collaborative effort of the Local Government Minis-try, the City Council and the European Union.
Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall during the contract signing last week said this project should not be seen as something in isolation but as part of a greater picture that demonstrates how the government will pursue development in the country. He told the gathering that the project should be completed within its estimated time frame as it is unlikely that the due date for the project will be extended. An 18-month timeline has been established for the completion of the project.
